Onetime Secret - Secure One-Time Message Sharing

Keep passwords and other sensitive information out of your inboxes and chat logs.

Note

Skip to Installation instructions.

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What is a Onetime Secret?

A onetime secret is a link that can be viewed only once. A single-use URL.

Try it out on OnetimeSecret.com!

Why would I want to use it?

When you send people sensitive info like passwords and private links via email or chat, there are copies of that information stored in many places. If you use a Onetime link instead, the information persists for a single viewing which means it can't be read by someone else later. This allows you to send sensitive information in a safe way knowing it's seen by one person only. Think of it like a self-destructing message.

• What is a Onetime Secret?
  • Why would I want to use it?
• Latest releases
  • Get the Latest Release (Recommended)
  • Older releases
• Installation
  • System Requirements
  • Docker Installation
  • Running the Container
  • Manual Installation
• Configuration
  • Basic Setup
  • Configuration Options
  • Important Notes
  • Generating a Secure Random Key
• Miscellaneous
  • Docker-related Tips
  • Development Tips
  • Production Deployment
• Similar Services

Latest releases

Get the Latest Release (Recommended)

This is the actively developed and maintained version with the most recent features and security updates.

Older releases

Ruby 3 without Node.js: v0.15.0

• If you prefer a simpler setup with just Ruby dependencies (i.e. without Node.js dependencies) this is the most recent version.
• No security updates or bug fixes will be provided for this version.

Ruby 2.7, 2.6 (Legacy - Not Supported): v0.12.1

• ⚠️ Warning: This version is no longer maintained or supported.
• Only use if you absolutely cannot run Ruby 3+.
• No security updates or bug fixes will be provided for this version.

We strongly recommend using the latest release with Ruby 3+ for the best performance, security, and feature set. Legacy Ruby 2.x versions are provided for reference only and should be avoided in production environments.

Installation

System Requirements

• Any recent linux distro (we use debian) or *BSD or MacOS
• System dependencies:
  • Ruby 3.1+ (3.0 may work but is not officially supported)
  • Redis server 5+
  • Node.js 22+ (for front-end development)
  • pnpm 9.0.0+
• Additional packages:
  • build-essential
  • libyaml-dev
  • libffi-dev
• Minimum specs:
  • 2 core CPU (or equivalent)
  • 1GB memory
  • 4GB disk

Docker Installation

There are multiple ways to run OnetimeSecret using Docker. Choose the method that best suits your needs:

1. Using Pre-built Images

We offer pre-built images on both GitHub Container Registry and Docker Hub.

# Pull from GitHub Container Registry
docker pull ghcr.io/onetimesecret/onetimesecret:latest

# OR, pull from Docker Hub
docker pull onetimesecret/onetimesecret:latest

2. Building the Image Locally

If you prefer to build the image yourself:

git clone https://github.com/onetimesecret/onetimesecret.git
cd onetimesecret
docker build -t onetimesecret .

3. Multi-platform Builds

For environments requiring multi-architecture support:

git clone https://github.com/onetimesecret/onetimesecret.git
cd onetimesecret
docker buildx build --platform=linux/amd64,linux/arm64 . -t onetimesecret

4. Lite Docker Image

We also offer a "lite" version of the Docker image, which is optimized for quicker deployment and reduced resource usage. To use the lite version:

# Pull the lite image
docker pull ghcr.io/onetimesecret/onetimesecret-lite:latest

# OR, build it locally
docker build -f Dockerfile-lite -t onetimesecret:lite .

For more information on the lite Docker image, refer to the DOCKER-lite.md documentation.

Running the Container

Regardless of how you obtained or built the image, follow these steps to run OnetimeSecret:

1. Start a Redis container:

   docker run -p 6379:6379 -d redis:bookworm

2. Set essential environment variables:

   export HOST=localhost:3000
   export SSL=false
   export COLONEL=admin@example.com
   export REDIS_URL=redis://host.docker.internal:6379/0
   export RACK_ENV=production

   Note: The COLONEL variable sets the admin account email. It's a playful combination of "colonel" (someone in charge) and "kernel" (as in Linux), representing the system administrator.

