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Quick Start Guide

Get up and running with ChatOps in minutes!

Step 1: Access the Web Interface

  1. Navigate to your ChatOps instance URL
  2. Click "Register" to create a new account
  3. Fill in your details:
  4. Email address
  5. Username
  6. Password (minimum 8 characters)
  7. Full name
  8. Click "Create Account"

Step 2: Add Your First Server

  1. After logging in, navigate to "Servers" from the sidebar
  2. Click "Add Server" button
  3. Fill in the server details:
  4. Name: A descriptive name (e.g., "Production Web Server")
  5. Host: IP address or hostname (optional, for reference)
  6. Port: SSH port (optional, for reference)
  7. Click "Create"

Step 3: Generate an API Key

  1. Click on your newly created server
  2. Navigate to the "API Keys" tab
  3. Click "Create API Key"
  4. Optionally give it a name (e.g., "Main Agent")
  5. ⚠️ IMPORTANT: Copy the API key immediately - it's only shown once!

Step 4: Install the Agent

# Download the .deb package
wget https://github.com/martian56/chatops/releases/download/v1.0.3/chatops-agent_1.0.3_amd64.deb

# Install the package
sudo dpkg -i chatops-agent_1.0.3_amd64.deb
sudo apt-get install -f  # Install dependencies if needed

# Configure the API key
sudo systemctl edit chatops-agent.service
# Add: Environment="CHATOPS_API_KEY=your-api-key-here"

# Start the service
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable chatops-agent
sudo systemctl start chatops-agent

# Check status
sudo systemctl status chatops-agent

Option B: Binary Installation

# Download the binary
wget https://github.com/martian56/chatops/releases/download/v1.0.3/chatops-agent-linux-amd64-1.0.3.tar.gz
tar -xzf chatops-agent-linux-amd64-1.0.3.tar.gz

# Run the agent
./chatops-agent-linux-amd64 -api-key YOUR_API_KEY_HERE

Option C: Environment Variables

export CHATOPS_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"
export CHATOPS_API_URL="https://your-chatops-instance.com"  # Optional
./chatops-agent

Step 5: Verify Connection

  1. Return to the ChatOps web interface
  2. Navigate to your server's detail page
  3. You should see:
  4. Server status: ONLINE (green indicator)
  5. Real-time metrics appearing in the Metrics tab
  6. Docker containers listed (if Docker is installed)

What Happens Next?

Once the agent is connected:

  • Metrics: System metrics (CPU, memory, disk, network) are collected every 5 seconds
  • Docker: Container information is available for management
  • Logs: System and application logs are accessible
  • Terminal: Remote command execution is enabled

Troubleshooting

Agent Not Connecting

  • Check API Key: Verify the API key is correct and active
  • Check Network: Ensure the server can reach the ChatOps API URL
  • Check Logs: View agent logs for error messages 
    sudo journalctl -u chatops-agent -f

No Metrics Appearing

  • Wait a few seconds: Metrics are sent every 5 seconds
  • Check Agent Status: Verify the agent is running
  • Check Server Status: Ensure the server shows as ONLINE

API Key Issues

  • Invalid Key: Generate a new API key if the current one is invalid
  • Inactive Key: Check that the API key is active in the dashboard

Next Steps