Introduction to the Teramind Agent
Teramind Agent is an application that runs natively on the user’s computer, tracks their activities, and enforces any behavior policies and rules defined on the Teramind Dashboard. It must be installed on every machine that you want to track.
The Download Agent screen allows you to download the Teramind Agent.
For more information on the Agent specifications and requirements, please see the Teramind Agent Specifications and Supported Platforms article on our Knowledge Base.
The instructions below show you how to install the Agent locally. To learn how to remotely install the Agent, please check out the following articles on our Knowledge Base:
If you encounter any issues installing the Agent, please check out the Troubleshooting section of the Knowledge Base.
If you are a regular user (not an admin), you will be able to download the Revealed Agent only. You cannot download the Stealth Agent.
Notes for the Teramind Mac Users
|
Agent Types
Teramind has two types of Agents you can choose from:
Stealth Agent, also known as the Hidden Agent or Silent Agent
Revealed Agent, also known as the Visible or Freelance Agent
This Knowledge Base article, What is the difference between the Revealed Agent and the Stealth Agent? describes the difference between the two agents.
Revealed Agent
The Revealed Agent tracks users and computers, but only when the user is logged into the Agent. When a user launches a Revealed Agent, they have to log in using an account created in the Teramind Dashboard by an administrator. All the activities tracked will be linked to this account. Since the hours they work are clearly defined by the clock-in and clock-out times from the Revealed Teramind Agent, the payroll can be calculated, and tasks can be assigned to the users. This Agent is the perfect choice for monitoring contractors, vendors, and freelancers, or when you want to let your employees choose how and when they are to be monitored.
Downloading the Revealed Agent (Cloud)
To download the Revealed Agent:
1. Click the Revealed Agent tab from the Download Teramind Agent screen.
2. Click the Windows Installer x64 button or the MacOS Installer button to download the installer.
3. You can also click the Copy download URL link to copy the download URL into the clipboard, open it in your browser, save the installer file on a USB stick, and take it to the target computer(s). The same installer can be used to install the Revealed Agent on multiple computers.
4. Click the Send email instructions to me link to get the instructions and download links to your email. The email will look like this:
5. Click the Invite users to download agent option to create new employees and send invitations to their email addresses to install the Agent. A new window will pop up:
Enter the first name, last name, and email address of an employee. You can add a user by clicking the Add user button. You can remove a user by clicking the Remove button. Note that if you enter the email address of an existing employee, it will fail with the message “Email is already in use”.
Click the Submit button to add the user(s).
The user will receive an email with the invitation:
The user can click the Windows or macOS download link to download and install the Agent on their computer. The user can use the Username and Password included in the email to log into the Revealed Agent and, if allowed, log into the Dashboard.
Check out the How to use the Revealed Agent article to learn how a user can use it.
You can turn on the User can login to Teramind Dashboard option under the Employees > Account tab to let a regular user access their information.
6. Near the bottom of the screen, you will see links to the Antivirus Guide and other tutorials to help you with the deployment process.
If you are using an installation script or other automation, you can get the Agent download links from the Dashboard or through the API. This Knowledge Base article, How to Obtain the Agent Download Links (Cloud) shows you how.
Installing the Revealed Agent (Windows)
You will need administrator privileges to install the Agent properly.
Run the Agent installer file on the computer. Notice that you will need administrator privileges to install the Agent properly. You will see the installer window:
1. Click the Begin installation button to install the Agent.
2. When the installation is complete, the user can launch the Agent from the Start Menu.
Installing the Revealed Agent (Mac)
1. Download the pkg file.
2. Rename the pkg file to include any optional parameters (see the Agent Installation Parameters (Mac) section to learn more).
3. Open it, and the installation dialog will open:
4. Click the Continue button. You will be taken to the next step, Destination Select:
5. Click the Continue button. You will be taken to the next step, Installation Type:
6. Click the Install button. You will be taken to the Installer screen:
7. Enter your username and password, and then click the Install Software button. The installation will start. When it finishes, you will see the The installation was successful message:
8. Click the Close button to finish the installation.
After you have installed the agent, you will need to enable a few macOS permissions for the agent to be able to record the screen and other activities properly.
