What is Expanso and how does it work?

Expanso is a managed platform for deploying intelligent data pipelines at the edge. It processes data where it's generated - reducing bandwidth, latency, and costs. You deploy lightweight agents on your infrastructure, build pipelines using our visual builder or YAML, and control everything from a central SaaS platform.

Can I run AI/ML models directly in my data pipelines?

Yes! Expanso supports running ONNX, TensorFlow Lite, and other models as native pipeline steps. Execute low-latency inference on streaming data, enrich events with model outputs (like risk scores), and make decisions at the edge without cloud round-trips.

How many pre-built components are available?

Expanso provides 200+ pre-built components including inputs (Kafka, HTTP, files), processors (transformations, filtering, PII masking, aggregations), and outputs (S3, Snowflake, Datadog, Splunk). Browse the complete catalog in our Component Reference.

Do I need to write code to build pipelines?

No - use our drag-and-drop visual pipeline builder to create sophisticated pipelines without code. For advanced use cases, you can also write pipelines in YAML or use the Bloblang transformation language for complex data mappings.

How does Expanso help with data governance and compliance?

Expanso includes built-in governance features: automatic PII detection and masking, policy enforcement at the edge, RBAC, SSO integration, and comprehensive audit trails. Mask sensitive data before it ever leaves your network.

Termux/Android Argv Duplication

Getting unknown command "expanso-edge" errors when running the edge agent on Termux or Android? This is caused by the platform's exec wrapper duplicating the binary name as the first argument.

The error message includes a hint when this pattern is detected:

Error: unknown command "expanso-edge"

Hint: It looks like the binary name "expanso-edge" was passed as an argument.
This can happen with Termux or Android exec wrappers that duplicate argv[0].
Try running with explicit arguments: expanso-edge run
Or set args after the binary: expanso-edge -- run

Why This Happens

Some Android and Termux exec wrappers inject the binary name as an extra argument when launching programs. When you run:

expanso-edge run

The system might actually execute it as:

expanso-edge expanso-edge run

This causes the CLI to interpret expanso-edge as an unknown command instead of the run subcommand.

Solutions

Option 1: Use explicit argument separator

Add -- between the binary name and your arguments:

expanso-edge -- run
expanso-edge -- bootstrap --token YOUR_TOKEN

Best for: Most users on affected platforms.

Option 2: Create a wrapper script

Create a shell script that handles the argument passing correctly:

#!/bin/sh
exec /path/to/expanso-edge -- "$@"

Save this as expanso-edge-wrapper and use it instead of calling the binary directly.

Best for: Permanent fix without changing your workflow.

Option 3: Use environment-specific workarounds

Some Termux configurations allow you to disable the exec wrapper behavior. Check your Termux settings or consult the Termux documentation for environment-specific options.

Affected Platforms

This issue can occur on Termux, Android systems with custom exec wrappers, and some emulated Android environments. Standard Linux, macOS, and Windows installations are not affected.

Why This Happens​

Solutions​

Option 1: Use explicit argument separator​

Option 2: Create a wrapper script​

Option 3: Use environment-specific workarounds​

Affected Platforms​