AtlasNode - Open-Source Homelab Control Plane

AtlasNode is a powerful, open-source homelab management platform that allows you to centrally monitor, control, and manage multiple servers from a single web dashboard.

Screenshots

Dashboard Overview

Real-time monitoring of all your machines with live metrics and status

Machine Details & Terminal

Detailed system information and web-based SSH terminal access

System Monitoring & Discovery

Track screen sessions, open ports, and system specifications

Features

• Zero-Touch Agent Installation: Add machines via SSH credentials - agent installs automatically
• Real-Time Monitoring: Live system metrics (CPU, memory, disk, network)
• Remote Control: Execute commands, reboot, shutdown from the dashboard
• Web-Based SSH Terminal: Access your machines directly from the browser
• Role-Based Access Control: Admin and viewer roles
• WebSocket Live Updates: Real-time status changes and metrics
• Audit Logging: Track all actions and changes
• Docker-First Architecture: Easy deployment with Docker Compose
• Secure by Default: Encrypted credentials, JWT authentication, token-based agent auth

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Docker and Docker Compose installed
• Linux, macOS, or Windows with WSL2

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/Aletech-Solutions/Open-Atlas-Node.git
cd atlasnode

1. Run the setup script:

chmod +x scripts/setup.sh
./scripts/setup.sh

The setup script will:

• Generate secure JWT secret and database password
• Prompt for your server's IP address (required for agents)
• Create .env file with proper configuration
• Build and start Docker containers

1. Access the dashboard at http://localhost:3000

2. Register your first user (automatically becomes admin)

3. Add your first machine via the "Add Machine" button

⚠️ IMPORTANT: Before adding machines, ensure BACKEND_HOST is set in .env to your server's IP address. See CONFIGURATION.md for details.

Architecture

AtlasNode consists of three main components:

Control Server (Backend + Frontend)

• Backend: Express.js REST API with WebSocket support
• Frontend: React.js dashboard with real-time updates
• Database: PostgreSQL for persistent storage

Agent API

• Lightweight Node.js service installed on each managed machine
• Collects system metrics using systeminformation
• Exposes REST endpoints for remote control
• Sends heartbeat to control server

Auto-Installer

• SSH-based zero-touch installation
• Detects OS and architecture
• Installs dependencies and configures agent
• Sets up systemd service for auto-start

Technology Stack

Backend:

• Express.js
• PostgreSQL
• WebSocket (ws)
• SSH2 (for agent installation)
• JWT authentication
• bcrypt password hashing

Frontend:

• React 18
• Vite
• TailwindCSS
• Recharts (metrics visualization)
• XTerm.js (web terminal)
• Axios

Agent:

• Node.js
• Express
• systeminformation

Infrastructure:

• Docker & Docker Compose
• Nginx (production)

Configuration

Configuration is done via environment variables in the .env file:

# Database
DB_NAME=atlasnode
DB_USER=atlasnode
DB_PASSWORD=secure_password_here

# Backend
JWT_SECRET=your_long_random_secret
JWT_EXPIRES_IN=7d

# Ports
BACKEND_PORT=5000
FRONTEND_PORT=3000

# IMPORTANT: Agent Installation Configuration
# Set the IP/hostname where your control server is accessible
# This is required for agents to connect back to the control server
BACKEND_HOST=192.168.1.100    # Your server's IP address
# OR
BACKEND_URL=http://192.168.1.100:5000    # Full URL with protocol and port

Important: Setting Up Agent Communication

Before adding machines, you must configure how agents will reach the control server:

1. Find your server's IP address:

   # Linux/Mac
   ip addr show | grep inet
   # Or
   hostname -I
   

2. Set in .env file:

   # Option 1: Set host only (simpler)
   BACKEND_HOST=192.168.1.100
   
   # Option 2: Set full URL (more control)
   BACKEND_URL=http://192.168.1.100:5000
   

3. Restart services:

   docker-compose down
   docker-compose up -d
   

Note: If you don't set BACKEND_HOST or BACKEND_URL, agents will try to connect to localhost and fail!

API Documentation

Authentication

• POST /api/auth/register - Register new user
• POST /api/auth/login - Login
• GET /api/auth/me - Get current user

Machines

• GET /api/machines - List all machines
• GET /api/machines/:id - Get machine details
• POST /api/machines - Add new machine (admin only)
• DELETE /api/machines/:id - Remove machine (admin only)
• POST /api/machines/:id/action - Execute action on machine
• GET /api/machines/:id/metrics - Get historical metrics

Terminal

• POST /api/terminal/create/:machineId - Create SSH session
• POST /api/terminal/write/:sessionId - Send data to terminal
• GET /api/terminal/read/:sessionId - Read terminal output (SSE)
• DELETE /api/terminal/:sessionId - Close terminal session

Security Best Practices

1. Change Default Credentials: Update all passwords in .env
2. Use Strong JWT Secret: Generate with openssl rand -hex 32
3. HTTPS in Production: Use reverse proxy (Nginx, Caddy)
4. Firewall Rules: Restrict agent ports (7777) to control server only
5. SSH Key Authentication: Prefer SSH keys over passwords
6. Regular Updates: Keep dependencies and OS updated
7. Audit Logs: Monitor audit logs regularly

Backup & Restore

Backup

./scripts/backup.sh

Restore

gunzip < backups/atlasnode_backup_TIMESTAMP.sql.gz | \
  docker-compose exec -T database psql -U atlasnode atlasnode

Documentation

• CONFIGURATION.md - Complete configuration guide (agent communication, environment variables)
• API.md - API documentation
• CONTRIBUTING.md - Contribution guidelines
• agent/README-INSTALLATION.md - Manual agent installation guide

Updating

./scripts/update.sh

Development

Running Locally (Development Mode)

Backend:

cd backend
npm install
npm run dev

Frontend:

cd frontend
npm install
npm run dev

Agent:

cd agent
npm install
cp config.example.json config.json
# Edit config.json with your settings
npm start

Manual Agent Installation (with Auto-Start)

For manual agent installation with automatic restart on system reboot:

Linux:

cd agent
cp config.example.json config.json
# Edit config.json with your settings
chmod +x install.sh
sudo ./install.sh

Windows:

cd agent
copy config.example.json config.json
REM Edit config.json with your settings
install.bat

See agent/README-INSTALLATION.md for detailed installation instructions.

The agent will:

• ✓ Start automatically on system boot
• ✓ Restart automatically if it crashes
• ✓ Wait for network availability before starting
• ✓ Log to system journal (Linux) or Event Viewer (Windows)

Troubleshooting

Agent Installation Fails

• Check SSH credentials
• Verify network connectivity
• Ensure target machine has sudo access
• Check backend logs: docker-compose logs backend

Machine Shows Offline

• Verify agent is running: systemctl status atlasnode-agent
• Check firewall rules
• Verify agent token in /opt/atlasnode-agent/config.json
• Check agent logs: journalctl -u atlasnode-agent -f
• Ensure agent is enabled to start on boot: systemctl is-enabled atlasnode-agent

WebSocket Not Connecting

• Check browser console for errors
• Verify CORS settings in backend
• Check WebSocket URL configuration

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
5. Open a Pull Request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Support

• GitHub Issues: Report bugs or request features
• Documentation: Full documentation

Roadmap

• Docker container monitoring
• Proxmox integration
• Alert system (email, webhook)
• Mobile app
• Plugin system
• Multi-user workspaces
• Ansible playbook execution
• Network topology visualization

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