Enrolling: Adding Users to the Dashboard
After you have installed the Revealed Agent on a user's computer, the user will be able to log into the Revealed Agent using their employee account in the Teramind dashboard. If an employee account has not yet been created, you will need to add them to the Teramind Dashboard so that they can be tracked properly. Check out the Creating a New Employee section to learn how to add a new user to the Dashboard.
Using the Revealed Agent
Check out this article to learn how to use the Revealed Agent: How to use the Revealed Agent.
Stealth Agent
The Stealth Agent is useful when you do not want your users to know that they are being monitored.
It tracks the user as soon as they log into Windows or macOS. Both the user and computer will appear automatically on the Dashboard once the Agent connects, which is usually within about a minute after installation or after the monitored user first logs in. The computer names are taken directly from the hostname configured in Windows or macOS. It is recommended that the computer name be unique to avoid confusion. If you plan to rename the computer, it's best to do so before installing the Agent. If a computer is renamed after the Agent is installed, Teramind will auto-update the computer name in the Dashboard as long as the previous computer account isn't deleted. However, this usually results in a new employee account being created by the Agent to reflect the current computer name.
A regular Employee cannot download a Stealth Agent. Only an administrator can download a Stealth Agent from the Agent Download screen.
Downloading the Stealth Agent (Cloud)
To download the Stealth Agent, do the following:
1. Click the Stealth Agent tab from the Download Teramind Agent screen.
2. Click the Windows Installer x64 button or the MacOS Installer button to download the installer.
3. You can also click the Copy download URL link to copy the download URL into the clipboard, open it in your browser, save the installer file on a USB stick, and take it to the target computer(s). The same installer can be used to install the Revealed Agent on multiple computers.
4. Near the bottom of the screen, you will see links to the Antivirus Guide and other tutorials to help you with the deployment process.
If you are using an installation script or other automation, you can get the Agent download links from the Dashboard or through the API. This Knowledge Base article, How to Obtain the Agent Download Links (Cloud) shows you how.
Installing the Stealth Agent – Command Line (Windows/Cloud)
MSIEXEC can be used in either command line or from within a script, as follows:
msiexec /i <path-to-teramind-agent.msi> TMINSTANCE=<instance> /qn
Here, <instance>
can be the instance name or instance ID. For example, “mycompany
”, or “__e67a6d86f7ebb12372c23e8f889388b3eac97fc6
”
For example:
msiexec /i "C:\Temp\Install Test\teramind_agent_x64.msi" TMINSTANCE=mycompany /qn
Or:
msiexec /i "C:\Temp\Install Test\teramind_agent_x64.msi" TMINSTANCE=__e67a6d86f7ebb12372c23e8f889388b3eac97fc6 /qn
If the agent file name already contains the instance name/ID (within the -i()
parameter), and you don’t include the /qn
parameter (silent install), then you don't have to specify the TMINSTANCE
parameter.
For example:
msiexec /i "C:\Temp\Install Test\teramind_agent_x64_s-i(mycompany).msi"
You can use optional installation parameters to configure the installation and how the agent behaves. Please see the Agent Installation Parameters (Windows) section below for more information.
If you are using an installation script or other automation, you can get the Agent download links from the Dashboard or through the API. This Knowledge Base article, How to Obtain the Agent Download Links (Cloud) shows you how.
Installing the Stealth Agent – Command Line (Mac/Cloud)
To install the Mac Stealth Agent, run the following command in the Terminal (Applications > Utilities > Terminal):
sudo installer -pkg <path-to-teramind-mac-installer> -target /
The <path-to-teramind-mac-installer>
is the path where you saved the installation package (.pkg
file).
For example:
sudo installer -pkg /User/John/Downloads/tmagent-i(__261e84a5119d483d322c3a398d159d493fc6b803).pkg -target /
You can get the package from the Stealth Agent’s download screen.
You can use optional installation parameters to configure the installation and how the agent behaves. Please see the Agent Installation Parameters (Mac) section below for more information.
After you have installed the agent, you will need to enable a few macOS permissions for the agent to be able to record the screen and other activities properly.
