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tangled.org
1---
2title: Tangled Documentation
3author: The Tangled Contributors
4date: 21 Sun, Dec 2025
5---
6
7# Introduction
8
9Tangled is a decentralized code hosting and collaboration
10platform. Every component of Tangled is open-source and
11selfhostable. [tangled.org](https://tangled.org) also
12provides hosting and CI services that are free to use.
13
14There are several models for decentralized code
15collaboration platforms, ranging from ActivityPub’s
16(Forgejo) federated model, to Radicle’s entirely P2P model.
17Our approach attempts to be the best of both worlds by
18adopting atproto—a protocol for building decentralized
19social applications with a central identity
20
21Our approach to this is the idea of “knots”. Knots are
22lightweight, headless servers that enable users to host Git
23repositories with ease. Knots are designed for either single
24or multi-tenant use which is perfect for self-hosting on a
25Raspberry Pi at home, or larger “community” servers. By
26default, Tangled provides managed knots where you can host
27your repositories for free.
28
29The "appview" at tangled.org acts as a consolidated “view”
30into the whole network, allowing users to access, clone and
31contribute to repositories hosted across different knots
32seamlessly.
33
34# Quick Start Guide
35
36## Login or Sign up
37
38You can [login](https://tangled.org) by using your AT
39account. If you are unclear on what that means, simply head
40to the [signup](https://tangled.org/signup) page and create
41an account. By doing so, you will be choosing Tangled as
42your account provider (you will be granted a handle of the
43form `user.tngl.sh`).
44
45In the AT network, users are free to choose their account
46provider (known as a "Personal Data Service", or PDS), and
47login to applications that support AT accounts.
48
49You can think of it as "one account for all of the
50atmosphere"!
51
52If you already have an AT account (you may have one if you
53signed up to Bluesky, for example), you can login with the
54same handle on Tangled (so just use `user.bsky.social` on
55the login page).
56
57## Add an SSH Key
58
59Once you are logged in, you can start creating repositories
60and pushing code. Tangled supports pushing git repositories
61over SSH.
62
63First, you'll need to generate an SSH key if you don't
64already have one:
65
66```bash
67ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "foo@bar.com"
68```
69
70When prompted, save the key to the default location
71(`~/.ssh/id_ed25519`) and optionally set a passphrase.
72
73Copy your public key to your clipboard:
74
75```bash
76# on X11
77cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub | xclip -sel c
78
79# on wayland
80cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub | wl-copy
81
82# on macos
83cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub | pbcopy
84```
85
86Now, navigate to 'Settings' -> 'Keys' and hit 'Add Key',
87paste your public key, give it a descriptive name, and hit
88save.
89
90## Create a Repository
91
92Once your SSH key is added, create your first repository:
93
941. Hit the green `+` icon on the topbar, and select
95 repository
962. Enter a repository name
973. Add a description
984. Choose a knotserver to host this repository on
995. Hit create
100
101"Knots" are selfhostable, lightweight git servers that can
102host your repository. Unlike traditional code forges, your
103code can live on any server. Read the [Knots](TODO) section
104for more.
105
106## Configure SSH
107
108To ensure Git uses the correct SSH key and connects smoothly
109to Tangled, add this configuration to your `~/.ssh/config`
110file:
111
112```
113Host tangled.org
114 Hostname tangled.org
115 User git
116 IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519
117 AddressFamily inet
118```
119
120This tells SSH to use your specific key when connecting to
121Tangled and prevents authentication issues if you have
122multiple SSH keys.
123
124Note that this configuration only works for knotservers that
125are hosted by tangled.org. If you use a custom knot, refer
126to the [Knots](TODO) section.
127
128## Push Your First Repository
129
130Initialize a new git repository:
131
132```bash
133mkdir my-project
134cd my-project
135
136git init
137echo "# My Project" > README.md
138```
139
140Add some content and push!
141
142```bash
143git add README.md
144git commit -m "Initial commit"
145git remote add origin git@tangled.org:user.tngl.sh/my-project
146git push -u origin main
147```
148
149That's it! Your code is now hosted on Tangled.
150
151## Migrating an existing repository
152
153Moving your repositories from GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, or
154any other Git forge to Tangled is straightforward. You'll
155simply change your repository's remote URL. At the moment,
156Tangled does not have any tooling to migrate data such as
157GitHub issues or pull requests.
158
159First, create a new repository on tangled.org as described
160in the [Quick Start Guide](#create-a-repository).
