Easy to install. Built for offline.

01What's in the package

Everything the server needs travels inside one ZIP, built for a specific release, target OS and runtime. Nothing is pulled from a registry or the internet during installation.

• The runtime for your target — Docker or Podman engine with Compose, or native service bundles — plus Python and OpenSSL
• Ready-made application images or native program archives, verified by SHA-256
• Database migrations, the remote-desktop gateway and the host event service
• Agent binaries for Linux (amd64, arm64), Windows (amd64) and AIX (ppc64)
• A manifest and checksums — and no pre-filled secrets or licence keys

02Supported targets

Pick the server operating system and the way you want HostFlow to run.

03Before you start

• A server running one of the targets above, with systemd, bash and root access
• Sizing: our test profile is 4 vCPU, 8 GB RAM and a 31 GB system disk — grow it with your fleet
• The server's DNS name or IP, and how you want to handle TLS certificates
• Network access on 443 (dashboard, HTTPS) and 9033 (agents, gRPC over TLS)
• Optional: an existing PostgreSQL, LDAP / Active Directory and SMTP server

Offline doesn't mean isolated from your own network: if you use an internal database, directory or mail server, the HostFlow server still needs to reach them.

04How installation works

1. Verify the download. Check the ZIP against the SHA-256 checksum that comes with it.
2. Carry it in. Move the package to the server — USB, internal file transfer or a read-only virtual CD — and unpack it.
3. Run the preflight check. It confirms the package is intact and matches the target, before touching anything.
4. Answer the setup wizard. Server address, TLS certificates, bundled or external database, and optionally LDAP and SMTP.
5. Let it finish. The installer loads and verifies the images, runs the database migrations and starts every service.

05First sign-in & first hosts

Open the dashboard over HTTPS. The Welcome to HostFlow screen creates your first administrator — turn on MFA from your profile before inviting the team.

Then go to Agents → Add Agent. Choose SSH, enter the host, port and credentials, and HostFlow installs the agent, registers it and starts collecting. Use Bulk to deploy to many hosts at once. Linux, Windows and AIX targets are supported.

06Get HostFlow