🚩 RedFlag

"From each according to their updates, to each according to their needs"

Self-hosted, open-source update management for your entire infrastructure. Monitor and manage Windows, Linux, and Docker updates from a single dashboard. Built by self-hosters, for self-hosters.

Get Started View on GitHub Documentation
⚠️ Alpha Status: RedFlag is currently in active development. Core functionality works, but this is research-grade software. Read our Security Guide before deploying.

Why RedFlag?

Commercial RMM tools cost hundreds of dollars per agent. Open-source alternatives are either detection-only or overcomplicated. RedFlag fills the gap: simple, self-hosted, and free.

🎯

Single Pane of Glass

View all pending updates across your entire infrastructure in one place. No more logging into 47 servers.

🏠

Self-Hosted

Your data, your infrastructure. No SaaS fees, no vendor lock-in, no external dependencies.

🔓

Open Source

AGPLv3 licensed. Audit the code, contribute features, fork it if you want. True software freedom.

🖥️

Cross-Platform

Linux (apt, yum, dnf), Windows (Windows Update, Winget), Docker containers, and more coming.

⚡

Lightweight Agents

Single binary, minimal dependencies. Agents poll the server every 5 minutes—firewall friendly.

🤖

AI-Ready Architecture

Designed from the ground up for future AI integration: natural language queries, intelligent scheduling.

Current Status

Working (Alpha)

  • Server API with PostgreSQL
  • Agent registration & authentication
  • Linux APT package scanner
  • Docker container detection
  • Update discovery & tracking
  • Manual approval workflow
  • REST API for all operations

In Progress

  • Web dashboard (React + TailwindCSS)
  • Docker Registry API integration
  • Update installation execution
  • Windows agent development
  • CVE data enrichment
  • Security hardening

Roadmap

  • AI-powered scheduling
  • Natural language queries
  • Maintenance windows
  • Rollback capabilities
  • YUM/DNF scanner
  • Snap/Flatpak support
  • Multi-tenancy for MSPs

Known Limitations

  • Docker scanner: Currently a stub—doesn't actually query registries yet
  • Update installation: Discovery only; installation not implemented
  • CVE data: APT scanner doesn't fetch security advisory data yet
  • No web dashboard: API-only at the moment
  • Security: Needs hardening before production use

How It Works

Pull-based architecture: agents check in with the server every 5 minutes, receive commands, execute them, and report results. Simple, secure, and firewall-friendly. 

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              Your Infrastructure                     │
│                                                      │
│  ┌──────────┐  ┌──────────┐  ┌──────────┐          │
│  │  Linux   │  │  Linux   │  │  Linux   │          │
│  │  Agent   │  │  Agent   │  │  Agent   │          │
│  │          │  │          │  │          │          │
│  │  • APT   │  │  • YUM   │  │  • APT   │          │
│  │  • Docker│  │  • Docker│  │  • Docker│          │
│  └────┬─────┘  └────┬─────┘  └────┬─────┘          │
│       │             │             │                 │
│       └─────────────┴─────────────┘                 │
│                     │ Poll every 5 min              │
│                     ▼                                │
│       ┌─────────────────────────────┐               │
│       │   RedFlag Server (Go)       │               │
│       │   • REST API                │               │
│       │   • PostgreSQL Database     │               │
│       │   • Command Queue           │               │
│       └─────────────────────────────┘               │
│                     ▲                                │
│                     │ HTTPS                          │
│       ┌─────────────┴───────────┐                   │
│       │   Web Dashboard         │   (Coming Soon)   │
│       │   (React + TailwindCSS) │                   │
│       └─────────────────────────┘                   │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Technology Stack

Server

Go 1.25 + Gin Framework
PostgreSQL 16
JWT Authentication

Agent

Go 1.25
Single Binary
Systemd Service

Web (Planned)

React 18 + TypeScript
TailwindCSS
TanStack Query

Deployment

Docker Compose
Kubernetes
Bare Metal

Documentation

🚀 Quick Start

Get RedFlag running in under 10 minutes with our step-by-step guide.

Getting Started →

🔐 Security Guide

Essential security considerations before deploying to production.

Security Docs →

📖 API Reference

Complete API documentation for integrating with RedFlag.

API Docs →

Community & Contributing

RedFlag is a community project. No company backing, no VC funding—just volunteers building tools we wish existed.

Ways to Contribute

💻 Code

Windows agent, web dashboard, package managers, Docker Registry API integration.

📝 Documentation

Setup guides, troubleshooting, API examples, translation.

🧪 Testing

Test on different distros, report bugs, verify security.

⭐ Feedback

Feature requests, bug reports, usability suggestions.

Check out our GitHub organization to get started. No corporate CLA, no meetings—just code and pull requests.