Frequently Asked Questions¶
Which Linux distributions are supported?¶
The qbee-agent runs on any Linux with a supported kernel, on ARM (32-bit and 64-bit), x86, and x86_64 architectures. Pre-built packages and tested integrations are available for common distributions including Debian, Ubuntu, RHEL/CentOS/Fedora, and Raspberry Pi OS, as well as build systems like Yocto, Buildroot, and OpenWrt. See Supported Platforms on the Device Agent page for the full list.
Does the agent require inbound firewall rules?¶
No. The agent initiates all communication over HTTPS (TCP port 443). Devices can sit behind NAT, mobile networks, and multi-level firewalls with no inbound ports open. See Understanding Qbee for details.
How much bandwidth does the agent use?¶
It depends on the agent polling interval, enabled features (inventories, metrics, reports), and the size of your configuration. With most features disabled and a 12-hour polling interval, bandwidth can be as low as roughly 20 kB per day. A default setup (5-minute interval, remote access enabled) uses approximately 1.7 MB in / 1.4 MB out per day. More complex configurations with file distribution will be higher. See the bandwidth consumption page for detailed measurements across different configurations.
Can I install the agent behind a proxy?¶
Yes. The agent has built-in proxy support. Pass the proxy configuration during bootstrapping or set the https_proxy environment variable. See Bootstrapping Explained for proxy configuration details.
Is the agent open source?¶
Yes. The agent source code is available at github.com/qbee-io/qbee-agent. You can compile it yourself for platforms where pre-built packages are not available.
How do I uninstall the agent?¶
Stop the agent, remove the package, and clean up the data directory:
Debian-based:
apt-get --purge remove qbee-agent
rm /etc/qbee /var/lib/qbee -rf
RPM-based:
dnf remove qbee-agent
rm /etc/qbee /var/lib/qbee -rf
Then delete the device from the Qbee console (see Fleet Organization).
What ports does the agent need?¶
Only outbound TCP port 443 (HTTPS). No inbound ports are required.
How often does the agent check for updates?¶
The agent polls the Qbee server at a configurable reporting interval. By default, this is approximately 5 minutes. All devices in a fleet converge within the same reporting window regardless of fleet size.
Can the agent run as a non-root user?¶
Yes. The agent can be configured to run as an unprivileged user, using systemd service restrictions and selective sudo rules to perform only the operations that require elevated privileges. See Running as Unprivileged User for the setup guide.