161
162Navigate to your existing local repository:
163
164```bash
165cd /path/to/your/existing/repo
166```
167
168You can inspect your existing git remote like so:
169
170```bash
171git remote -v
172```
173
174You'll see something like:
175
176```
177origin git@github.com:username/my-project (fetch)
178origin git@github.com:username/my-project (push)
179```
180
181Update the remote URL to point to tangled:
182
183```bash
184git remote set-url origin git@tangled.org:user.tngl.sh/my-project
185```
186
187Verify the change:
188
189```bash
190git remote -v
191```
192
193You should now see:
194
195```
196origin git@tangled.org:user.tngl.sh/my-project (fetch)
197origin git@tangled.org:user.tngl.sh/my-project (push)
198```
199
200Push all your branches and tags to tangled:
201
202```bash
203git push -u origin --all
204git push -u origin --tags
205```
206
207Your repository is now migrated to Tangled! All commit
208history, branches, and tags have been preserved.
209
210## Mirroring a repository to Tangled
211
212If you want to maintain your repository on multiple forges
213simultaneously, for example, keeping your primary repository
214on GitHub while mirroring to Tangled for backup or
215redundancy, you can do so by adding multiple remotes.
216
217You can configure your local repository to push to both
218Tangled and, say, GitHub. You may already have the following
219setup:
220
221```
222$ git remote -v
223origin git@github.com:username/my-project (fetch)
224origin git@github.com:username/my-project (push)
225```
226
227Now add Tangled as an additional push URL to the same
228remote:
229
230```bash
231git remote set-url --add --push origin git@tangled.org:user.tngl.sh/my-project
232```
233
234You also need to re-add the original URL as a push
235destination (git replaces the push URL when you use `--add`
236the first time):
237
238```bash
239git remote set-url --add --push origin git@github.com:username/my-project
240```
241
242Verify your configuration:
243
244```
245$ git remote -v
246origin git@github.com:username/repo (fetch)
247origin git@tangled.org:username/my-project (push)
248origin git@github.com:username/repo (push)
249```
250
251Notice that there's one fetch URL (the primary remote) and
252two push URLs. Now, whenever you push, git will
253automatically push to both remotes:
254
255```bash
256git push origin main
257```
258
259This single command pushes your `main` branch to both GitHub
260and Tangled simultaneously.
261
262To push all branches and tags:
263
264```bash
265git push origin --all
266git push origin --tags
267```
268
269If you prefer more control over which remote you push to,
270you can maintain separate remotes:
271
272```bash
273git remote add github git@github.com:username/my-project
274git remote add tangled git@tangled.org:username/my-project
275```
276
277Then push to each explicitly:
278
279```bash
280git push github main
281git push tangled main
282```
283
284# Knot self-hosting guide
285
286So you want to run your own knot server? Great! Here are a few prerequisites:
287
2881. A server of some kind (a VPS, a Raspberry Pi, etc.). Preferably running a Linux distribution of some kind.
2892. A (sub)domain name. People generally use `knot.example.com`.
2903. A valid SSL certificate for your domain.
291
292## NixOS
293
294Refer to the [knot
295module](https://tangled.org/tangled.org/core/blob/master/nix/modules/knot.nix)
296for a full list of options. Sample configurations:
297
298- [The test VM](https://tangled.org/tangled.org/core/blob/master/nix/vm.nix#L85)
299- [@pyrox.dev/nix](https://tangled.org/pyrox.dev/nix/blob/d19571cc1b5fe01035e1e6951ec8cf8a476b4dee/hosts/marvin/services/tangled.nix#L15-25)
300
301## Docker
302
303Refer to
304[@tangled.org/knot-docker](https://tangled.sh/@tangled.sh/knot-docker).
305Note that this is community maintained.
306
307## Manual setup
308
309First, clone this repository:
310
311```
312git clone https://tangled.org/@tangled.org/core
313```
314
315Then, build the `knot` CLI. This is the knot administration
316and operation tool. For the purpose of this guide, we're
317only concerned with these subcommands:
318
319 * `knot server`: the main knot server process, typically
320 run as a supervised service
321 * `knot guard`: handles role-based access control for git
322 over SSH (you'll never have to run this yourself)
323 * `knot keys`: fetches SSH keys associated with your knot;
324 we'll use this to generate the SSH
325 `AuthorizedKeysCommand`
326
327```
328cd core
329export CGO_ENABLED=1
330go build -o knot ./cmd/knot
331```
332
333Next, move the `knot` binary to a location owned by `root` --
334`/usr/local/bin/` is a good choice. Make sure the binary itself is also owned by `root`:
335
336```
337sudo mv knot /usr/local/bin/knot
338sudo chown root:root /usr/local/bin/knot
339```
340
341This is necessary because SSH `AuthorizedKeysCommand` requires [really
342specific permissions](https://stackoverflow.com/a/27638306). The
343`AuthorizedKeysCommand` specifies a command that is run by `sshd` to
344retrieve a user's public SSH keys dynamically for authentication. Let's
345set that up.
