Introduction

The Level agent is a lightweight background service that checks in with your account and makes remote monitoring, automation, and management available for a Linux device. Install is a single command run as root or with sudo.

⚙️ PREREQUISITES

A Level account with permission to add devices
Root access or sudo on the target device
A supported Linux distribution running systemd
Required packages: curl, bash, ca-certificates, sudo, dbus (or a UUID in /etc/machine-id)

🎬 VIDEO

Linux Install

Click Add new device in the top-right corner of the Device Listing page. In the OS selector, choose Linux.

Selecting a Device Group (Optional)

Select a device group before copying your install command. The install key updates to include the group ID, so the device lands in the right group on first check-in.

If you skip this, the device lands in Ungrouped — you can move it afterward.

The Install Key

Every Linux install method uses an install key — a short token visible in the modal that links new devices to your Level account. It's scoped narrowly: if exposed, it can't access your account, existing devices, or the Level API. The only risk is that someone could use it to add devices to your account.

If you believe your install key has been compromised, contact Level support to rotate it.

ℹ️ NOTE: The install key reflects your group selection in real time. Without a group selected, it contains just your account identifier. Select a group and the group's ID is appended.

Install Methods

The modal has two tabs for Linux.

One-Line Command

A bash one-liner that downloads and installs the agent. This is the standard method for most Linux deployments and handles architecture detection automatically.

In the modal, select the One-line command tab.
Optionally select a device group.
Copy the generated command.
On the target device, open a terminal.
Run the command. If you're not already root, the command includes sudo — you'll be prompted for your password.

The device shows up in your Device Listing within 5–10 seconds of the install completing.

Installer

Downloads an architecture-specific binary and installs it via command line. Use this when you need to specify the architecture explicitly or prefer a manual install process.

In the modal, select the Installer tab.
Select your architecture from the dropdown: x64 or ARM.
Optionally select a device group.
Click Download installer to download the binary.
Copy the install command shown in the modal.
On the target device, run the copied command with elevated permissions.

The command makes the binary executable and runs the install, registering the device with your account using the embedded install key.

Force Install (Advanced)

If a previous Level install left behind stale files, use the forceInstall URL parameter to force a clean overwrite.

Navigate to:

__PRESERVE_CODE_8__

This adds LEVEL_FORCE_INSTALL=true to the generated one-line command.

⚠️ WARNING: Force install overwrites any existing Level agent configuration on the device. Only use this when a standard install fails or Level support directs you to.

System Requirements

Supported Distributions

Distribution	Minimum Version
AlmaLinux	Current stable
Arch Linux	Current stable
CentOS	8
Debian	10
Fedora	36
Linux Mint	20
Photon OS (VMware)	Current stable
Raspbian (Raspberry Pi OS)	Current stable
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)	8
Rocky Linux	8
Sangoma Linux	Current stable
Ubuntu	20.04 LTS

ℹ️ NOTE: Other distributions may work but aren't officially supported. If you run into issues on an unlisted distro, contact Level support.

Required Dependencies

The following packages must be present on the target system before installing:

sudo
systemd (for service management)
dbus or a UUID in /etc/machine-id
curl
ca-certificates
bash

Most supported distributions include these by default. On minimal installs, verify before running the Level install command.

Storage Locations

Path	Purpose
`/usr/local/bin/level`	Agent binary
`/var/lib/level`	Agent data

After Install

The device appears in your Device Listing within 5–10 seconds and starts populating hardware inventory within a few minutes.

If the device doesn't appear, see Offline Troubleshooting for next steps.

FAQ

Do I need to run the install command as root? Yes, the agent needs elevated permissions to install. The one-line command includes sudo automatically. For the manual installer, run the command with sudo or as root directly.
Which architecture should I select in the Installer tab? Select x64 for standard 64-bit Intel/AMD systems and ARM for ARM-based devices (including Raspberry Pi). The one-line command method handles architecture detection automatically.
My Linux distro isn't on the supported list — will Level still work? Possibly. Level supports most modern distributions running systemd. If your distro meets the dependency requirements, it may work fine — contact Level support if you run into issues.
The device installed but isn't showing up in Level — what's wrong? Wait 10–15 seconds and refresh. If it still doesn't appear, verify systemd is running and all required dependencies (curl, dbus, etc.) were present during install. See Offline Troubleshooting for further steps.
What if my install key is compromised? The install key can't access your account, existing devices, or the Level API. The only risk is someone adding devices to your account. Contact Level support to rotate the key if needed.
Can I deploy the agent to many Linux devices at once? Yes — use the one-line command with your existing tooling (Ansible, Puppet, Chef, bash over SSH, etc.).
Who can add devices to Level? Any technician with permission to manage the target device group, or any technician if deploying to Ungrouped. Check Workspace → Permissions if you don't see the Add new device button.