pct exec runs with PATH=/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin, which does not
include /usr/local/bin where the pulse binary is linked. Every first-run
instruction that invoked a bare `pulse` through pct exec therefore failed
with exit 127, including the command the installer itself prints at the
end of an LXC install.
Reproduced on Proxmox VE 9.1.9 and 8.3.0:
pct exec <ctid> -- pulse --version
-> exit 127, Failed to exec "pulse"
pct exec <ctid> -- /usr/local/bin/pulse --version
-> Pulse v6.2.0-rc.8
The installer now prints $BINARY_LINK_PATH and $UPDATE_HELPER_PATH rather
than a bare name, so both stay correct when a custom service name moves
them. The update helper was only affected for custom service names, since
the default /bin/update already sits on the pct exec PATH.
Docs updated in INSTALL.md, FAQ.md and TROUBLESHOOTING.md plus their
frontend-modern/public/docs mirrors. The setup wizard prints the same
broken command and is fixed separately.
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❓ Frequently Asked Questions
🛠️ Installation & Setup
What's the easiest way to install?
If you run Proxmox VE, use the signed LXC installer flow in INSTALL.md and replace vX.Y.Z with the exact release tag you want.
If you prefer Docker:
Use a pinned image tag such as rcourtman/pulse:vX.Y.Z instead of :latest.
See INSTALL.md for all options (Docker Compose, Kubernetes, systemd).
How do I add a node?
Go to Settings → Infrastructure → Install on a host for systems that should run the unified agent directly.
- Recommended (agent setup): copy the generated install command and run it on the target host.
- Manual/API-backed platforms: use Settings → Infrastructure → Platform connections for systems such as Proxmox, PBS, PMG, or TrueNAS that connect over an API instead of running the agent locally.
If you want Pulse to find servers automatically, enable discovery in Settings → System → Network and then review discovered servers in Settings → Infrastructure.
How do I change the port?
- Systemd:
sudo systemctl edit pulse, addEnvironment="FRONTEND_PORT=8080", restart. - Docker: Use
-p 8080:7655in your run command.
Does updating the Pulse server update every agent immediately?
No. The server and agent have separate update lifecycles. Eligible v6 agents check for and apply the server's target version asynchronously. v5 agents, PVE host agents, agents with auto-update disabled, and agents with failed or missing update prerequisites need a manual command.
Open an outdated-agent notice or
/settings/infrastructure?agentDoctor=1 to open Agent Doctor and
copy the correct per-host command. The surface does not remotely execute the
update. Use Settings → Infrastructure → Install on a host for first installs
and v5-to-v6 upgrades. See Unified Agent.
Why can't I change settings in the UI?
If a setting is disabled with an amber warning, it's being overridden by an environment variable (e.g., DISCOVERY_ENABLED). Remove the env var to regain UI control.
🔍 Monitoring & Metrics
What do Relay, Pro, and Cloud unlock?
Relay adds secure remote access to the Pulse web UI, Pulse Mobile pairing for handoff, push notifications, and 14-day history. Pro and Cloud unlock hands-on Patrol modes, issue investigation, governed fixes, verified outcomes, and 90-day history along with the broader operations feature set. Existing legacy Pro+ holders keep their current continuity, but self-hosted pricing no longer sells more monitoring volume. Pulse Patrol is available to everyone on Community with BYOK and provides scheduled, cross-system analysis that correlates real-time state, recent metrics history, and diagnostics to surface actionable findings.
Example output includes trend-based capacity warnings, backup regressions, Kubernetes cluster analysis, and correlated container failures that simple threshold alerts miss. See Pulse Intelligence, Plans and entitlements, and https://pulserelay.pro.
Why do VMs show "-" for disk usage?
Proxmox API returns 0 for VM disk usage by default. You must install the QEMU Guest Agent inside the VM and enable it in Proxmox (VM → Options → QEMU Guest Agent).
See VM Disk Monitoring for details.
Does Pulse monitor Ceph?
