[FEATURE] - Need reboot indication on device view/sortable #186

Feature Request Checklist

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What problem would this feature solve?

Whether managing a large fleet of endpoints or simply maintaining a homelab environment, it can be difficult to identify which systems require a reboot after updates, software installations, configuration changes, or maintenance activities.

Currently, there is no clear indication in the device overview that a machine requires a restart. This means I must manually connect to devices, run checks, or discover the need for a reboot indirectly while troubleshooting other issues.

As the number of managed devices grows, systems awaiting a reboot can easily be overlooked. This can result in:

Security updates not being fully applied.
Services continuing to use old binaries or libraries.
Increased troubleshooting time when diagnosing issues related to pending restarts.
Additional manual effort to determine reboot status across the fleet.

It would be helpful to have reboot status visible at a glance and be able to filter or sort devices based on whether a reboot is required.

How would you like it to work?

I would like ControlR agents to detect when the operating system indicates that a reboot is required and report that status back to the server.

From an administrator's perspective:

1. The agent determines whether a reboot is required using native OS methods.

   • Windows: Pending reboot indicators in the registry, Windows Update, component servicing, etc.
   • Linux: /run/reboot-required, kernel version mismatch, or other distro-specific indicators.
   • macOS: Native reboot-required status where available.

2. A "Needs Reboot" field is displayed:

   • On the device details page.
   • As an icon, badge, or status indicator in device lists.
   • Optionally as part of dashboard widgets and reports.

3. Device lists can be:

   • Sorted by reboot status.
   • Filtered to show only devices requiring a restart.

4. Optional enhancements:

   • Show the reason for the reboot requirement.
   • Show how long the reboot has been pending.
   • Create alerts, policies, or automations based on reboot status.
   • Allow administrators to schedule or trigger reboots directly from the interface.

I would be happy to assist with testing and validation of this feature. I can also provide example scripts and logic for detecting pending reboot states on both Windows and Linux systems.

On Windows, reboot requirements can be detected using common indicators such as Windows Update, Component Based Servicing (CBS), and Pending File Rename Operations. On Linux, distributions such as Debian, Ubuntu, and Proxmox commonly expose reboot requirements through mechanisms like /run/reboot-required or kernel version comparisons.

I do not currently have access to a macOS environment, so I may be less able to assist with testing or providing detection methods for macOS, though I would be happy to help where possible.

For which environment is this feature intended?

• Personal use
• MSP
• Enterprise IT
• Other (please describe)

How important is this feature to you?

• Nice to have
• Important
• Critical

Any other context?

Many RMM platforms expose reboot status as a first-class device property because pending restarts are a common operational and security concern.

A visual indicator similar to the following would be ideal:

🟢 Online
🟡 Updates Available
🔴 Needs Reboot

Example use cases:

• Identifying endpoints that have received security updates but have not yet restarted.
• Finding servers waiting on kernel updates.
• Creating maintenance workflows around pending reboots.
• Prioritizing systems that have remained in a reboot-required state for an extended period.

Having this information available directly in the device overview would significantly reduce administrative overhead and improve visibility across managed environments.

(Note: This was re-written by AI as my draft got lost when my browser decided to refresh the page while typing, sorry! xD but i needed to get something to reach out 😂)