Robotics company

Managing roboticist workstations from the excavator to the office

A robotics company managing specialized hardware like industrial-grade tablets in excavators alongside traditional developer desktops required a tool that could handle the complexity of Linux workstations and diverse hardware.

At a glance

• Endpoints: 117 (Mac, Windows, Linux, Android).
• Primary requirement: multi-platform management and GitOps workflows.
• Key integrations: osquery, Tailscale, and Google Credential Provider.
• Previous solution: limited manual management for Linux.

The challenge: managing the unmanageable

Before Fleet, Linux desktops were a significant "blind spot". High configuration complexity and Nvidia driver conflicts made it nearly impossible to scale or manage these devices effectively. The team needed a way to manage WiFi profiles and kiosk configurations across a varied fleet.

The solution: unified interface and GitOps

Fleet met the requirement for a single point of truth across macOS, Windows, and Linux. The team implemented GitOps workflows and used Fleet’s open-source transparency to build confidence in the reliability of their stack.

The results: proactive security and automation

• Google Auth on Windows: the team automated the deployment of the Google Credential Provider for Windows, removing the need for Active Directory dependencies.
• Real-time network access: by integrating host vitals with Tailscale, the team now makes real-time network access decisions based on device health.
• Proactive IT: cross-platform automation and policy checks have allowed the team to shift from reactive troubleshooting to proactive management.