Enrolling: Adding Users to the Dashboard
The employee account will be created automatically when the Agent is installed on a user's computer - you do not need to add them manually to the Dashboard. However, you can still edit the employee’s profile.
Protecting the Agent Installation
You can optionally install the Teramind Stealth Agent in a protected mode using the DO_PROTECTION installation parameter (see below). The protection mode makes the agent installation more secure and prevents common tampering. The How to protect the Agent installation article on our Knowledge Base explains it in more detail.
Setting the macOS Permissions
After you have installed the Agent, you will need to enable a few macOS permissions for the Agent to be able to record the screen and other activities properly. Check out this article to learn how to apply the permissions.
Agent Installation/Configuration Parameters (Windows)
You can use some optional parameters as command-line options or through the agent configuration file.
Agent Configuration File
Some of the installation parameters (where indicated) can also be applied through the Agent configuration file (config.cfg) post-installation. For example, you can use a command like: msiexec /i teramind_agent_v5.0.0_x64.msi TMROUTER=10.55.55.58:235
during the installation. Or, you can add this line, router=10.55.55.58:235
, in the config file.
The config file is usually located in the following locations:
Stealth Agent: C:\ProgramData\{4CEC2908-5CE4-48F0-A717-8FC833D8017A}\config
Revealed Agent: C:\ProgramData\Teramind Agent\config
Here, <agent version>
is the Agent version, for example, 20.0.1084
. <guid>
is the globally unique identifier of the Agent. For example, {551DD8F9-2009-4565-B57B-1390B7DA6AF0}
. Check out this Knowledge Base article to learn how to find your Agent version.
Installation / Config File Parameter | Description |
Installation Parameter:
Config File Parameter: N/A | Enables silent installation. For example, msiexec /i teramind_agent_v5.0.0_x64.msi /qn |
Installation Parameter:
Config File Parameter:
| This option is applicable for On-Premises deployments only. It can be used to assign the load balancer IP and port. For example, msiexec /i teramind_agent_v5.0.0_x64.msi TMROUTER=10.55.55.58:235 Note that the |
Installation Parameter:
Config File Parameter:
| Assigns the instance name. Provide an msiexec /i teramind_agent_v5.0.0_x64.msi TMINSTANCE=onsite This option isn't required for Cloud deployments since the Cloud installer already has the instance name embedded. |
Installation Parameter:
Config File Parameter:
| Turns audio monitoring on ( msiexec /i teramind_agent_v5.0.0_x64.msi TMDISABLEAUDIO=1 This is similar to toggling the Audio option from the Monitoring Profile.
Note: If this parameter isn't specified, then monitoring profile settings will be used. |
Installation Parameter:
Config File Parameter:
| Supported on the Stealth Agent only. Can be used to override the user’s domain/computer name with the specified msiexec /i teramind_agent_v5.0.0_x64.msi TMDOMAINOVERRIDE=acme.com |
Installation Parameter:
Config File Parameter: N/A | Installs the Stealth Agent in protected mode. For example, msiexec /i teramind_agent_v5.0.0_x64.msi DO_PROTECTION=yes Installing the Agent in protected mode helps:
You can specify the protection password in the Configurations > Settings > Security > Stealth agent protection section. Make sure to set the password before installing the Agent. If you set the password afterwards, there might be problems with managing the Agent and uninstalling it. |
Installation Parameter:
Config File Parameter: disable-autoupdate=<1/0>
| Will toggle the auto-update option of a Cloud Agent. For example, msiexec /i teramind_agent_v0.1.249_x86.msi TMDISABLEAUTOUPDATE=1 This overrides the auto-update settings on the Settings >Agents section of the dashboard. For more information, check out this article on the Teramind Knowledge Base. |
Installation Parameter:
Config File Parameter: N/A | Enables installation logging. Replace the msiexec /i teramind_agent_v0.1.249_x86.msi /l*v "C:\Windows\Temp\TM.log" For more information, check out this article: How to collect the Teramind Agent logs. |
Installation Parameter:
Config File Parameter: N/A | Allows you to specify a directory/folder where the agent will be installed. Replace the msiexec /i teramind_agent_v0.1.249_x86.msi TMROOTDIR=”c:\myagent” |
Installation Parameter:
Config File Parameter: N/A | The Agent has a local proxy server to receive the data from the browser proxy injections. By default, its name is msiexec /i teramind_agent_v0.1.261_x64.msi TMDNSNAME=localhost |
Installation Parameter:
Config File Parameter: N/A | By default, the Agent name is msiexec /i teramind_agent_v0.1.260.3940_x64.msi TMAGENTEXE=my_agent.exe |
Installation Parameter:
Config File Parameter: N/A | By default, Teramind Stealth Agent isn't shown on the Windows list of installed programs (known as the Add or Remove Programs list or ARP list). If used, this parameter will allow you to add the Stealth Agent to the installed programs list on Windows. For example, msiexec /i teramind_agent_v6.0.47_x64.msi TMADDENTRYTOARP=1 |
Installation Parameter:
Config File Parameter:
| If enabled, this option will obfuscate the usernames with an MD5 hash so that they are anonymized. For example, msiexec /i teramind_agent_v0.1.260.3940_x64.msi TMHASHUSERNAMES=1 The user will then appear like: |
Installation Parameter:
Config File Parameter:
| This option will let you hide the client's IP address from the server. For example, msiexec /i teramind_agent_v0.1.260.3940_x64.msi TMHIDERDPCLIENTIP=1 Usually, when you connect to a computer over an RDP session, the Agent sends the IP address of the client to the server. However, for privacy or security reasons, you might not want to expose the client's IP address to the server. This option will force the Agent to replace the actual IP address with |
Installation Parameter:
Config File Parameter:
| If used, this option will disable ( msiexec /i teramind_agent_v0.1.260.3940_x64.msi TMNOFSDRV=1 This is similar to disabling the File driver option from the Monitoring Profile > Advanced tab. |
Installation Parameter:
Config File Parameter:
| If used, this option will enable ( msiexec /i teramind_agent_v0.1.260.3940_x64.msi TMENCRYPTION=1 For more information, please check out the What is End-to-End (E2EE) Encryption and how to use it (On-Premises)? article on the Knowledge Base. |
Installation Parameter:
Config File Parameter:
| Disables ( msiexec /i teramind_agent_v0.1.260.3940_x64.msi TMNOREMOTETS =1 Check out this Knowledge Base article to learn more. |
Installation Parameter: N/A Config File Parameter:
| Disables (
If the value is set to
If the value is set to |
Installation Parameter:
Config File Parameter:
| Disables ( msiexec /i teramind_agent_v5.0.0_x64.msi TMREVEALEDPASSWORDLESS=1 TMROUTER=10.55.55.58 Note that the parameter requires some other conditions. For more information, check out this article on our Knowledge Base. |
Proxy Configuration
Note that both HTTP and SOCKS proxies should be configured. Only an HTTP proxy or only a SOCKS proxy isn't sufficient since they tunnel different OSI-level protocols.
You can configure a proxy when installing the Agent. You can also configure them from the Agent configuration file (config.cfg) using the following parameters:
Installation Parameter | Config File Parameter | Description | Example |
|
| The HTTP proxy and optional, port address. |
|
|
| SOCKS Host. |
|
|
| Port. |
|
|
| Username. This parameter is optional. |
|
|
| Password. This parameter is optional. |
|
|
|
|
|
Here's an example:
msiexec /i teramind_agent_v5.0.0_x64.msi TMROUTER=10.55.55.58 TMINSTANCE=mycompany TMSOCKSHOST=192.168.56.103 TMSOCKSPORT=1082 TMSOCKSUSER=john TMSOCKSPASSWORD=myP@ssword TMUSESOCKS5=1
Agent Installation/Configuration Parameters (Mac)
You can use these optional parameters when installing the Mac Agent. There are two ways you can set the parameters as descibed below.
