The Atera Agent is the backbone of the Atera monitoring system and needs to be installed on all devices you want to monitor. It keeps tabs on the availability, performance, and health of the computer/server and securely sends info back to the cloud. This way, Atera can let you know if anything critical goes down, gets degraded, or reaches a predefined threshold. The reporting intervals are based on extensive big data analysis, ensuring optimal notification timing. The Atera Agent has very low overhead usage, meaning it can run comfortably on minimum specification machines, and automatically updates itself whenever a new version is released. There is no limit to how many agents you can have, although trial accounts are limited to 300 devices.
Note: To install agents on multiple devices in a domain environment, see Install the Atera Agent using Group Policy
Prerequisites
Atera Agents can be installed on Windows, Mac, and Linux devices — provided the operating system is supported by its vendor. Agents installed on unsupported OS versions may lead to unexpected issues or security risks, so we strongly recommend upgrading to a supported OS version for optimal performance and security. Please note that Atera is not responsible for any issues that arise from using agents on unsupported operating systems.
Note:
- Full admin permissions are required to install the Atera Agent.
- If you're installing the Atera Agent via Microsoft Intune or in a Citrix environment, this may create duplicate devices in your console as each environment re-deploys the software after a certain period.
- Atera will install .Net Runtime 8 on Windows, macOS, and Linux devices.
Supported versions and distributions
Windows
- Windows 10
- Windows 11
- Windows Server 2016
- Windows Server 2019
- Windows Server 2022
Additional requirement: Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5 or above.
macOS
- macOS 13 (Ventura)
- macOS 14 (Sonoma)
- macOS 15 (Sequoia)
Additional requirement: For users of macOS devices with an M processor series, it is essential to have Rosetta, a dynamic binary translator developed by Apple, installed on your devices. In the majority of instances, macOS devices utilizing the M processor series come with Rosetta pre-installed. However, even if Rosetta is not present on your devices, during the agent installation process, Atera will make an attempt to install Rosetta if it detects the absence of the software application. For more info, see:
Linux
- Debian 11 (and above)
- Ubuntu 18 (and above)
- Red Hat 8 (and above)
- CentOS Stream
Additional requirement: Your Linux device must have the following installed and enabled before you can use the Atera Agent:
- Sudo
- LSHW
For more information, see Atera's Linux agent
Windows Agent
There are multiple ways to install Atera's Windows Agent. You can download the installer, copy the cURL command, or share the installation link.
If you experience any trouble with agent installation or stability, see Troubleshoot Atera's Windows Agent
Note: Atera's Windows Agent is available for all IT Department plans.
Note: Atera's Windows Agent is available for all MSP plans.
The following features are included in agent versions 1.8.5.7 and later:
Silent installation: The Atera Windows Agent installs silently when:
- Installed on a device using the SYSTEM account (covers installations via GPO and Network Discovery).
- The device isn't tied to a domain.
Uninstall prevention: To prevent both intentional and accidental removal of the Atera Agent and ensure continuous monitoring and management of devices, end users cannot uninstall the agent via:
- Apps & Features
- Command Prompt with user privileges
- Right-clicking to uninstall from C:\Windows\Installers
You can enable this feature via Admin > My account > Account settings > Agents. If enabled, the Atera Windows Agent can only be removed via:
- SYSTEM user privileges (GPO, CMD, PowerShell, WMI)
- Deleting the device from the Atera console
Note: While uninstall prevention is enabled, end users will still see "Atera" in Apps & Features. This feature is also applied retroactively.
To download and install the agent:
1. Click Install agent in the menu bar at the top of the screen.
The Download agent installer window appears.
2. Select Windows (.msi). Then click Next.
3. Assign the agent to a site and folder (optional). Then click Next.
Note: Assigning the agent will automatically allocate all policies, configurations, and automations applied to that site and/or folder. This assignment also comes in handy with any IT automation profiles that are intended to run on newly added devices. However, you also have the option to assign the agent at a later time. Learn more
3. Assign the agent to a customer and folder (optional). Then click Next.
Note: Assigning the agent will automatically allocate all policies, configurations, and automations applied to that customer and/or folder. This assignment also comes in handy with any IT automation profiles that are intended to run on newly added devices. However, you also have the option to assign the agent at a later time. Learn more
There are 3 installation methods:
Download installer
- From the Download installer tab, click Download.
