Install Collector – Linux

Installing the ConfigSentry On-Premise Collector on Linux using the bootstrap installer script

Before you start, check the Collector Requirements to confirm your system is ready. You will need php-cli and either curl or wget installed.

1. Get the Bootstrap Command

Sign in to your ConfigSentry account and go to Appliances → Collectors. Open your collector and click Download – Linux. Copy the bootstrap command shown — it includes your unique collector token.

2. Create the Installation Directory

Choose a directory to hold the collector. A dedicated directory is recommended:

mkdir -p ~/configsentry-collector
cd ~/configsentry-collector

3. Run the Bootstrap Command

Paste and run the bootstrap command from the dashboard. It will:

Download the latest collector runtime package.
Extract it to the current directory.
Prompt you for any Enter Locally values (such as SSH credentials not stored in the dashboard).
Install a cron entry to keep the collector watchdog running.

4. Verify the Installation

After the bootstrap completes, check the cron entry was added:

crontab -l

You should see a ConfigSentry collector watchdog entry. Wait for the first scheduled run — the audit should appear in the ConfigSentry dashboard under Audits.

5. Firewall (Syslog)

If you have enabled syslog-triggered collection, ensure the host firewall (e.g. iptables or ufw) allows inbound UDP traffic on the configured listener port. By default this is UDP port 2216.

6. Updating the Collector

The collector watchdog checks for updates automatically according to its configured schedule. To force an immediate update, run the bootstrap command again from the installation directory.

7. Uninstalling

Remove the cron entry with crontab -e and delete the collector directory. No system-wide packages are installed.

Back to Knowledge Base Collector Requirements