Server agent commands: update, status, remove

The agent is one program, uptimecheck-agent, which the command on the server’s page installs as a service. See how to install server monitoring. On Linux and macOS it is /usr/local/bin/uptimecheck-agent; run its commands with sudo. On Windows it is C:\Program Files\Uptimecheck\uptimecheck-agent.exe; run it in PowerShell as Administrator.

Commands

sudo uptimecheck-agent status          # running, stopped or not installed
sudo uptimecheck-agent update --check  # is a newer release out?
sudo uptimecheck-agent update          # install it and restart the service
sudo uptimecheck-agent restart         # stop and start work the same way
sudo uptimecheck-agent test            # collect one report, show it and send it
uptimecheck-agent version
sudo uptimecheck-agent uninstall       # stop and remove the service

On Windows: & "$env:ProgramFiles\Uptimecheck\uptimecheck-agent.exe" status, and the same for the others.

Updates

• With Update the agent automatically on when you copied the install command, the agent looks for a new release about every 6 hours and installs it by itself.
• It only installs releases signed by Uptimecheck, and never an older version.
• Without it, the server’s page says when a new version is available and shows the command to run.
• update needs agent 1.1.0 or later. With an older agent, run the install command from the server’s page again; the token, settings and history stay as they are. That is also how you turn automatic updates on later: switch it on and run the new command.

Settings file

• Linux: /etc/uptimecheck-agent/agent.json
• macOS: /Library/Application Support/Uptimecheck/agent.json
• Windows: C:\ProgramData\Uptimecheck\agent.json

It holds the address the agent reports to (url), the server’s token and autoUpdate. Keep the token private. After a change, run sudo uptimecheck-agent restart.

How it runs

• On Linux the service runs as its own unprivileged user, uptimecheck-agent, under systemd or OpenRC. With systemd, read its log with journalctl -u uptimecheck-agent.
• It reports every minute over HTTPS (port 443) to the url in its settings, https://app.uptimecheck.com for new installs, and needs no inbound port.
• The token belongs to one server monitor. For another server, add another server monitor.

Remove the agent

1. Pause or delete the server monitor in Uptimecheck first, so it doesn’t alert when the reports stop.
2. Run sudo uptimecheck-agent uninstall. It stops and removes the service and deletes the settings file.
3. Delete the program: sudo rm /usr/local/bin/uptimecheck-agent, or the C:\Program Files\Uptimecheck folder on Windows. On Linux you can also remove the uptimecheck-agent user.

More on server monitoring and server alert thresholds.