Prerequisites and Verification

Before beginning the installation, ensure Node.js and NPM (Node Package Manager) are installed on your host operating system.

If your server is behind an HTTP/HTTPS proxy, you may need to configure NPM's proxy settings.

1. Verify Node.js and NPM

Open your command-line terminal (CMD/PowerShell on Windows, or Shell on Linux) and run the following commands to check the installed versions:

Node.js: shell node -v
NPM: shell npm -v

2. Configure Proxy Settings (If Applicable)

If your server requires a proxy to access the internet, you must set the proxy configurations for NPM. Skip this step if not needed.

# Set HTTP proxy
npm config set proxy http://proxy.com:88
# Set HTTPS proxy
npm config set https-proxy http://proxy.com:88

MeshCentral Installation

3. Install MeshCentral

Create a dedicated directory for the installation, change into it, and use NPM to install the MeshCentral package.

Recommendation: On Linux, use the /opt directory.

⚠️ Important: Do not use sudo when executing the npm install meshcentral command.

# Create the directory
mkdir -p /opt/meshcentral
# Move into the directory
cd /opt/meshcentral
# Install MeshCentral
npm install meshcentral

4. Start the Server

Once the download is complete, start the MeshCentral server.

⚠️ Crucial: Do not cd into the node_modules/meshcentral directory to run the server. Running it from the directory above node_modules is required for features like auto-install and self-update to function correctly.

node node_modules/meshcentral [arguments]

LAN-Only Mode: If you run the command without arguments, MeshCentral will default to LAN-only mode, meaning you can only manage computers on the local network.

5. Configure for WAN/Internet Access (Optional)

To manage computers over the internet (WAN or Hybrid Mode), your server needs a static IP or a DNS record that resolves to its public address. This is how remote mesh agents "call home."

While command-line parameters exist, it's highly recommended to use a configuration file for persistent settings.

Here are examples of starting the server and generating initial certificates for a public address:

# Using a domain name
node node_modules/meshcentral --cert servername.domain.com
# Using an IP address
node node_modules/meshcentral --cert 1.2.3.4

Note: The first time you run in WAN or Hybrid Mode, MeshCentral will generate necessary certificates, which may take a few minutes.

Once running, immediately create your admin account by navigating to https://127.0.0.1 (or your public hostname) in a web browser.