346
347```
348sudo tee /etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/authorized_keys_command.conf <<EOF
349Match User git
350 AuthorizedKeysCommand /usr/local/bin/knot keys -o authorized-keys
351 AuthorizedKeysCommandUser nobody
352EOF
353```
354
355Then, reload `sshd`:
356
357```
358sudo systemctl reload ssh
359```
360
361Next, create the `git` user. We'll use the `git` user's home directory
362to store repositories:
363
364```
365sudo adduser git
366```
367
368Create `/home/git/.knot.env` with the following, updating the values as
369necessary. The `KNOT_SERVER_OWNER` should be set to your
370DID, you can find your DID in the [Settings](https://tangled.sh/settings) page.
371
372```
373KNOT_REPO_SCAN_PATH=/home/git
374KNOT_SERVER_HOSTNAME=knot.example.com
375APPVIEW_ENDPOINT=https://tangled.sh
376KNOT_SERVER_OWNER=did:plc:foobar
377KNOT_SERVER_INTERNAL_LISTEN_ADDR=127.0.0.1:5444
378KNOT_SERVER_LISTEN_ADDR=127.0.0.1:5555
379```
380
381If you run a Linux distribution that uses systemd, you can use the provided
382service file to run the server. Copy
383[`knotserver.service`](/systemd/knotserver.service)
384to `/etc/systemd/system/`. Then, run:
385
386```
387systemctl enable knotserver
388systemctl start knotserver
389```
390
391The last step is to configure a reverse proxy like Nginx or Caddy to front your
392knot. Here's an example configuration for Nginx:
393
394```
395server {
396 listen 80;
397 listen [::]:80;
398 server_name knot.example.com;
399
400 location / {
401 proxy_pass http://localhost:5555;
402 proxy_set_header Host $host;
403 proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
404 proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
405 proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
406 }
407
408 # wss endpoint for git events
409 location /events {
410 proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $remote_addr;
411 proxy_set_header Host $http_host;
412 proxy_set_header Upgrade websocket;
413 proxy_set_header Connection Upgrade;
414 proxy_pass http://localhost:5555;
415 }
416 # additional config for SSL/TLS go here.
417}
418
419```
420
421Remember to use Let's Encrypt or similar to procure a certificate for your
422knot domain.
423
424You should now have a running knot server! You can finalize
425your registration by hitting the `verify` button on the
426[/settings/knots](https://tangled.org/settings/knots) page. This simply creates
427a record on your PDS to announce the existence of the knot.
428
429### Custom paths
430
431(This section applies to manual setup only. Docker users should edit the mounts
432in `docker-compose.yml` instead.)
433
434Right now, the database and repositories of your knot lives in `/home/git`. You
435can move these paths if you'd like to store them in another folder. Be careful
436when adjusting these paths:
437
438* Stop your knot when moving data (e.g. `systemctl stop knotserver`) to prevent
439any possible side effects. Remember to restart it once you're done.
440* Make backups before moving in case something goes wrong.
441* Make sure the `git` user can read and write from the new paths.
442
443#### Database
444
445As an example, let's say the current database is at `/home/git/knotserver.db`,
446and we want to move it to `/home/git/database/knotserver.db`.
447
448Copy the current database to the new location. Make sure to copy the `.db-shm`
449and `.db-wal` files if they exist.
450
451```
452mkdir /home/git/database
453cp /home/git/knotserver.db* /home/git/database
454```
455
456In the environment (e.g. `/home/git/.knot.env`), set `KNOT_SERVER_DB_PATH` to
457the new file path (_not_ the directory):
458
459```
460KNOT_SERVER_DB_PATH=/home/git/database/knotserver.db
461```
462
463#### Repositories
464
465As an example, let's say the repositories are currently in `/home/git`, and we
466want to move them into `/home/git/repositories`.
467
468Create the new folder, then move the existing repositories (if there are any):
469
470```
471mkdir /home/git/repositories
472# move all DIDs into the new folder; these will vary for you!
473mv /home/git/did:plc:wshs7t2adsemcrrd4snkeqli /home/git/repositories
474```
475
476In the environment (e.g. `/home/git/.knot.env`), update `KNOT_REPO_SCAN_PATH`
477to the new directory:
478
479```
480KNOT_REPO_SCAN_PATH=/home/git/repositories
481```
482
483Similarly, update your `sshd` `AuthorizedKeysCommand` to use the updated
484repository path:
485
486```
487sudo tee /etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/authorized_keys_command.conf <<EOF
488Match User git
489 AuthorizedKeysCommand /usr/local/bin/knot keys -o authorized-keys -git-dir /home/git/repositories
490 AuthorizedKeysCommandUser nobody
491EOF
492```
493
494Make sure to restart your SSH server!