3. Run the OnetimeSecret container:

   docker run -p 3000:3000 -d --name onetimesecret \
     -e REDIS_URL=$REDIS_URL \
     -e COLONEL=$COLONEL \
     -e HOST=$HOST \
     -e SSL=$SSL \
     -e RACK_ENV=$RACK_ENV \
     onetimesecret/onetimesecret:latest

   Note: Replace onetimesecret/onetimesecret:latest with your image name if you built it locally.

OnetimeSecret should now be running and accessible at http://localhost:3000.

Manual Installation

This guide covers installing OnetimeSecret manually, whether you're working with an existing development environment or starting from a fresh system.

Prerequisites

Required components:

• Redis Server (version 5 or higher)
• Ruby (version 3.1 or higher)
• Bundler (version 2.5.x)
• Node.js (version 20 or higher)
• pnpm (version 9.2 or higher)
• Essential build tools and development libraries

Installation Steps

1. Prepare Your Environment

First, verify if you have the required dependencies:

ruby --version       # Should be 3.1+
bundler --version    # Should be 2.5.x
node --version       # Should be 20+
pnpm --version       # Should be 9.2+
redis-server -v      # Should be 5+

For a fresh system installation, follow these steps:

Important

If starting with a minimal system (like a fresh Debian container), install sudo first:

# Only if starting as root on a minimal system
apt update && apt install -y sudo

Install system dependencies:

# For Debian/Ubuntu systems:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y git curl build-essential libyaml-dev libffi-dev redis-server ruby3.1 ruby3.1-dev

# Install package managers
sudo gem install bundler
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_22.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs
sudo npm install -g pnpm@latest

# Start Redis server
sudo service redis-server start

Note: If you see audit-related errors when installing pnpm with sudo, this is normal in containers or minimal systems where audit capabilities are limited.

2. Get the Source Code

git clone https://github.com/onetimesecret/onetimesecret.git
cd onetimesecret

3. Install Dependencies

# Install Ruby dependencies
bundle install

# Install Node.js dependencies
pnpm install

4. Initialize Configuration

git rev-parse --short HEAD > .commit_hash.txt
cp -p ./etc/config.example.yaml ./etc/config.yaml

5. Choose Your Running Mode

You can run the application in two ways:

Option A: Standard Mode (Static Frontend, Choose RACK_ENV)

Best for production or development without frontend changes:

1. Build frontend assets (optional, pre-built assets included):

pnpm run build:local

2. Set development mode to false in etc/config.yaml:

:development:
  :enabled: false

3. Start the server (choose environment as needed):

# For production
RACK_ENV=production bundle exec thin -R config.ru -p 3000 start

# Or for backend development
RACK_ENV=development bundle exec thin -R config.ru -p 3000 start

Option B: Frontend Development Mode

Best for active frontend development with live reloading. You have two options:

1. Using the built-in proxy (easier):

  :development:
    :enabled: true
    :frontend_host: 'http://localhost:5173'  # Built-in proxy handles /dist/* requests

2. Using a reverse proxy (like Caddy, nginx):

  # etc/config.yaml
  :development:
    :enabled: true
    :frontend_host: ''  # Let your reverse proxy handle /dist/* requests

Then:

1. Start the main server:

   RACK_ENV=development bundle exec thin -R config.ru -p 3000 start

2. Start the Vite dev server (in a separate terminal):

   pnpm run dev

Technical Details for Frontend Development

When running in development mode (Option B), the application uses Vite's dev server for dynamic asset loading and hot module replacement. Here's how it works:

• In development mode (development.enabled: true), the application loads assets from /dist/*:

  {{#frontend_development}}
  <script type="module" src="/dist/main.ts"></script>
  <script type="module" src="/dist/@vite/client"></script>
  {{/frontend_development}}

These requests are either:

• Handled by the built-in proxy (when frontend_host is set)
• Handled by your reverse proxy (when it's empty or not set)

• In production mode (development.enabled: false), it uses pre-built static assets:

  {{^frontend_development}}
  {{{vite_assets}}}
  {{/frontend_development}}

This setup enables features like hot module replacement and instant updates during frontend development, while ensuring optimal performance in production.

Configuration

OnetimeSecret requires a config.yaml file for all installations. Environment variables can be used to override specific settings, but the config.yaml file must always be present.

Basic Setup

1. Create the configuration file:

   cp -p ./etc/config.example.yaml ./etc/config.yaml

2. Review and edit ./etc/config.yaml as needed. At minimum, update the secret key and back it up securely.

Configuration Options

1. Using config.yaml (Required)

The ./etc/config.yaml file is the primary configuration method. It uses ERB syntax to incorporate environment variables, allowing for flexible configuration:

---
:site:
  :host: <%= ENV['HOST'] || 'localhost:7143' %>
:domains:
  :enabled: <%= ENV['DOMAINS_ENABLED'] || false %>

In this format:

• If an environment variable (e.g., HOST) is set, its value will be used.
• If the environment variable is not set, the fallback value (e.g., 'localhost:7143') will be used.
• If you remove the ERB syntax and environment variable reference, only the literal value in the config will be used.

Key areas to configure in config.yaml:

• SMTP or SendGrid for email
• Redis connection details
• Rate limits
• Enabled locales

2. Using Environment Variables (Optional)

For quick setups or container deployments, you can use environment variables to override config.yaml settings:

export HOST=localhost:3000
export SSL=false
export COLONEL=admin@example.com
export REDIS_URL=redis://username:password@hostname:6379/0
export RACK_ENV=production

3. Using a .env File (Optional)

For various deployment scenarios, including Docker setups and local development, you can use a .env file to set environment variables:

1. Create the .env file:

   cp -p .env.example .env

2. Edit the .env file with your desired configuration.

3. Usage depends on your setup:

   • For local development, load the variables before running the application:

     set -a
     source .env
     set +a

   • For Docker deployments, you can use the --env-file option:

     docker run --env-file .env your-image-name

   • In docker-compose, you can specify the .env file in your docker-compose.yml:

     services:
       your-service:
         env_file:
           - .env

The .env file is versatile and can be used in various deployment scenarios, offering flexibility in how you manage your environment variables.

Important Notes

• The config.yaml file is always required, even when using environment variables.
• Choose either direct environment variables or the .env file method, but not both, to avoid confusion.
• If you remove environment variable references from config.yaml, only the literal values in the config will be used.

Important

Use a secure value for the SECRET key as an environment variable or as site.secret in etc/config.yaml. Once set, do not change this value. Create and store a backup in a secure offsite location. Changing the secret may prevent decryption of existing secrets.

For a full list of available configuration options, refer to the comments in the config.example.yaml file.

Generating a Secure Random Key

To generate a secure, random 256-bit (32-byte) secret key, you can use the following command with OpenSSL:

openssl rand -hex 32

If OpenSSL is not installed, you can use the dd command as a fallback:

dd if=/dev/urandom bs=32 count=1 2>/dev/null | xxd -p -c 32

Note: While the dd command provides a reasonable alternative, using OpenSSL is recommended for cryptographic purposes.

Miscellaneous

Docker-related Tips

Container Name Already in Use

If you encounter the error "The container name '/onetimesecret' is already in use":

# If the container already exists, you can simply start it again:
docker start onetimesecret

# OR, remove the existing container
docker rm onetimesecret

After removing the container, you can run the regular docker run command again.

Docker Compose

For Docker Compose setup, see the dedicated Docker Compose repo.

Development Tips

Debugging

To run in debug mode:

ONETIME_DEBUG=true bundle exec thin -e dev start

Front-end Development

When running the Vite server in development mode, it will automatically reload when files change. Ensure that RACK_ENV is set to development or development.enabled in etc/config is set to false.

Vite Development Server Security

Starting with Vite 5.4.12, additional security measures were implemented to prevent unauthorized access to development servers. When using custom domains for development, you must explicitly configure allowed hosts.

Configuring Allowed Hosts

By default, only localhost and 127.0.0.1 are allowed to access the development server. To use custom domains:

1. Using environment variables (recommended for local development):

   # Option 1: Using export
   export VITE_ADDITIONAL_SERVER_ALLOWED_HOSTS="dev.onetime.dev"
   pnpm run dev
   
   # Option 2: Set inline
   VITE_ADDITIONAL_SERVER_ALLOWED_HOSTS="dev.onetime.dev" pnpm run dev

2. Using .env file:

   Add to your .env file:

   VITE_ADDITIONAL_SERVER_ALLOWED_HOSTS=dev.onetime.dev
   

3. Using Docker:

   docker run -p 3000:3000 -d \
     -e VITE_ADDITIONAL_SERVER_ALLOWED_HOSTS="dev.onetime.dev" \
     # other env vars...
     onetimesecret/onetimesecret:latest

Security Warning: Never set allowedHosts: true in your configuration as this creates a security vulnerability allowing any website to access your development server.

See GHSA-vg6x-rcgg-rjx6 for details on the vulnerability this configuration prevents.

Setting up pre-commit hooks

We use the pre-commit framework to maintain code quality. To set it up:

1. Install pre-commit:

   pip install pre-commit

2. Install the git hooks:

   pre-commit install

This will ensure that the pre-commit hooks run before each commit, helping to maintain code quality and consistency.

Optimizing Docker Builds

To see the layers of an image and optimize your builds, use:

docker history <image_id>

Production Deployment

When deploying to production, ensure you:

1. Protect your Redis instance with authentication or Redis networks.
2. Enable Redis persistence and save the data securely.
3. Change the secret to a strong, unique value.
4. Specify the correct domain it will be deployed on.

Example production deployment:

export HOST=example.com
export SSL=true
export COLONEL=admin@example.com
export REDIS_URL=redis://username:password@hostname:6379/0
export RACK_ENV=production

docker run -p 3000:3000 -d --name onetimesecret \
  -e REDIS_URL=$REDIS_URL \
  -e COLONEL=$COLONEL \
  -e HOST=$HOST \
  -e SSL=$SSL \
  -e RACK_ENV=$RACK_ENV \
  onetimesecret

Ensure all sensitive information is properly secured and not exposed in your deployment scripts or environment.

Similar Services

This section provides an overview of services similar to our project, highlighting their unique features and how they compare. These alternatives may be useful for users looking for specific functionalities or wanting to explore different options in the same domain. By presenting this information, we aim to give our users a comprehensive view of the available options in the secure information sharing space.

Note: Our in-house legal counsel (codium-pr-agent-pro bot) suggested adding this introduction and the disclaimer at the end.

URL	Service	Description	Distinctive Feature
https://pwpush.com/	Password Pusher	A tool that uses browser cookies to help you share passwords and other sensitive information.	Temporary, self-destructing links for password sharing
https://scrt.link/en	Share a Secret	A service that allows you to share sensitive information anonymously. Crucial for journalists, lawyers, politicians, whistleblowers, and oppressed individuals.	Anonymous, self-destructing message sharing
https://cryptgeon.com/	Cryptgeon	A service for sharing secrets and passwords securely.	Offers a secret generator, password generator, and secret vault
https://www.vanish.so/	Vanish	A service for sharing secrets and passwords securely.	Self-destructing messages with strong encryption
https://password.link/en	Password.link	A service for securely sending and receiving sensitive information.	Secure link creation for sensitive information sharing
https://www.sharesecret.co/	ShareSecret	A service for securely sharing passwords in Slack and email.	Secure password sharing with Slack and email integration
https://teampassword.com/	TeamPassword	A password manager for teams.	Fast, easy-to-use, and secure team password management
https://secretshare.io/	Secret Share	A service for sharing passwords securely.	Strong encryption for data in transit and at rest
https://retriever.corgea.io/	Retriever	A service for requesting secrets securely.	Secure secret request and retrieval with encryption
https://winden.app/s	Winden	A service for sharing secrets and passwords securely.	Securely transfers files with end-to-end encryption
https://www.snote.app/	SNote	A privacy-focused workspace with end-to-end encryption.	Secure collaboration on projects, to-dos, tasks, and shared files
https://www.burnafterreading.me/	Burn After Reading	A service for sharing various types of sensitive information.	Self-destructing messages with diceware passphrase encryption
https://pvtnote.com/en/	PvtNote	A service for sending private, self-destructing messages.	Clean design with self-destructing messages
https://k9crypt.xyz/	K9Crypt	A secure and anonymous messaging platform.	End-to-end encryption with 2-hour message deletion

Summarized, fetched, and collated by Cohere Command R+, formatted by Claude 3.5 Sonnet, and proofread by GitHub Copilot.

The inclusion of these services in this list does not imply endorsement. Users are encouraged to conduct their own research and due diligence before using any of the listed services, especially when handling sensitive information.