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Installation Guide

CISentinel can be installed in several ways. Choose the method that best fits your workflow.

The AppImage is a single-file executable that runs on most modern Linux distributions without installation.

  1. Download: Head over to the Official Releases page.
  2. Make Executable: 
    chmod +x cis-hardening-tool-x86_64.AppImage
  3. Run: 
    ./cis-hardening-tool-x86_64.AppImage --help

📦 2. DEB Package (For Debian/Ubuntu)

If you prefer a system-wide installation with dependencies handled by apt.

  1. Download: Download the .deb file from the Official Releases page.
  2. Install: 
    sudo apt install ./cis-hardening-tool_amd64.deb
  3. Usage: The command cis-tool will be available globally. 
    cis-tool --version

🛠️ 3. Python Source Install (For Developers)

If you want to contribute or run from source, use uv for the best experience.

git clone https://github.com/h3110Fr13nd/cis-hardening-tool.git
cd cis-hardening-tool
  1. Dependencies: If your platform does not have pre-built wheels for tiktoken (used in AI features), you will need the Rust compiler installed: bash curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh
  2. Setup Environment: bash uv venv source .venv/bin/activate uv sync
  3. Run from Source: bash python3 main.py --help

🏥 4. Verification

After installation, it is highly recommended to run the Doctor Diagnostics to ensure all native scanning tools (like Lynis and OpenSCAP) are correctly installed and detected.

sudo cis-tool doctor

⚠️ Requirements

  • Linux: Most modern distros (Ubuntu 20.04+, Debian 11+, AlmaLinux 8+, etc.)
  • Windows: Windows 10/11 or Windows Server 2019+
  • Sudo/Administrator: Required for most compliance audits.