Connect a Community Check Repository

Connect an external community check repository so its monitoring checks appear in your Check Library and can be assigned to devices like any built-in check.

Written By Stefan Steuer

Last updated 8 days ago

Connect a Community Check Repository

Your Check Library lists every monitoring check octoja can run on a device. It is filled from check repositories: the built-in official repository, your own custom checks, and any community check repositories you connect. A community check repository is an external location that publishes ready-made checks — connect one and its checks appear in your Check Library, ready to assign like any built-in check.

Before you start

  • You need the Check Repository Management permission (check-repositories.manage) to open the Repositories page and add a repository. Permissions are granted through groups under Administration → Groups.
  • To browse the Check Library and assign the resulting checks, you also need Monitoring Check Management (monitoring-checks.manage).
  • The repository's base URL — the address where its registry.json is published, for example https://checks.example.com/.
  • If the repository is private: the HTTP basic-auth username and password for it.

Steps

  1. Go to Configuration → Check Library.
  2. In the top-right corner, click Manage repositories to open the Repositories page.
  3. Click Add community repo.
  4. Fill in the dialog:
FieldWhat to enter
NameA display name for the repository. It appears next to the repository's checks in the Check Library.
URLThe absolute URL where the repository's registry.json is published (for example https://checks.example.com/). It must start with http:// or https://.
Username / PasswordOptional. Only needed if the repository requires HTTP basic authentication. A password requires a username. The credentials are sent to the repository on every sync and check download.
  1. Click Check connection. octoja probes the URL and any credentials and reports how many checks it found. If it fails, see Troubleshooting below.
  2. Click Add repository.

What happens next

octoja reads the repository's registry, downloads each check definition, and adds the checks to your Check Library with a Community badge and the repository name. From there you assign them exactly like built-in checks — open a device's Checks tab or a config package and add the check. See Assign checks with config packages.

octoja re-syncs each connected repository automatically once an hour and picks up new or changed checks. You can also sync on demand — see below.

Sync a repository

On the Repositories page, every official and community repository shows a Last synced time and a Sync now action. The automatic hourly sync only pulls when the repository has published something newer than your last sync; Sync now always forces a full refresh. Your own custom checks appear as a Custom repository and cannot be synced — they already live inside octoja.

Edit a repository

Use the Edit action on a community repository to change its name, URL, or basic-auth credentials. Leave the password field blank to keep the current password. Official and custom repositories are managed by octoja and cannot be edited.

Remove a repository

The Delete action removes a community repository. Existing check assignments that reference the repository's checks stop working until you reassign them, so move or remove those checks first. Official and custom repositories cannot be deleted.

Repository types

TypeWhat it is
Officialoctoja's own repository of maintained checks. Always present and kept up to date by octoja; read-only.
CommunityA repository you connect. Editable, syncable, and removable.
CustomYour own custom checks, built inside octoja. Managed by octoja and not synced from a URL.

For the exact structure a repository must publish so octoja can read it — registry.json, per-check manifests, and how syncing decides what to pull — see the Check Repository Reference.

Troubleshooting

The connection test says the repository is unreachable. octoja could not reach the URL. Check that the URL is correct and reachable from the internet, includes the http:// or https:// scheme, and — for a private repository — that the basic-auth username and password are correct.

The connection test says the registry is invalid. The URL responded, but octoja could not read a valid registry.json at that address. Confirm that registry.json exists directly under the base URL and is well-formed. The Check Repository Reference describes the required format.

The checks don't appear in the Check Library. Make sure the connection test passed and the repository was added, then wait for the next hourly sync or click Sync now. You also need the Monitoring Check Management permission to see the Check Library.