Octopus has announced the early access release of a native Linux Tentacle, expanding its support for deployment targets beyond Windows to include Linux environments. Traditionally, Octopus deployments to Linux required configuring servers as SSH targets, which posed challenges in highly secure environments where opening port 22 is not feasible. The new Linux Tentacle addresses these security concerns by supporting a polling mode that allows Linux servers to communicate with the Octopus Server without needing open inbound ports, thus enhancing security and flexibility. This approach is especially beneficial for teams using Octopus Cloud or deploying within strict network environments like DMZs, as it only requires outbound communication on specific ports. Tentacle is available in DEB, RPM, and .tar.gz formats, built on .NET Core 2.x, and Octopus is actively seeking feedback through early access to ensure comprehensive support for Linux deployments akin to what is offered for Windows.