Pre-requisites

Deploy TetherBox(es)

You will need to designate one or more TetherBoxes that will be used for deploying additional TetherBoxes. These units will be configured by TetherX. Please share this list of serials with TetherX support.

Deploy Laptop / PC

Every laptop that will be used to connect to the deploy TetherBox(es) will need to be enrolled on the TetherBox(es). To do this, please provide a public key from said laptop(s):

On Windows: Download and use PuTTY to generate a key. Follow the instructions provided with PuTTY. Once generated, share the public key with TetherX.
On Mac or Linux: Open the terminal and enter the following command:
```
cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub
```
Send the output to TetherX support.

TetherBox Serials

TetherX will supply TetherBox serial numbers in multiples of 12. For instance, if you request 48 serials, you will receive a list to use with the commands detailed later on this page.

❗ Note: Using the same serial on multiple drives will cause conflicts, leading to connection issues. These units will be flagged and disabled by the platform.

Hardware

You can deploy directly to an SSD or hard drive, which is typically faster, or deploy over SSH. If deploying to a physical drive, the following hardware is required:

For SATA drives: A SATA to USB adapter:

For NVME M.2 drives: an NVME to USB enclosure:

💡 Tip: We recommend using SSDs with a high TBW rating or NAS hard drives for better durability.

Deploying a New TetherBox

Connecting to the Deploy TetherBox

On Windows: Open PuTTY and connect using the following details:
- Username: deployer
- Password: (Leave blank; keys are used for authentication)
- IP Address: Enter the IP address of the TetherBox
On Mac or Linux: Open the terminal and enter:
```
ssh deployer@IP_ADDRESS
```

Deploying a New Drive

Run the following command to deploy a drive:

tetherx-deploy --serial TETHERBOX_SERIAL --drive DRIVE

For example:

tetherx-deploy --serial dfkj345dkjser2433sa --drive /dev/sdb

Note: The DRIVE parameter is typically /dev/sdb for SATA drives and /dev/nvme0n2 for NVME drives. It may vary based on the type of drive or the number of drives connected. If incorrect, the command will list available drives for you to choose from.

Deploying over SSH

If you already have a Linux host set up and running, you can deploy over SSH using the following command:

tetherx-deploy -d DOMAIN --serial TETHERBOX_SERIAL --ip IP --port PORT --user USERNAME --password PASSWORD base,vpn

Note: The "base,vpn" at the end ensures you are doing a minimal deploy, the cloud server will detect the TetherBox connecting to the VPN and complete the software installation.

For example:

tetherx-deploy -d gazersitewatch.com --serial dfkj345dkjser2433sa --ip 164.39.130.250 --user tetherx --password 'S3cur3P@sswOrd$' base,vpn

Note: If you need to run the command a second time, please omit the --user and --password parameters. The first execution creates a “deployer” user and configures an SSH key, so subsequent connections should be made without these parameters.

Other Deploy Options

You can run the tetherx-deploy command with the --help flag to see what else you can pass to this command:

$ tetherx-deploy --help

Usage: tetherx-deploy [options]
    -d, --domain DOMAIN              Sets the cloud domain, timeline.is by default
    -i, --ip, --host HOST            Sets the IP or Host for direct connection
    -e, --app_env ENV                Sets the app environment, production by default
    -s, --serial TETHERBOX_SERIAL(S) TetherBox Serial to Deploy to, or comma separated list
        --port PORT                  Override SSH port, 22 by default
    -u, --user, --username USER      Override SSH username, deployer by default
    -p, --pass, --password PASS      Override SSH password, if deploying for the first time
    -c, --command COMMAND            Run a single command and exit
        --drive DRIVE                Prepare a new bootable drive

TetherBox Firmware Updates

TetherBox software is automatically updated by the TetherX platform. Security updates are deployed immediately, while functionality updates are typically applied on a rolling basis or when the unit connects.

If you require a specific functionality update for a site, please contact TetherX support.