**ass** is a self-hosted ShareX upload server written in Node.js. I initially started this project purely out of spite. ass aims to be as **unopinionated** as possible, giving users & hosts alike the ability to modify nearly everything.
By default, ass comes with a resource viewing page, which includes metadata about the resource as well as a download button & inline viewers for images, videos, & audio. It does **not** have a user dashboard or registration system: **this is intentional!** Developers are free to [create their own frontends] using the languages & tools they are most comfortable with. Writing & using these frontends is fully documented below, in the wiki, & in the source code.
### Notice (Sep 2023)
The current release version 0.14.x is now in **maintenence mode**. What this means is I'll only be providing updates to catastrophic issues.
However! I'm currently working on [a new version](https://github.com/tycrek/ass/pull/220), 0.15.0, which is a lot more stable and organized. I have no ETA but please know that I'm continuing to work on it when I can. Version 0.14.x is still functional, just a bit rough around the edges.
#### Developers 🧡
ass was designed with developers in mind. If you are a developer & want something changed to better suit you, let me know & we'll see what we can do!
**ass** is a self-hosted ShareX upload server written in TypeScript.
@ -101,18 +62,17 @@ ass was designed with developers in mind. If you are a developer & want somethin
| Type | What is it? |
| ---- | ----------- |
| **[Zero-width spaces][ZWS]** | When pasted elsewhere, the URL appears to be *just* your domain name. Some browsers or sites may not recognize these URLs (Discord sadly no longer supports these as of April 2023)<br>![ZWS sample] |
| **Mixed-case alphanumeric** | The "safe" mode. URL's are browser safe as the character set is just letters & numbers. |
| **Gfycat** | Gfycat-style ID's (for example: `https://example.com/unsung-discrete-grub`). Thanks to [Gfycat] for the wordlists |
| **Original** | The "basic" mode. URL matches the same filename as when the file was uploaded. This may be prone to conflicts with files of the same name. |
| **Timestamp** | The quick but dirty mode. URL is a timestamp of when the file was uploaded, in milliseconds. This is the most unique mode, but also potentially the longest (Gfycat could be longer, easily). **Keep in mind this is vulnerable to iteration attacks** |
| **Original** | The "basic" mode. URL matches the same filename as when the file was uploaded. This may be prone to conflicts with files of the same name. |
| **ZWS** | "Zero-width spaces": when pasted elsewhere, the URL appears to be *just* your domain name. Some browsers or sites may not recognize these URLs (Discord sadly no longer supports these as of April 2023) |
ass supports two installation methods: Docker (recommended) & local (manual).
ass supports two installation methods: Docker & local.
### Docker
@ -120,61 +80,17 @@ ass supports two installation methods: Docker (recommended) & local (manual).
<summary><em>Expand for Docker/Docker Compose installation steps</em></summary>
<br>
[Docker Compose] is the recommended way to install ass. These steps assume you are already family with Docker. If not, you should probably use the local installation method. They also assume that you have a working Docker installation with Docker Compose v2 installed.
[Docker Compose] is the recommended way to install ass. These steps assume you already Docker & Docker Compose v2 installed.
- These scripts are identical using the equivalent commands in each OS.
3. Work through the setup process when prompted.
The upload token will be printed at the end of the setup script prompts. This is the token that you'll need to use to upload resources to ass. It may go by too quickly to copy it, so just scroll back up in your terminal after setup or run `cat auth.json`.
You should now be able to access the ass server at `http://localhost:40115/` (ass-docker will bind to host `0.0.0.0` to allow external access). You can configure a reverse proxy (for example, [Caddy]; also check out [my tutorial]) to make it accessible from the internet with automatic SSL.
#### What is this script doing?
It creates directories & files required for Docker Compose to properly set up volumes. After that, it simply builds the image & container, then launches the setup process.
#### How do I run the npm scripts?
Since all 3 primary data files are bound to the container with Volumes, you can run the scripts in two ways: `docker compose exec` or `npm` on the host.
```bash
# Check the usage metrics
docker compose exec ass npm run metrics
# Run the setup script
docker compose exec ass npm run setup && docker compose restart
# Run npm on the host to run the setup script (also works for metrics)
# (You will have to meet the Node.js & npm requirements on your host for this to work properly)
npm run setup && docker compose restart
```
#### How do I update?
Easy! Just pull the changes & run this one-liner:
```bash
# Pull the latest version of ass & rebuild the image
Deploying ass with Docker exposes **five** volumes. These volumes let you edit the config, view the auth or data files, or view the `uploads/` folder from your host.
- `uploads/`
- `share/`
- `config.json`
- `auth.json`
- `data.json`
0. This repo comes with a pre-made Compose file.
1. Clone the repo using `git clone https://github.com/tycrek/ass.git && cd ass/`
2. Run `docker compose up`
- You can append `-d` to run in the background.
