I built a tool to track installed software and hardware on Windows and Linux

[u/Maxwell_Mohr_69]

Hey everyone!

I've been working on AppScann, a small SaaS for keeping track of what's installed on your computers and servers. It's finally at the point where I'm comfortable showing it to people.

The idea is very simple: you install an agent, it collects inventory, and you see everything in one dashboard.

What it does right now:

* Windows and Linux agents (a Windows Service and a systemd service)

* OS and hardware info, plus disks with capacity and free space

* Installed software with version, publisher, install path and install date. On Windows that comes from the Registry and WMI, on Linux from dpkg, rpm, pacman, Snap and Flatpak

* Detailed reports with history, so you can see what was installed, removed or updated between scans

* Alerts for storage and stale reports

* Live online/offline status for every device

* Remote scan, restart and uninstall of agents

* A notification as soon as a scan or remote command finishes

* Software gets sorted into categories by AI

2 agents are free, extra slots are $1.99/month.

The idea came from a commercial project I worked on a while ago. It was in a similar space, but development was painfully slow, and I kept thinking that something like this didn't have to be that complicated. At some point I thought: what if I just built my own version? So I did.

It started as my university thesis project, and I kept working on it until it turned into a product.

And yes, AI was involved ;) I used it for parts of the frontend. I'm a full-stack developer, but I still struggle with centering a div, let alone making everything look good. The architecture and the backend are my own mess.

It's brand new, so right now I'm mostly after feedback:

* Would you use something like this?

* What information would you want the agent to collect?

* What features are missing?

* Does this approach make sense for managing a small number of machines?

https://appscann.com

[u/New-Confection4383]

Unfortunately I think in the AI era pursuing this as a SAAS may be a little optimistic. I admire the work you put in and the want to share though, seems like a good tool and a good site but you might struggle to find customers

[u/roastedpot → u/New-Confection4383]

Especially since it's the same AI template for the app and website that everyone and their uncle are using. I get turned off really quick on new products with this layout and color scheme these days. Could be a great tool but the visual association with mass produced slop isn't going turn my head. It's the 4th post I've seen in this single bathroom trip of a product with the same color and layout.

[u/Maxwell_Mohr_69 → u/roastedpot]

Honestly, I was a bit worried that the UI might be the weakest part of the product. As I mentioned in my post, I handed the frontend over to AI using an SDD approach, while the backend and architecture are entirely my own work. And yeah, now that you mention it, I've noticed the same color scheme and layout popping up in other products too. I guess AI tools tend to converge on similar design patterns. As an engineer, I've always cared more about how well something works than how it looks, but I understand that the first impression matters too. Thanks for the honest feedback, I appreciate it!

[u/mikaelld → u/New-Confection4383]

Isn’t there open source tools doing very similar things? And a plethora of paid options for that matter.

Anyway, good luck with your SaaS.

Edit: sorry, meant to reply to OP.

[u/Maxwell_Mohr_69 → u/mikaelld]

Fair point, there are definitely tools out there, both open source and paid. If the SaaS doesn't work out, I'll probably open-source it and make it easy to self-host on-prem. I'm not trying to get rich off it at all costs 😄 I'd rather see it become something useful that people actually use. Thanks!

[u/Maxwell_Mohr_69 → u/New-Confection4383]

Thanks, I appreciate the honest feedback! I know finding customers will probably be the hardest part, especially in the AI era when building the product is becoming easier than ever. But I wanted to give it a shot and see if I can solve a real problem for someone. Worst case, I learn a lot along the way, and if the SaaS doesn't work out, I can always open-source it and let people self-host it. Nothing to lose by trying!

[u/ralfD-]

So you created a minimal version of glpi-project.org with fewer supported operating systems and expect users to send sensible data out into the world? And intend to charge money for it?

[u/Maxwell_Mohr_69 → u/ralfD-]

Honestly, I might have overestimated the saas angle. AppScann started more as a side project for learning than a serious business venture, and I've learned a ton from building it. I think I'll rework it into a free, self-hosted solution instead. More learning opportunities for me, and hopefully something useful for others too ;)

[u/AssociateFalse]

No. I'd just use the tooling provided by the OSs themselves. Cockpit exposes a lot of what I'd actually be interested in already out of the box for Linux systems, and is extensible. I ditched Windows about a decade ago and couldn't give a rats ass about agentic AI.

[u/Maxwell_Mohr_69 → u/AssociateFalse]

I think there's a bit of a misunderstanding here. Agent-based systems aren't necessarily AI-based. They've existed for decades, long before the current AI boom. An agent is simply software that runs autonomously and performs tasks or collects information, often on a schedule or in response to events. AI is only used in AppScann for software categorization on a function app. The core product is about inventory and tracking changes across Windows and Linux machines, not about adding AI to everything. And fair enough if Cockpit covers your needs. It's a great tool for Linux administration. AppScann just targets a different use case.