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LabTether

LabTether Documentation

LabTether is an all-in-one homelab control plane for observability, operations, remote access, and automation. It manages supported Linux and macOS nodes, plus the current partial Windows surface, from a single Docker-hosted hub. FreeBSD endpoint support is planned. One place to SSH, remote desktop, monitor, alert, and discover everything in your lab.

Key concepts

  • Hub -- the central server that runs the API, workers, and orchestration. You deploy it once with Docker Compose.
  • Console -- the web UI you open in a browser to operate your lab.
  • Node -- any managed system in your inventory (a VM, a bare-metal box, a container host).
  • Agent -- a lightweight process you install on a node for deep control: terminal, desktop, telemetry, file access.
  • Connector -- an integration that pulls data from platforms you already run (Proxmox, TrueNAS, Docker, Portainer, Home Assistant) without installing an agent on every device.
  • Session -- a live interactive connection to a node, either a terminal shell or a remote desktop.

What you'll need

  • Docker Engine with the Compose plugin on the machine that will host the hub.
  • A machine to manage -- start with a supported Linux or macOS node, or a Windows node within the current partial support contract. See Platform Support before choosing another platform.
  • A browser that can reach the hub (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge -- anything modern).

That's it. No Kubernetes, no external database, no DNS configuration required to get started.

Tip: Want to explore before installing? Try the live demo -- no signup required.

Get started

New to LabTether? Follow the 5-Minute Quickstart — it walks you through install, setup, and connecting your first device in one page.

Or follow the detailed guides in order:

Next step

Ready to install? Head to Installation.

Finding your way

  • Setting up? You're in the right place. Follow the four pages in this section in order.
  • Already running? Check Guides for day-to-day operations.
  • Something broke? Jump to Troubleshooting.