3. When the logs indicate, visit your installation in your browser to begin the setup.
</details>
@ -184,16 +100,17 @@ Deploying ass with Docker exposes **five** volumes. These volumes let you edit t
<summary><em>Expand for local installation steps</em></summary>
<br>
1. You should have **Node.js 16** &**npm 8 or later** installed.
1. You should have **Node.js 20** &**npm 10 or later** installed.
2. Clone this repo using `git clone https://github.com/tycrek/ass.git && cd ass/`
3. Run `npm i --save-dev` to install the required dependencies (`--save-dev` is **required** for compilation)
4. Run `npm run build` to compile the TypeScript files
5. Run `npm start` to start ass.
The first time you run ass, the setup process will automatically be called & you will be shown your first authorization token; save this as you will need it to configure ShareX.
3. Run `pnpm i` or `npm i`
4. Run `npm run build`
5. Run `npm start`
6. When the logs indicate, visit your installation in your browser to begin the setup.
</details>
# the readme from this point is out of date
## Using HTTPS
For HTTPS support, you must configure a reverse proxy. I recommend [Caddy] but any reverse proxy works fine (such as Apache or Nginx). A sample config for Caddy is provided below:
@ -246,44 +163,6 @@ If you need to override a specific part of the config to be different from the g
If you primarily share media on Discord, you can add these additional (optional) headers to build embeds:
| Header | Purpose |
| ------ | ------- |
| **`X-Ass-OG-Title`** | Large text shown above your media. Required for embeds to appear on desktop. |
| **`X-Ass-OG-Description`** | Small text shown below the title but above the media (does not show up on videos) |
| **`X-Ass-OG-Author`** | Small text shown above the title |
| **`X-Ass-OG-Author-Url`** | URL to open when the Author is clicked |
| **`X-Ass-OG-Provider`** | Smaller text shown above the author |
| **`X-Ass-OG-Provider-Url`** | URL to open when the Provider is clicked |
| **`X-Ass-OG-Color`** | Colour shown on the left side of the embed. Must be one of `&random`, `&vibrant`, or a hex colour value (for example: `#fe3c29`). Random is a randomly generated hex value & Vibrant is sourced from the image itself |
#### Embed placeholders
You can insert certain metadata into your embeds with these placeholders:
| Placeholder | Result |
| ----------- | ------ |
| **`&size`** | The files size with proper notation rounded to two decimals (example: `7.06 KB`) |
| **`&filename`** | The original filename of the uploaded file |
| **`×tamp`** | The timestamp of when the file was uploaded (example: `Oct 14, 1983, 1:30 PM`) |
#### Server-side embed configuration
You may also specify a default embed config on the server. Keep in mind that if users specify the `X-Ass-OG-Title` header, the server-side config will be ignored. To configure the server-side embed, create a new file in the `share/` directory named `embed.json`. Available options are:
- **`title`**
- `description`
- `author`
- `authorUrl`
- `provider`
- `providerUrl`
- `color`
Their values are equivalent to the headers listed above.
### Webhooks
You may use Discord webhooks as an easy way to keep track of your uploads. The first step is to [create a new Webhook]. You only need to follow the first section, **Making a Webhook**. Once you are done that, click **Copy Webhook URL**. Finally, add these headers to your custom uploader:
@ -298,22 +177,6 @@ Webhooks will show the filename, mimetype, size, upload timestamp, thumbail, & a
[create a new Webhook]: https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/228383668-Intro-to-Webhooks
## Customizing the viewer
If you want to customize the font or colours of the viewer page, create a file in the `share/` directory called `theme.json`. Available options are:
| Option | Purpose |
| ------ | ------- |
| **`font`** | The font family to use; defaults to `"Josefin Sans"`. Fonts with a space should be surrounded by double quotes. |
| **`bgPage`** | Background colour for the whole page |
| **`bgViewer`** | Background colour for the viewer element |
| **`txtPrimary`** | Primary text colour; this should be your main brand colour. |
| **`txtSecondary`** | Secondary text colour; this is used for the file details. |
| **`linkPrimary`** | Primary link colour |
| **`linkHover`** | Colour of the `hover` effect for links |
| **`linkActive`** | Colour of the `active` effect for links |
| **`borderHover`** | Colour of the `hover` effect for borders; this is used for the underlining links. |
## Custom index
By default, ass directs the index route `/` to this README. Follow these steps to use a custom index:
@ -339,148 +202,12 @@ To use a custom 404 page, create a file in the `share/` directory called `404.ht
If there's interest, I may allow making this a function, similar to the custom index.
## File storage
ass supports three methods of file storage: local, S3, or [Skynet].
### Local
Local storage is the simplest option, but relies on you having a lot of disk space to store files, which can be costly.
### S3
Any existing object storage server that's compatible with [Amazon S3] can be used with ass. I personally host my files using Digital Ocean Spaces, which implements S3.
S3 servers are generally very fast & have very good uptime, though this will depend on the hosting provider & plan you choose.
## New user system (v0.14.0)
The user system was overhauled in v0.14.0 to allow more features and flexibility. New fields on users include `admin`, `passhash`, `unid`, and `meta` (these will be documented more once the system is finalized).