1. Rename the installer/package file to include the –() parameter. For example:
teramind_agent_v1.235.4632_hidden-do(acme.com).pkg
2. If the Agent is already installed, you can edit the parameters from the Agent configurations file (agent.conf
). For example:
domain-override=aceme.com
The agent.conf file is located in your Agent installation folder, e.g., Macintosh HD
> usr
> local
> teramind
> agent
> etc
The table below shows the supported parameters in the Mac Agent:
Installation / Config File Parameter | Description |
Installation Parameter:
Config File Parameter:
| This option assigns an instance name to the Agent. This name is the first part of your dashboard's URL. For example, in
|
Installation Parameter:
Config File Parameter:
| This parameter is applicable for On-Premises deployments only. It can be used to assign the load balancer IP and port. For example, teramind_agent_v1.235-r(10.55.55.58_235).pkg or, in the config file: router=10.55.55.58:235 Note that the |
Installation Parameter:
Config File Parameter:
| Supported on the Cloud deployments only. The parameter enables ( teramind_agent_v1.235-d(0).pkg For more information, check out this article on the Teramind Knowledge Base. |
Installation Parameter:
Config File Parameter:
| This parameter can be used to exclude application bundles from the network driver. You will need to exclude applications by their bundle IDs. For example, teramind_agent_v1.235-do(acme.com).pkg |
Installation Parameter: N/A
Config File Parameter:
| Supported on the Stealth Agent only. Can be used to override the user’s domain/computer name with the specified
You can add multiple bundle IDs separated by commas (no spaces), for example, network-exclude-bundles=com.operasoftware.Opera.helper,com.google.Chrome,com.apple.Safari Notes:
|
Installation Parameter: N/A
Config File Parameters:
| These parameters can be used to configure the Agent log. For example, log-settings=file:~/tmagent.log For more information about Agent logging, check out this article on the Knowledge Base: How to collect the Teramind Agent logs. |
Installation Parameter:
Config File Parameter:
| This parameter will let you exclude network traffic from the Teramind Network Driver (NetApp) and the Network monitoring reports. This might be useful for troubleshooting or compatibility purposes (for example, when using an external proxy server).
There are two ways you can exclude the ports:
New Agent Installation: 1. Rename the installer package to include the tmagent-revealed-23.34.4698-i(onsite)-r(192.168.1.201)-nmp(8080,443).pkg 2. And then install the Agent as usual.
In the above case, ports
Existing Agent Installation: 1. Add the parameter to your Agent Configuration file ( network-monitored-ports=8080,443 2. Uninstall the NetApp extension with the following command: open /Applications/.NetApp.app --args uninstall_network Provide the password when asked.
3. Reinstall the NetApp extension with the following command: open /Applications/.NetApp.app --args install_network 4. Provide the password when asked.
The Agent will now ignore traffic from ports |
Proxy Configuration
Note that both HTTP and SOCKS proxies should be configured. Only an HTTP proxy or only a SOCKS proxy isn't sufficient since they tunnel different OSI-level protocols.
You can configure SOCKS / HTTP proxies when installing the Agent. You can also configure them from the Agent configuration file (agent.conf). Here's an example:
tmagent-stealth-1.234.4626-i(onsite)-r(192.168.1.201)-ssrv(192.168.1.202)-sprt(1080)-susr(user)-spsw(pass)-sv5(0).pkg
The tables below list the parameters and their usage:
SOCKS Proxy
Installation Parameter | Config File Parameter | Description | Example |
|
| SOCKS server address. |
|
|
| Port. |
|
|
| Username. This parameter is optional. |
|
|
| Password. This parameter is optional. |
|
|
|
|
|
HTTP Proxy
Installation Parameter | Config File Parameter | Description | Example |
|
| HTTP server address. |
|
|
| Port. This parameter is optional. |
|
|
| Username. This parameter is optional. |
|
|
| Password. This parameter is optional. |
|
Antivirus Considerations
The Teramind Agent and its drivers come digitally signed with an extended-validation certificate. We made every effort to coordinate our signature with the major antivirus vendors and, as a result, Teramind will not introduce any issues with the vast majority of antivirus software. Nevertheless, if you encounter any problems while downloading, installing, or updating the Agent, consult the Antivirus & EDR Configuration Guide.