Nexus - Process Manager

Nexus is a powerful web-based application built with Python and Django that enables comprehensive monitoring and management of server processes. Utilizing a lightweight frontend architecture with HTMX and Django templates, the application provides a responsive and efficient user experience without the overhead of a traditional JavaScript framework. Key Features:

• Real-time monitoring of active server processes
• Process termination capability for quick resource management
• Process snapshot functionality to capture system state at specific moments
• Export capabilities to Excel files for offline analysis and reporting
• Intuitive user interface with minimal page refreshes thanks to HTMX

This monitoring solution gives system administrators and DevOps professionals the tools they need to maintain server health and optimize performance. By combining Django's robust backend with HTMX's efficient frontend approach, Nexus delivers powerful functionality with minimal resource consumption.

TODO

• Reorganize templates structure (e.g., use Django's template inheritance)
• Improve UI
• Change tailwind from CDN to local
• Add more tests
• Consider using "real" database instead of SQLite
• Exclude PID's from the process list via method instead of hardcoded list (see 'EXCLUDE_PIDS' in base.py)

Configuration

To properly configure and run Nexus, you need to set up a security key. This can be done in one of two ways:

Using Environment Variables

Export the SECRET_KEY environment variable on your server:

export SECRET_KEY="your_long_and_secure_key_here"

For permanent configuration, add this line to your shell profile file (e.g., .bashrc, .zshrc, or /etc/environment).

Using a .env File

Alternatively, create a .env file in the root directory of the application and specify the SECRET_KEY:

SECRET_KEY=your_long_and_secure_key_here

Security Recommendations

• Generate a strong, random key with sufficient length (at least 50 characters)
• Never commit your .env file or hard-coded keys to version control
• Rotate your keys periodically to maintain security
• Restrict access permissions to both the environment variable and .env file

The application will automatically detect and use the SECRET_KEY whether it's set as an environment variable or in the .env file.

Nexus Startup Guide

This guide will help you get Nexus up and running quickly.

Prerequisites

• Python 3.8 or higher
• pip (Python package manager)

Installation Steps

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/nexus.git
cd nexus

2. Set Up Virtual Environment

python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows use: venv\Scripts\activate

3. Install Dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Configure Environment

Set up your SECRET_KEY as described in the configuration section.

5. Run Database Migrations

python manage.py migrate

6. Create Admin User

python manage.py createsuperuser

7. Start the Server

Development Server

python manage.py runserver

Production Deployment with Gunicorn

1. Install Gunicorn:

pip install gunicorn

2. Run with Gunicorn:

gunicorn nexus.wsgi:application --bind 0.0.0.0:8000 --workers 3

3. For background processing, use:

gunicorn nexus.wsgi:application --bind 0.0.0.0:8000 --workers 3 --daemon

Nginx Configuration for Production

For production environments, it's recommended to use Nginx as a reverse proxy:

1. Install Nginx:

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install nginx

# CentOS/RHEL
sudo yum install nginx

2. Create an Nginx configuration file:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name your-domain.com;

    location /static/ {
        alias /path/to/nexus/static/;
    }

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8000;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
    }
}

3. Test and restart Nginx:

sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl restart nginx

Systemd Service (For Automatic Startup)

Create a systemd service file to automatically start Nexus on system boot:

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/nexus.service

Add the following content:

[Unit]
Description=Nexus Server Process Monitor
After=network.target

[Service]
User=your_user
Group=your_group
WorkingDirectory=/path/to/nexus
ExecStart=/path/to/nexus/venv/bin/gunicorn nexus.wsgi:application --bind 127.0.0.1:8000 --workers 3
Restart=on-failure

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Enable and start the service:

sudo systemctl enable nexus
sudo systemctl start nexus

Access the Application

Once running, access Nexus at: http://127.0.0.1:8000/ or http://your-domain.com/

License

Custom license, see LICENSE.md for more details.