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Linux desktop

Install Secretbase on a Linux computer with a screen and put your first website online from it.

What you need

  • Linux on a 64-bit Intel or AMD processor: Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora or Arch.
  • A free Tailscale account. Your apps' public addresses come from it.
  • A folder with a website or web app.

Install

Paste the command from the download page into a terminal:

$ curl -fsSL https://secretbase.me/download/install.sh | sh

It asks for your password once. Then it shows a short notice about putting apps on the public internet: type yes to accept it. At the end it asks whether to open Secretbase from any browser and, if Claude Code is installed, whether to connect it. The last line is:

Secretbase 1.0.15 is installed. Open a new terminal and run: secretbase status

Publish your first website

In a new terminal, go to your website's folder and publish it:

$ cd ~/my-site
$ secretbase publish .
Publishing my-site…
Getting your files…
Going online…
Live at <address>. Anyone with the link can open it; add a password with `secretbase password on`.
On this computer: <local address>

The first time, a page opens to sign in to Tailscale; click Allow if it asks. The very first address can take a while: let it wait at "Going online…".

secretbase status shows every app with its state and address:

$ secretbase status
Secretbase <version>: 2 apps · 2 online · room for about <n> more
  Publishing is on: the sandbox check passed.
  Public addresses: Tailscale, ready
…
  my-site  public  <address>  ~/my-site
    <n> requests in the last hour

The dashboard

Run secretbase open, or open Secretbase from your apps menu. Its menu has Projects, AI tools, Machines and Settings. Click an app to see its address, its publishes, logs, backups and settings.

Next

Update and remove

  • secretbase update installs the newest genuine release from the site it was installed from. It restarts once.
  • sudo /opt/secretbase/uninstall.sh removes Secretbase and keeps your apps' data; add --purge to delete that too.

If something goes wrong

  • "An older Secretbase test build is on this computer.": type yes to remove it first.
  • "Secretbase is installed, but Publishing is off": the sandbox check didn't pass. secretbase status says why, and secretbase logs selftest shows the details.
  • You didn't type yes at the notice: Secretbase shows it again at your first publish.
  • No sign-in page opened: open the link after "Continue in your browser".
  • "This computer can't update itself": install the new version once with the command from the download page.