New installs will automatically generate a default user. Check the `auth.json` file for the token. You will use this for API requests and to authenticate within ShareX.
ass will automatically convert your old `auth.json` to the new format. **Always backup your `auth.json` and `data.json` before updating**. By default, the original user (named `ass`) will be marked as an admin.
### Adding users
You may add users via the CLI or the API. I'll document the API further in the future.
#### CLI
```bash
npm run cli-adduser <username><password> [admin] [meta]
```
| Argument | Purpose |
| -------- | ------- |
| **`username`** `string` | The username of the user. |
| **`password`** `string` | The password of the user. |
| **`admin?`** `boolean` | Whether the user is an admin. Defaults to `false`. |
| **`meta?`** `string` | Any additional metadata to store on the user, as a JSON string. |
**Things still not added:**
- Modifying/deleting users via the API
## Developer API
ass includes an API (v0.14.0) for frontend developers to easily integrate with. Right now the API is pretty limited but I will expand on it in the future, with frontend developer feedback.
Any endpoints requiring authorization will require an `Authorization` header with the value being the user's upload token. Admin users are a new feature introduced in v0.14.0. Admin users can access all endpoints, while non-admin users can only access those relevant to them.
Other things to note:
- **All endpoints are prefixed with `/api/`**.
- All endpoints will return a JSON object unless otherwise specified.
- Successful endpoints *should* return a `200` status code. Any errors will use the corresponding `4xx` or `5xx` status code (such as `401 Unauthorized`).
- ass's API will try to be as compliant with the HTTP spec as possible. For example, using `POST/PUT` for create/modify, and response codes such as `409 Conflict` for duplicate entries. This compliance may not be 100% perfect, but I will try my best.
### API endpoints
| Endpoint | Purpose | Admin? |
| -------- | ------- | ------ |
| **`GET /user/`** | Returns a list of all users | Yes |
| **`GET /user/:id`** | Returns the user with the given ID | Yes |
| **`GET /user/self`** | Returns the current user | No |
| **`GET /user/token/:token`** | Returns the user with the given token | No |
| **`POST /user/`** | Creates a new user. Request body must be a JSON object including `username` and `password`. You may optionally include `admin` (boolean) or `meta` (object). Returns 400 if fails. | Yes |
| **`POST /user/password/reset/:id`** | Force resets the user's **password**. Request body must be a JSON object including a `password`. | Yes |
| **`DELETE /user/:id`** | Deletes the user with the given ID, as well as all their uploads. | Yes |
| **`PUT /user/meta/:id`** | Updates the user's metadata. Request body must be a JSON object with keys `key` and `value`, with the key/value you want to set in the users metadata. Optionally you may include `force: boolean` to override existing keys. | Yes |
| **`DELETE /user/meta/:id`** | Deletes a key/value from a users metadata. Request body must be a JSON object with a `key` property specifying the key to delete. | Yes |
| **`PUT /user/username/:id`** | Updates the user's username. Request body must be a JSON object with a `username` property. | Yes |
**Please be aware that this section is outdated (marked as of 2022-04-15). It will be updated when I overhaul the frontend system.**
**Update 2022-12-24: I plan to overhaul this early in 2023.**
ass is intended to provide a strong backend for developers to build their own frontends around. [Git Submodules] make it easy to create custom frontends. Submodules are their own projects, which means you are free to build the router however you wish, as long as it exports the required items. A custom frontend is really just an [Express.js router].
**For a detailed walkthrough on developing your first frontend, [consult the wiki][ctw1].**
[Papito data engines] are responsible for managing your data. "Data" has two parts: an identifier & the actual data itself. With ass, the data is a JSON object representing the uploaded resource. The identifier is the unique ID in the URL returned to the user on upload. **Update August 2022:** I plan to overhaul Papito and how all this works *eventually*. If this comment is still here in a year, ~~kick~~ message me.
[Papito data engines]: https://github.com/tycrek/papito
**Supported data engines:**
| Name | Description | Links |
| :--: | ----------- | :---: |
| **JSON** | JSON-based data storage. On disk, data is stored in a JSON file. In memory, data is stored in a [Map]. This is the default engine. | [GitHub][GH ASE]<br>[npm][npm ASE] |
| **PostgreSQL** | Data storage using a [PostgreSQL] database. [node-postgres] is used for communicating with the database. | [GitHub][GH APSQL]<br>[npm][npm APSQL] |
| **Mongoose** | Data storage using a [MongoDB] database. [mongoose] is used for communicating with the database. Created by [@dylancl] | [GitHub][GH AMongoose]<br>[npm][npm AMongoose] |
A Papito data engine implements support for one type of database (or file, such as JSON or YAML). This lets ass server hosts pick their database of choice, because all they'll have to do is enter the connection/authentication details & ass will handle the rest, using the resource ID as the key.
**~~For a detailed walkthrough on developing engines, [consult the wiki][ctw2].~~ Outdated!**
Josh Moore
7 months ago
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