Live Terminal and Linux Automation: A Practical Guide

Why SSH-by-hand and cron do not scale for Linux fleets

Hexnode Linux automation provides a centralized alternative to manually managed per-host SSH sessions and cron jobs. As Linux fleets grow, decentralized administration becomes harder to coordinate. Without centralized credential, configuration, and logging controls, organizations can encounter credential sprawl, script drift, and fragmented records of administrative activity.

Applying a hotfix manually across 40 servers means repeating the same commands, while the absence of centralized logging or orchestration makes execution harder to track consistently.

Likewise, a per-host cron job can fail after system changes if its script, dependencies, environment, permissions, or configuration are no longer valid, and decentralized monitoring can make that failure harder to detect.

When multiple administrators share the same SSH credential or account identity, attributing activity to an individual administrator becomes more difficult.

Patch delays add another concern. CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog tracks vulnerabilities with evidence of exploitation in the wild, including vulnerabilities in products and software that may run on Linux systems.

Centralized Linux administration addresses these gaps through three layers: interactive terminal access for immediate troubleshooting, one-off scripts for repeatable actions, and scheduled or triggered automation for recurring fleet tasks.

What is Live Terminal in Hexnode?

Live Terminal in Hexnode UEM is a remote command-line session opened from the web console to an enrolled Linux device. It gives administrators an interactive terminal with real-time command output. Live Terminal is supported on Debian, Fedora, and Ubuntu distributions.

Hexnode provides three distinct ways to perform remote Linux administration:

1. Live Terminal: An interactive, real-time terminal session for troubleshooting or running commands on one Linux device at a time.
2. Execute Custom Script: A remote action that deploys Bash (.sh) scripts to one or multiple enrolled Linux devices. Other installed interpreters, such as Python, can be invoked from within a Bash script when available on the endpoint.
3. Automations: Scheduled or event-triggered workflows that run configured actions or scripts without requiring an administrator to initiate each execution manually.

Admins can launch Live Terminal from the Device Summary sub-tab by clicking Start SSH Session under Live Terminal. This makes it useful when a task requires immediate investigation or interactive command execution rather than a predefined script.

Live Terminal commands execute with root-level access. Therefore, organizations should apply their existing change-control and privileged-access procedures. Hexnode also cautions administrators that it is not responsible for issues caused by commands executed with root privileges.

How to use Hexnode Linux automation, step by step

Linux automation in Hexnode UEM can move through three layers: use Live Terminal for interactive troubleshooting, deploy a custom script for repeatable one-off work, and build an Automation for scheduled or event-driven tasks. Linux OS updates can also run through a dedicated remote action.

Step 1 – Open a Live Terminal session for real-time troubleshooting

Live Terminal lets an administrator open an interactive command-line session with an enrolled Linux device and view command output in real time.

Before starting, confirm these prerequisites:

• The enrolled device runs a supported Debian, Fedora, or Ubuntu distribution.
• If Web Content Filtering applies to the device, allowlist https://*.hexnodemdm.com so Live Terminal can establish the required connection.

Then:

1. Go to Manage > Devices.
2. Select the Linux device.
3. Open Device Summary.
4. Locate Live Terminal.
5. Click Start SSH Session.
6. Enter the required commands and review the returned output.

For example, an admin might run systemctl status , inspect a log with tail, or check disk usage before deciding whether the remediation should become a reusable script.

What this replaces: Opening a separate SSH client and connecting directly to each Linux device for interactive troubleshooting.

Step 2 – Push a one-off fix with Execute Custom Script

The Execute Custom Script action in Hexnode UEM pushes Bash (.sh) scripts to one or multiple enrolled Linux devices from the console. Validate the script on a test device first, then deploy it more broadly and review its execution results.

1. Write and test the Bash script locally, including any required file permissions.
2. Go to Manage > Devices and select the target devices.
3. Choose Actions > Deployments > Execute Custom Script.
4. Choose Upload file to select a script from your computer or Hexnode repository to select a script previously uploaded to the Content tab.
5. Run the action and review its status and output in the action history.

Typical one-off administrative tasks include:

• Removing temporary files.
• Collecting device health information.
• Restarting a service.

What this replaces: Repeating the same commands manually across individual SSH sessions.

Step 3 – Turn repeatable work into a scheduled Automation

Hexnode Automate lets admins run supported Linux scripts or actions using Time triggers. Activity triggers are also available in Hexnode Automations, subject to platform applicability. For recurring work, configure the trigger once and scope the automation to the required Linux devices.

