> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.odigos.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Sources
> Add or instrument sources in the Odigos VM Agent so the agent can collect their telemetry.
There are two ways to add [sources](/vmagent/overview#key-concepts) to the Odigos VM Agent: use `odictl` or use YAML files.
It is recommended to [add a destination](/vmagent/setup/configuration/add-destinations) before adding a source.
**Instrumenting a source restarts its underlying service or process.** Regardless of whether you use `odictl` or YAML, the VM Agent restarts each service, process, or container when it applies instrumentation, so expect a brief interruption.
**The only exception is Go and Java processes running directly on the host (not in a container).** These are instrumented in place and are **not** restarted.
```shell theme={null}
odictl
```
Use `Tab` to focus on the Sources pane or press `o`, then press `Enter` or click `+ Add Source` with your mouse.
Once the source list opens, choose how you want to instrument. Select a **single source** to review and adjust its
properties before instrumenting, or select **multiple sources** to instrument them all at once with default settings.
Click in the search bar at the top and type the name of the Linux process, and/or press `Tab` and scroll
through the list of sources. Once your source is highlighted, press `Enter`.
Review and adjust the properties if needed:
The identity the VM Agent uses to match this source to the discovered process, service, or container. It is auto-populated at discovery time and is required — it also drives source lookup and log collection, so avoid changing it (contact support if you must).
The OpenTelemetry `service.name` reported for this source's telemetry — the service that its spans, metrics, and logs are attributed to in your backend (for example, the service node in a service map). It is auto-populated from `Name` at discovery time, but you can edit it to report telemetry under a different service name. If left empty, it defaults to `Name`. This does not change process matching or the individual span (operation) names.
The process type: either `systemd` for services managed by systemd, `process` for standalone Linux processes, or `docker` for docker containers.
This field is auto-populated at discovery time — contact support before changing it.
Controls whether the VM Agent instruments this source. Check to enable instrumentation, or uncheck to pause it without removing the source.
The programming language of the process as detected by the VM Agent. This field is auto-populated at discovery time — contact support before changing it.
The version of the runtime language as detected by the VM Agent. This field is auto-populated at discovery time — contact support before changing it.
Press `Ctrl+S` to save and instrument your source.
Instrumentation can take a few moments to complete. Once it is applied, the source appears in the `Sources` list with a green `Health` status.
Move through the list with the arrow keys or `Tab`, and press `Space` to select each process, service, or
container you want to instrument. Repeat until all the sources you want are selected.
Press `Enter` to instrument every selected source at once. This flow does not show the properties dialog —
each source is instrumented with its default settings, which is what most deployments want.
Instrumentation can take a few moments to complete. Once it is applied, the sources appear in the `Sources` list with a green `Health` status.
```shell theme={null}
cd /etc/odigos-vmagent/sources.d
```
Create a YAML file for your source's configuration using the editor of your choice. The example below uses [vi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vi).
```shell theme={null}
sudo vi example.yaml
```
Define each service or process you want to instrument using the properties below.
The identity the VM Agent uses to match this source to the discovered process, service, or container. Required, and also used for source lookup and log collection, so it should match the detected workload.
Controls whether the VM Agent instruments this source. Set to `true` to enable instrumentation, or to `false` to pause it without removing the source.
Optional. The OpenTelemetry `service.name` reported for this source's telemetry — the service that its spans, metrics, and logs are attributed to in your backend. If omitted, it defaults to `name`. This does not change process matching or the individual span (operation) names.
The process type: either `systemd` for services managed by systemd, `process` for standalone Linux processes, or `docker` for Docker containers.
Optional runtime configuration (e.g., language and version). Auto-populated at discovery time — contact support before changing this field.
For example:
```yaml theme={null}
# serviceName omitted: telemetry is reported under service.name = odigos-demo-frontend (the name)
- name: odigos-demo-frontend
enabled: true
kind: systemd
config: null
# serviceName set: telemetry is reported under service.name = membership-service
- name: odigos-demo-membership
enabled: true
serviceName: membership-service
kind: systemd
config: null
```
You can define multiple sources in a single YAML file, and you can organize sources across multiple YAML files.
```shell theme={null}
:wq!
```
```shell theme={null}
sudo journalctl -u odigos-vmagent | grep 'Successfully attached eBPF probes to process'
```
```
Mar 10 20:14:35 ip-10-0-1-51 odigos-vmagent[4203]: time=2026-03-10T20:14:35.846Z level=INFO source=/go/src/github.com/keyval/odigos-vmagent/pkg/components/controller/instrumentor/ebpf_manager.go:179 msg="Successfully attached eBPF probes to process" pid=7251 service=odigos-demo-frontend
Mar 10 20:21:42 ip-10-0-1-51 odigos-vmagent[4203]: time=2026-03-10T20:21:42.098Z level=INFO source=/go/src/github.com/keyval/odigos-vmagent/pkg/components/controller/instrumentor/ebpf_manager.go:179 msg="Successfully attached eBPF probes to process" pid=8308 service=odigos-demo-membership
```