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Deploying to Linux

Keep Aware provides a generic Linux build packaged as a .tar.gz archive with an attached GPG signature. This version is designed to run on modern Linux distributions and is easy to deploy manually or through your existing deployment tools. For browser compatibility notes, see Specifications & Constraints.

Getting Started​

To get started, make sure you have access to a Linux host with sudo privileges and that you know where to download the Keep Aware tarball and its GPG signature file. You will also need your Keep Aware tenant keys (ka_host and ka_start) from the Keep Aware Console — navigate to the Settings page, and under the options for your tenant, click View Tenant details for your selected tenant.

Supported distributions include:

  • Debian 10+
  • Ubuntu 20.04+
  • Fedora 35+
  • Any modern Linux distribution that uses systemd

Keep Aware Full Deployment​

Keep Aware can be quietly installed on Linux through the using the following build. The installer will coordinate the installation of the Keep Aware Browser Extension on available web browsers.

📁 Download Tarball:



📁 Installation Script:


For convenience, use the attached installation script with your tenant keys to complete the setup:

Command-line​

Command-line parameters

Mandatory Parameters

  • --KA_HOST (string) => This value is available in the settings section of the console
  • --KA_START (string) => This value is available in the settings section of the console
  • --KA_NAME (string) => This is the name of your organization. e.g. Example, Inc.

Optional Installer Flags These flags must be given a 1 or a 0 as values. A 1 will enable this feature, a 0 will disable it, descriptions and defaults listed below:

  • --INSTALL_EXTENSION (Default: enabled) => Install the browser extension on all supported browsers on the local device
  • --INSTALL_POLICY (Default: enabled) => Install policy keys to each supported browser on the local device
  • --INSTALL_NATIVE_MESSAGING (Default: enabled) => Setup native device communication between the browser and the host device
  • --INSTALL_SCHEDULED_TASK (Default: enabled) => Setup a periodic background task to ensure local device data is kept up to date in the Keep Aware Console
  • --INSTALL_BROWSER_POLICY (Default: enabled) => Install browser-specific policy files to managed browsers
  • --SELF_HOSTED (Default: disabled) => Install the browser extension on Chromium-based browsers from the Keep Aware self-hosted repository instead of the Chrome Web Store
  • --FIREFOX_HOSTED (Default: enabled) => Install the Firefox browser extension from the Mozilla Add-ons Store
  • --USE_CUSTOM_POLICIES (Default: disabled) => Enable custom browser policies from policies.json
  • --ANTI_TAMPER_POLICIES (Default: disabled) => Enable anti-tamper policies to detect policy modification
  • --DISABLE_UPDATES (Default: enabled — updates are disabled) => Disable automatic client updates
  • --DISABLE_DEVICE_REPORTING (Default: disabled) => Disable device reporting to the console

Optional String Parameters

  • --INCLUDE_BROWSERS (Default: none — all browsers) => Comma-separated list of browser short names to exclusively install on (e.g., chrome,brave). If set, only these browsers are targeted.
  • --EXCLUDE_BROWSERS (Default: none) => Comma-separated list of browser short names to skip. If set, all browsers except these are targeted.
  • --UPDATE_VERSION_DELAY (Default: 0) => Version delay for updates: 0=latest, 1=N-1, 2=N-2
  • --LOG_LEVEL (Default: info) => Set log level: debug, info, warn, error

Extension-Only Deployment​

In some environments, it may be preferred to run an extension-only deployment. While most Keep Aware functionality is supported first with the extension, using the installer to roll out Keep Aware will add additional functionality such as local device enrichment, device posture reporting, file hashing on uploads and downloads, and more anti-tampering capabilities.

Manual Installation​

The public version of the extension can be downloaded by most browsers on the Chrome Web store. This can be used for BYOD and testing environments.

  1. Install Keep Aware: The public version of Keep Aware can be installed directly from the Chrome Web Store.
  2. Connect to your tenant: If management keys aren't deployed through one of the other options, you can connect to a Keep Aware environment directly by verifying your work email. To verify your email, click on the installed Keep Aware extension and follow the instructions for signing in.

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