1. Go to Automate > Active Automations > New Automation and optionally choose an Automation Template.
2. Set the Platform to Linux.
3. Add a name and description.
4. Select a trigger, such as a one-time or repeating time trigger.
5. Define the target devices using Include/Exclude groups or custom filters with AND/OR logic.
6. Choose a supported action, such as Execute Custom Script.
7. Review the configuration and save the automation.

For example, an admin could run a nightly log-rotation and disk-cleanup script against a Linux – Warehouse Terminals group. In event-driven workflows, the On Device Enrollment trigger can initiate an Automation when a Linux device enrolls.

What this replaces: Maintaining separate cron jobs and manually synchronizing recurring administrative scripts across Linux endpoints.

Step 4 – Schedule OS and security updates

For on-demand OS updating, Hexnode UEM provides the Update OS remote action for managed Linux devices. Hexnode’s Linux Patch Management separately provides Patch Metrics for visibility into missing patches and deployment status, along with automated and manual patch deployments.

1. Go to Manage > Devices.
2. Select the required Linux device or devices.
3. Open Actions > Updates > Update OS.
4. Configure the available update option and initiate the action.

For automated patching, Hexnode’s Linux Patch Management supports automated and manual patch deployments. Administrators can use the Update Preferences Policy to configure update schedules, rules, and deployment windows.

What this replaces: Logging in to individual Linux hosts to run package-manager commands or relying on separate scripts and command-line tools for patching.

Step 5 – Choosing the right layer: Live Terminal vs script vs automation

A practical rule is simple: anything run twice in Live Terminal is a candidate for a script; anything scripted twice is a candidate for automation. Use the table below to match each task to the appropriate layer.

Scripts and automations also provide execution records in the Hexnode console, supporting change tracking after actions run. Live Terminal remains the interactive layer rather than a substitute for recorded, repeatable workflows.

What this replaces: Choosing SSH, scripts, or cron by habit instead of matching the administration method to the task.

How Hexnode UEM brings Linux into the same console as everything else

Hexnode UEM manages supported Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, and Linux Mint endpoints alongside Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and ChromeOS devices from one console. Individual Linux feature support varies by distribution.

Hexnode Linux automation brings interactive troubleshooting, scripted changes, recurring maintenance, and remote support into the same management workflow.

Key Linux capabilities include:

• Linux Live Terminal: Start an SSH session from Device Summary for enrolled Debian, Fedora, and Ubuntu devices.
• Execute Custom Script – Linux: Deploy Bash (.sh) scripts from the console instead of running the same commands manually on each device.
• Hexnode Automate for Linux: Schedule supported Linux scripts and actions and target them to the required devices or groups.
• Update OS on Linux: Remotely initiate supported Linux OS updates from the Hexnode UEM console.
• Remote View and Control: Hexnode supports remote access on compatible Linux endpoints. Both require a GUI, while Remote Control requires X11 and does not work with Wayland. The user must grant screen-sharing permission to start Remote View and separately accept a Request Control prompt before the admin can control the device.

Hexnode can manage supported Linux server environments, but feature requirements vary. Remote View and Remote Control require a GUI, while Live Terminal provides command-line access for supported Linux devices without relying on graphical remote control.

The operational difference is centralization. Administrators can access Live Terminal, deploy scripts, configure Automations, review device-level Action History and automation-level Action History Reports, and audit Live Terminal session activity through Hexnode UEM.

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FAQs

From ad-hoc SSH to Hexnode Linux automation

Linux automation in Hexnode UEM follows a three-layer progression. Live Terminal handles interactive diagnosis when an administrator needs to investigate a device in real time. Execute Custom Script turns a known fix into a repeatable action across multiple devices. Hexnode Automate moves recurring or event-driven work into centrally managed workflows.

That progression reduces reliance on manual Linux administration. Sessions initiated from the console reduce reliance on separate SSH access, while centralized Automations replace scattered recurring tasks. Script actions and Automations can be reviewed through device-level Action History and automation-level Action History Reports.

The goal is to move repeatable work progressively from interactive troubleshooting to reusable scripts and, where appropriate, centrally managed automation.

The fastest way to evaluate that workflow is to see it applied to a real Debian, Fedora, or Ubuntu device and compare it with your existing administration process.