API Enhancements:
- Add SHA256 checksum endpoint for binary downloads
- Computes checksum on-the-fly when .sha256 suffix is requested
- Example: /download/pulse-host-agent?platform=linux&arch=amd64.sha256
- Enables installer scripts to verify binary integrity
- Add /uninstall-host-agent.sh endpoint for Linux/macOS uninstall script
- Add endpoint to public paths (no auth required)
Checksum Implementation:
- New serveChecksum() function computes SHA256 hash using crypto/sha256
- Returns plain text checksum in hex format
- Supports all binary download endpoints
- Zero performance impact (only computed when requested)
Install Script Updates:
- Add --force/-f flag to skip all interactive prompts
- URL/token prompts skipped with --force
- Reinstall confirmation skipped with --force
- Checksum mismatch still aborts (security first)
- Force mode auto-accepts updates and reinstalls
- Usage: ./install-host-agent.sh --url $URL --token $TOKEN --force
Security Notes:
- Checksum verification protects against:
- Corrupted downloads due to network issues
- Man-in-the-middle binary tampering
- Storage corruption on server
- Force mode maintains security by aborting on checksum mismatch
- No bypass for security-critical validations
These improvements enable:
- Automated deployments (--force flag)
- Binary integrity verification (checksums)
- Better security posture (tamper detection)
- Standardized uninstall process (endpoint)
The /api/version endpoint already exists and returns version info
for update checks (no changes needed).
Major improvements to the host agent installation experience:
Installation Enhancements:
- Add interactive mode with prompts for URL/token if not provided
- Add colored output with ANSI codes (✓ ℹ ⚠ ✗) matching Windows style
- Add professional header/footer with bordered sections
- Display masked configuration before installation
- Add version detection and update notifications
- Add reinstall confirmation for existing installations
Security Improvements:
- Store tokens in macOS Keychain instead of plaintext plist
- Create wrapper script to read token from Keychain at runtime
- Add SHA256 checksum verification for downloaded binaries
- Set restrictive permissions (chmod 600) on service configs
- Graceful fallback if Keychain access denied
Validation & Verification:
- Wait 10 seconds and verify service is running
- Query /api/hosts endpoint to confirm agent registered
- Verify hostname appears in Pulse server
- Provide detailed troubleshooting if validation fails
Error Handling:
- Comprehensive error messages with actionable guidance
- Platform-specific install instructions for missing dependencies
- 4-step troubleshooting guide for download failures
- Build-from-source fallback instructions
- Service failure diagnostics with log viewing commands
Logging Improvements:
- Use persistent log directories (no more /tmp)
- macOS: ~/Library/Logs/Pulse/host-agent.log
- Linux: /var/log/pulse/host-agent.log
- Automatically create log directories
Post-Install:
- Display service management commands (start/stop/restart/logs)
- Show installed file locations
- Provide uninstall instructions
- Link to Pulse dashboard
Uninstall Script:
- New dedicated uninstall script with colored output
- Comprehensive cleanup (service, binary, logs, Keychain)
- Platform detection and appropriate cleanup steps
- Remove macOS Keychain entries and wrapper scripts
- Remove temporary logs from old /tmp location
- Retry logic for file locking issues
Progress Indicators:
- Better download progress with curl --progress-bar
- Clear status messages for each installation step
- Visual feedback throughout installation
These changes bring the macOS/Linux installation experience to parity
with Windows and add several features that exceed Windows quality:
- API endpoint verification (Windows doesn't have)
- Checksum verification (Windows doesn't have)
- macOS Keychain integration (more secure than Windows config)
- Update detection (Windows doesn't have)
Windows Host Agent Enhancements:
- Implement native Windows service support using golang.org/x/sys/windows/svc
- Add Windows Event Log integration for troubleshooting
- Create professional PowerShell installation/uninstallation scripts
- Add process termination and retry logic to handle Windows file locking
- Register uninstall endpoint at /uninstall-host-agent.ps1
Host Agent UI Improvements:
- Add expandable drawer to Hosts page (click row to view details)
- Display system info, network interfaces, disks, and temperatures in cards
- Replace status badges with subtle colored indicators
- Remove redundant master-detail sidebar layout
- Add search filtering for hosts
Technical Details:
- service_windows.go: Windows service lifecycle management with graceful shutdown
- service_stub.go: Cross-platform compatibility for non-Windows builds
- install-host-agent.ps1: Full Windows installation with validation
- uninstall-host-agent.ps1: Clean removal with process termination and retries
- HostsOverview.tsx: Expandable row pattern matching Docker/Proxmox pages
Files Added:
- cmd/pulse-host-agent/service_windows.go
- cmd/pulse-host-agent/service_stub.go
- scripts/install-host-agent.ps1
- scripts/uninstall-host-agent.ps1
- frontend-modern/src/components/Hosts/HostsOverview.tsx
- frontend-modern/src/components/Hosts/HostsFilter.tsx
The Windows service now starts reliably with automatic restart on failure,
and the uninstall script handles file locking gracefully without requiring reboots.