- Open the installer package (.msi file) and follow the onscreen instructions to install the Atera Agent.
Within a couple of minutes, the Atera Agent will appear on the Devices page.
Install via command line
- From the Install via command line tab, click Copy command.
- Open the terminal with elevated administrator privileges.
- Enter the installation script and hit Enter to install the Atera Agent.
Within a couple of minutes, the Atera Agent will appear on the Devices page.
Share download link
Note: Sharing the agent installer link by email won’t work, but you can use a file-sharing tool (e.g., SharePoint), or embed the link on your website.
- From the Share download link tab, click Copy link.
- Share it with your end user to download and install the Atera Agent themselves.
Once installed by the end user, the Atera Agent will appear on the Devices page.
Mac Agent
You can install the Atera Mac Agent via cURL command or installer package.
If you experience any trouble with agent installation or stability, see Mac troubleshooting guide
Note: Atera's Mac Agent is available for all IT Department plans.
Note: Atera's Mac Agent is available for the MSP Growth, Power, and Superpower plans.
On macOS with an M processor, ensure Rosetta is installed. It’s usually pre-installed, but if not, Atera will try to install it during agent setup. You can also install it manually using this command:
sudo softwareupdate --install-rosetta
For more information on Rosetta, see:
To download and install the Atera Mac Agent:
1. Click Install agent in the menu bar at the top of the screen.
The Download agent installer window appears.
2. Select Mac (.pkg). Then click Next.
3. Assign the agent to a site. Then click Next.
Note: Assigning the agent will automatically allocate all policies, configurations, and automations applied to that site and/or folder. This assignment also comes in handy with any IT automation profiles that are intended to run on newly added devices. However, you also have the option to assign the agent at a later time. Learn more
3. Assign the agent to a customer. Then click Next.
Note: Assigning the agent will automatically allocate all policies, configurations, and automations applied to that customer and/or folder. This assignment also comes in handy with any IT automation profiles that are intended to run on newly added devices. However, you also have the option to assign the agent at a later time. Learn more
There are 2 installation methods:
Install via command line
- From the Install via command line tab, click Copy command.
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Open Terminal on the device.
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You may need to enter the device's password (not your Atera password), and keystrokes may not appear.
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The command provided in the Atera dashboard is set for the "bash" shell. If your Mac uses "zsh," replace "bash" with "zsh" for compatibility.
-
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Enter the installation script and hit Enter to install the Atera Agent.
Within a couple of minutes, the Atera Agent will appear on the Devices page.
Download installer
Note: The Atera Mac Agent installs silently when downloading and installing the .pkg file.
- From the Download installer tab, click Download.
- Right-click the .pkg file > Select Open With > Installer.
- Follow the onscreen instructions to install the Atera Agent.
Within a couple of minutes, the Atera Agent will appear on the Devices page.
For more info on Atera's Mac Agent installation, see Mac agent installation guide
Linux agent
You can install the Atera Agent for Linux using the command line, either locally or via SSH. For more information, see Atera's Linux Agent
If you experience any trouble with agent installation or stability, see Troubleshoot Atera's Linux agent
Note: The Linux Agent is available for all IT Department plans.
Note: The Linux Agent is available for the MSP Growth, Power, and Superpower plans.
To download and install the agent:
1. Click Install agent in the menu bar at the top of the screen.
The Download agent installer window appears.
2. Select Linux (.bash). Then click Next.
3. Assign the agent to a site. Then click Next.
Note: Assigning the agent will automatically allocate all policies, configurations, and automations applied to that site and/or folder. This assignment also comes in handy with any IT automation profiles that are intended to run on newly added devices. However, you also have the option to assign the agent at a later time. Learn more
3. Assign the agent to a customer. Then click Next.
Note: Assigning the agent will automatically allocate all policies, configurations, and automations applied to that customer and/or folder. This assignment also comes in handy with any IT automation profiles that are intended to run on newly added devices. However, you also have the option to assign the agent at a later time. Learn more
4. Click Copy command to copy the installation script.
- Open the Terminal.
- Enter the installation script and hit Enter to install the Atera Agent.
- You may need to enter the device's password (not your Atera password), and keystrokes may not appear.
Within a couple of minutes, the Atera Agent will appear on the Devices page.
Troubleshooting
If you experience any trouble with agent installation or stability, see:
