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KeePass ( https://keepass.info/ https://keepass.info/ ) with something like Nextcloud ( https://nextcloud.com/ https://nextcloud.com/ ) or any other solution fo

KeePass ( https://keepass.info/ https://keepass.info/ ) with something like Nextcloud ( https://nextcloud.com/ https://nextcloud.com/ ) or any other solution for syncing password databases across devices. Let's Encrypt SSL/TLS certificates are free, as is Apache/Nginx/Caddy to reverse proxy Nextcloud or any other solution (if a web based interface is needed). You might also need something like ngrok ( https://ngrok.com/ https://ngrok.com/ ) for publically accessing the instance if you're behind NAT and are hosting it on a homelab, or alternatively just put it on one of the VPSes that you're using, if you have any. Personally i'm using a similar setup (a WireGuard VPN tunnel or two in there as well) on my pre-existing VPSes, so the effective costs are 0$ for me. And the file based approach is actually superior to any (possibly) dubious browser plugins in my eyes.

xanaxagoras 5y ago
Recently set up something similar. DNS entry that resolves to a local ip, swag + letsencrypt reverse proxying to Nextcloud, all setup as containers and accessible anywhere over WireGuard. I'm pretty happy with it.
- KronisLV 5y ago
  Here's a link to swag, if anyone hasn't heard of it before: https://github.com/linuxserver/docker-swag https://github.com/linuxserver/docker-swag It does seem like an interesting and useful project, though there are also other more popular alternatives like Caddy: https://caddyserver.com/ https://caddyserver.com/ (even though their V2 not being backwards compatible was a tad annoying) Oh, and some people also have pretty good luck with software like Traefik: https://traefik.io/traefik/ https://traefik.io/traefik/ Apart from that, just wanted to say that WireGuard is absolutely lovely! Pretty simple to set up, works well and uses way less resources than something like OpenVPN.
  - xanaxagoras 5y ago
    WireGuard has already spoiled me, every time I have to fire up my job's bloatware VPN client I get a little bummed out now.
slg 5y ago
This reads like that notorious HN comment about it being trivially easy to roll your own Dropbox. Our time has value. Good UI has value. How much time is saved by just using a service like 1Password versus the design, setup, maintenance, and ongoing use of a system like you suggest with all those individual pieces?
- ekianjo 5y ago
  so getting to know how to do things by yourself is a waste of time?
  - pantulis 5y ago
    it's not a waste of time only if you are interested to know how to do these things.
  - jonathantf2 5y ago
    I know exactly how to do it, I've tried out what has been described above. I've got a lab for stuff I want to tinker with, but a password manager is seen as an "essential service" to me like e-mail and music. I'd much prefer to pay a bit per month and have a team of professionals deal with it if the servers go down. If at the end of the day my home server breaks and I want to get on and watch Amazon Prime/Netflix/whatever I still can with a hosted password manager. I value my time and sanity a lot more than £2 a month.
    - KronisLV 5y ago
      That's a fair point! But depending on your setup, it's also possible to replicate the password database file to every single device of yours on the network. Currently doing just that, if any of my servers go down, i can still access all of my passwords on my desktop, on my laptop, on my tablet, on my phone or on my backup servers. Of course, provided that i have KeePass or a mobile app installed and know the master password. Oh and I do manual backups to SD cards just to be sure every month. I'm not sure how I'd do that with a cloud service where in a sense their entire company (and my network connection to it) is a single point of failure. If my internet connection goes down, how would I log in to my selfhosted software in my homelab over LAN, without being able to access the passwords?
Shank 5y ago
The real question here is how much time it takes to setup this experience and how much time it takes to maintain. You could argue that the true cost is the labor cost of implementation and maintenance at your current pay rate.
- RealityVoid 5y ago
  Not too much time, honestly. I use KeePass+ synching and it was easy to setup. Synching is generally useful as well, besides password manager sharing. After setup I rarely have to think about it, maybe manually synch a conflict between the dB's every 3 months or so. Overall, _very_ happy with the setup.

xanaxagoras 5y ago

Recently set up something similar. DNS entry that resolves to a local ip, swag + letsencrypt reverse proxying to Nextcloud, all setup as containers and accessible anywhere over WireGuard. I'm pretty happy with it.

KronisLV 5y ago
Here's a link to swag, if anyone hasn't heard of it before: https://github.com/linuxserver/docker-swag https://github.com/linuxserver/docker-swag It does seem like an interesting and useful project, though there are also other more popular alternatives like Caddy: https://caddyserver.com/ https://caddyserver.com/ (even though their V2 not being backwards compatible was a tad annoying) Oh, and some people also have pretty good luck with software like Traefik: https://traefik.io/traefik/ https://traefik.io/traefik/ Apart from that, just wanted to say that WireGuard is absolutely lovely! Pretty simple to set up, works well and uses way less resources than something like OpenVPN.
- xanaxagoras 5y ago
  WireGuard has already spoiled me, every time I have to fire up my job's bloatware VPN client I get a little bummed out now.

slg 5y ago

This reads like that notorious HN comment about it being trivially easy to roll your own Dropbox. Our time has value. Good UI has value. How much time is saved by just using a service like 1Password versus the design, setup, maintenance, and ongoing use of a system like you suggest with all those individual pieces?

ekianjo 5y ago
so getting to know how to do things by yourself is a waste of time?
- pantulis 5y ago
  it's not a waste of time only if you are interested to know how to do these things.
- jonathantf2 5y ago
  I know exactly how to do it, I've tried out what has been described above. I've got a lab for stuff I want to tinker with, but a password manager is seen as an "essential service" to me like e-mail and music. I'd much prefer to pay a bit per month and have a team of professionals deal with it if the servers go down. If at the end of the day my home server breaks and I want to get on and watch Amazon Prime/Netflix/whatever I still can with a hosted password manager. I value my time and sanity a lot more than £2 a month.
  - KronisLV 5y ago
    That's a fair point! But depending on your setup, it's also possible to replicate the password database file to every single device of yours on the network. Currently doing just that, if any of my servers go down, i can still access all of my passwords on my desktop, on my laptop, on my tablet, on my phone or on my backup servers. Of course, provided that i have KeePass or a mobile app installed and know the master password. Oh and I do manual backups to SD cards just to be sure every month. I'm not sure how I'd do that with a cloud service where in a sense their entire company (and my network connection to it) is a single point of failure. If my internet connection goes down, how would I log in to my selfhosted software in my homelab over LAN, without being able to access the passwords?

Shank 5y ago

The real question here is how much time it takes to setup this experience and how much time it takes to maintain. You could argue that the true cost is the labor cost of implementation and maintenance at your current pay rate.

RealityVoid 5y ago
Not too much time, honestly. I use KeePass+ synching and it was easy to setup. Synching is generally useful as well, besides password manager sharing. After setup I rarely have to think about it, maybe manually synch a conflict between the dB's every 3 months or so. Overall, _very_ happy with the setup.