Yes! If Pulse detects Ceph storage, it automatically queries cluster health, OSD status, and pool usage. No extra config needed.
Does Pulse monitor TrueNAS?
Yes. Pulse includes first-class TrueNAS SCALE/CORE integration. Add your TrueNAS server under Settings → Infrastructure → Platform connections with the URL and API key. Pulse monitors the appliance, native VMs, apps, pools, datasets, disks, ZFS snapshots, replication tasks, and alerts. Those resources appear on the dedicated TrueNAS page.
How is navigation organised in Pulse v6?
Pulse uses platform-shaped top-level pages:
- Proxmox, Docker, Kubernetes, TrueNAS, vSphere, and Machines keep platform-specific inventory and workflows together.
- Storage, snapshots, backups, and replication appear inside the platform page they belong to.
- Alerts, Actions, and Patrol provide cross-platform operational views.
The short-lived unified /workloads, /storage, and /recovery top-level
navigation was retired during the v6 prerelease cycle. See the
historical migration note if you are comparing an
older release candidate.
Can I disable alerts for specific metrics?
Yes. Go to Alerts → Thresholds and use the On/Off toggle next to any metric while editing, or set the value to -1. You can do this globally or per-resource (VM/Node).
How do I monitor temperature?
Recommended: install the unified agent on your Proxmox hosts with Proxmox integration enabled:
- Install
lm-sensorson the host (apt install lm-sensors && sensors-detect) - Install
pulse-agentwith--enable-proxmox
If you do not run the agent, Pulse can collect temperatures over SSH. When the agent is reporting usable temperatures, Pulse uses the agent path and does not also require SSH for that host. See Temperature Monitoring.
🔐 Security & Access
I forgot my password. How do I reset it?
Docker:
docker exec pulse rm /data/.env
docker restart pulse
# Access UI again. Pulse will require a bootstrap token for setup.
# Get it with:
docker exec pulse /app/pulse bootstrap-token
Systemd:
Delete /etc/pulse/.env and restart the service. Pulse will require a bootstrap token for setup:
sudo pulse bootstrap-token
Proxmox LXC (installed from the Proxmox shell):
Pulse runs inside the container, so run the same steps through pct exec on the Proxmox host. The binary needs its absolute path here, because pct exec runs with PATH=/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin and that does not include /usr/local/bin:
pct exec <ctid> -- rm /etc/pulse/.env
pct exec <ctid> -- systemctl restart pulse
pct exec <ctid> -- /usr/local/bin/pulse bootstrap-token
If you only missed the token during a fresh install (no password set yet), skip the first two commands and just read it back with the last one.
How do I enable HTTPS?
Set HTTPS_ENABLED=true and provide TLS_CERT_FILE and TLS_KEY_FILE environment variables. See Configuration.
Can I use Single Sign-On (SSO)?
Yes. Pulse supports OIDC and SAML SSO providers, with multi-provider support (multiple IdPs active simultaneously). Configure in Settings → Security → SSO Providers. Pulse also supports Proxy Auth (Authentik, Authelia, Cloudflare). See Proxy Auth Guide.
⚠️ Troubleshooting
No data showing?
- Check Proxmox API is reachable (port 8006).
- Verify credentials in Settings → Infrastructure.
- Check logs:
journalctl -u pulse -fordocker logs -f pulse.
Connection refused?
- Check if Pulse is running:
systemctl status pulseordocker ps. - Verify the port (default 7655) is open on your firewall.
CORS errors?
Pulse defaults to same-origin only. If you access the API from a different domain, set Settings → System → Network → Allowed Origins or use ALLOWED_ORIGINS (single origin, or * if you explicitly want all origins).
High memory usage?
If you are storing long history windows, reduce metrics retention (see METRICS_HISTORY.md). Also confirm your polling intervals match your environment size.
🧑💻 The Project
Is Pulse developed with AI?
Yes, extensively and openly. Code, docs, and issue replies may all involve AI tools, and everything ships under the maintainer's review and responsibility. See AI-Assisted Development for the full position.