Install the flightctl agent on a package-mode RHEL host

Install the flightctl-agent on a package-mode Red Hat Enterprise Linux host to bring RPM-based systems under Red Hat Edge Manager management. The installation excludes the flightctl-greenboot subpackage, which is not needed on package-mode hosts.

Before you begin

  • A Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.x or 10.x host running in package mode.
  • An active Red Hat Enterprise Linux subscription with access to the Red Hat Edge Manager repository.
  • The Red Hat Edge Manager service is deployed and accessible from the target host.

Procedure

  1. Enable the Red Hat Edge Manager RPM repository on the target host:

    For Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9:

    sudo subscription-manager repos --enable edge-manager-1.3-for-rhel-9-x86_64-rpms

    For Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10:

    sudo subscription-manager repos --enable edge-manager-1.3-for-rhel-10-x86_64-rpms
  2. Install the agent with weak dependencies disabled to exclude the flightctl-greenboot subpackage: 
    sudo dnf install --setopt=install_weak_deps=False flightctl-agent
  3. On the admin workstation, generate the enrollment configuration: 
    flightctl certificate request \
  --signer=enrollment \
  --expiration=365d \
  --output=embedded > config.yaml

    The command generates a config.yaml file that contains the server address, CA bundle, and a short-lived enrollment certificate the agent uses to connect on first startup.

  4. Copy config.yaml to the edge device and install it: 
    sudo install -m 600 -o root -g root config.yaml /etc/flightctl/config.yaml
  5. Enable and start the agent service: 
    sudo systemctl enable --now flightctl-agent

Results

  • Verify that the flightctl-agent package is installed and the flightctl-greenboot subpackage is not: 
    rpm -q flightctl-agent
rpm -q flightctl-greenboot

    The first command returns the installed agent version. The second command returns package flightctl-greenboot is not installed, confirming that greenboot integration was correctly excluded.

  • Verify that the agent service is running: 
    sudo systemctl status flightctl-agent

    The output shows active (running).

  • Verify that the enrollment request appears in the Red Hat Edge Manager service: 
    flightctl get enrollmentrequests

What to do next

  • Enrolling devices — after the agent starts, it submits an enrollment request. An administrator must approve it before Red Hat Edge Manager begins managing the device.
  • Managing devices — add the device to a fleet, configure OS and application settings, and monitor device status.