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Studio is a desktop app. It reaches your devices directly, captures packets, opens serial consoles, and keeps a local workspace that stays responsive even when your network doesn’t. For most teams the answer is “a reasonably modern machine with outbound internet.” A few features — packet capture, Layer 2 monitoring, interface changes — need elevated privileges on the workstation that runs them. This page is the short list.

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Supported platforms

PlatformSupportedNotes
macOS 13 and newerYesApple Silicon is the primary target; Intel Macs are supported.
Windows 10 and 11Yes64-bit.
LinuxNot in this releasePlanned.

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Network

Studio’s network needs are modest, but they are non-negotiable:
  • Outbound internet access to your Altostrat account endpoints and the AI provider endpoints.
  • Reachability from your machine to the devices you want to manage — VPN, jump host, or direct.
  • Open outbound on standard ports (443 for sync; 22/23 and device-specific ports for terminal sessions).
If your organization runs restrictive egress, make sure those destinations are reachable before rolling Studio out to a team.

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Workstation reachability

Studio connects from the workstation where it is running. If your laptop cannot reach a management subnet, Studio cannot magically reach it either. Use the same network path you would use for manual operations:
  • Corporate VPN for private device networks.
  • Jump hosts for segmented management zones.
  • Local network access for discovery, packet capture, and Layer 2 monitoring.
  • Serial adapter access for out-of-band console work.
Document jump hosts in the host editor rather than relying on an operator to remember the path.

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Privileges

Some diagnostics talk to the operating system directly. Running them needs elevated permission on the workstation that hosts the session.
FeatureRequires
Packet captureAdministrator or sudo / capture capability on the interface.
Passive ARP and Layer 2 monitoringInterface access and local network visibility.
Rogue DHCP / STP monitoringAccess to the relevant broadcast domain.
Interface IP or route changes on your machineAdministrator or sudo.
You don’t need any of these to use the product — only to use the specific features that touch the OS at that level.

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OS permissions

macOS and Windows may prompt the first time Studio uses a protected capability.
CapabilityPrompt you may see
Voice and video callsMicrophone and camera access.
Screen shareScreen recording or screen capture access.
Packet captureAdministrator approval or capture-interface permission.
Serial consolePermission to access the attached serial device.
Local network discoveryLocal network or firewall prompt.
Approve only the capabilities your team uses. If a feature fails immediately after first launch, check OS privacy and security settings before changing Studio configuration.

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Quotas and limits

Studio applies soft limits per organization to keep the product responsive. Your plan determines the exact numbers; the dashboard shows current consumption.
LimitTypical default
Hosts per organizationThousands. Large-fleet orgs should contact support.
Procedures per organizationLow thousands.
Session recordings per organizationCapped by total recorded size; oldest are first to be pruned when quota is approached.
Image attachment size20 MB per image.
Concurrent shared-session participantsUp to nine in a call.

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A note on the local helper

On desktop, Studio runs a small local helper process that lets the app reach your devices and your machine’s network stack. You don’t manage it — it starts and stops with the app, and it stays on your workstation. If Copilot says it can’t see your devices, restart Studio and see troubleshooting.

Install and sign in

Get the desktop app and sign in with your Altostrat account.

Troubleshooting

Common symptoms and what to check first.