495
496#### MOTD (message of the day)
497
498To configure the MOTD used ("Welcome to this knot!" by default), edit the
499`/home/git/motd` file:
500
501```
502printf "Hi from this knot!\n" > /home/git/motd
503```
504
505Note that you should add a newline at the end if setting a non-empty message
506since the knot won't do this for you.
507
508# Spindles
509
510## Pipelines
511
512Spindle workflows allow you to write CI/CD pipelines in a
513simple format. They're located in the `.tangled/workflows`
514directory at the root of your repository, and are defined
515using YAML.
516
517The fields are:
518
519- [Trigger](#trigger): A **required** field that defines
520 when a workflow should be triggered.
521- [Engine](#engine): A **required** field that defines which
522 engine a workflow should run on.
523- [Clone options](#clone-options): An **optional** field
524 that defines how the repository should be cloned.
525- [Dependencies](#dependencies): An **optional** field that
526 allows you to list dependencies you may need.
527- [Environment](#environment): An **optional** field that
528 allows you to define environment variables.
529- [Steps](#steps): An **optional** field that allows you to
530 define what steps should run in the workflow.
531
532### Trigger
533
534The first thing to add to a workflow is the trigger, which
535defines when a workflow runs. This is defined using a `when`
536field, which takes in a list of conditions. Each condition
537has the following fields:
538
539- `event`: This is a **required** field that defines when
540 your workflow should run. It's a list that can take one or
541 more of the following values:
542 - `push`: The workflow should run every time a commit is
543 pushed to the repository.
544 - `pull_request`: The workflow should run every time a
545 pull request is made or updated.
546 - `manual`: The workflow can be triggered manually.
547- `branch`: Defines which branches the workflow should run
548 for. If used with the `push` event, commits to the
549 branch(es) listed here will trigger the workflow. If used
550 with the `pull_request` event, updates to pull requests
551 targeting the branch(es) listed here will trigger the
552 workflow. This field has no effect with the `manual`
553 event. Supports glob patterns using `*` and `**` (e.g.,
554 `main`, `develop`, `release-*`). Either `branch` or `tag`
555 (or both) must be specified for `push` events.
556- `tag`: Defines which tags the workflow should run for.
557 Only used with the `push` event - when tags matching the
558 pattern(s) listed here are pushed, the workflow will
559 trigger. This field has no effect with `pull_request` or
560 `manual` events. Supports glob patterns using `*` and `**`
561 (e.g., `v*`, `v1.*`, `release-**`). Either `branch` or
562 `tag` (or both) must be specified for `push` events.
563
564For example, if you'd like to define a workflow that runs
565when commits are pushed to the `main` and `develop`
566branches, or when pull requests that target the `main`
567branch are updated, or manually, you can do so with:
568
569```yaml
570when:
571 - event: ["push", "manual"]
572 branch: ["main", "develop"]
573 - event: ["pull_request"]
574 branch: ["main"]
575```
576
577You can also trigger workflows on tag pushes. For instance,
578to run a deployment workflow when tags matching `v*` are
579pushed:
580
581```yaml
582when:
583 - event: ["push"]
584 tag: ["v*"]
585```
586
587You can even combine branch and tag patterns in a single
588constraint (the workflow triggers if either matches):
589
590```yaml
591when:
592 - event: ["push"]
593 branch: ["main", "release-*"]
594 tag: ["v*", "stable"]
595```
596
597### Engine
598
599Next is the engine on which the workflow should run, defined
600using the **required** `engine` field. The currently
601supported engines are:
602
603- `nixery`: This uses an instance of
604 [Nixery](https://nixery.dev) to run steps, which allows
605 you to add [dependencies](#dependencies) from
606 [Nixpkgs](https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs). You can
607 search for packages on https://search.nixos.org, and
608 there's a pretty good chance the package(s) you're looking
609 for will be there.
610
611Example:
612
613```yaml
614engine: "nixery"
615```
616
617### Clone options
618
619When a workflow starts, the first step is to clone the
620repository. You can customize this behavior using the
621**optional** `clone` field. It has the following fields:
622
623- `skip`: Setting this to `true` will skip cloning the
624 repository. This can be useful if your workflow is doing
625 something that doesn't require anything from the
626 repository itself. This is `false` by default.
627- `depth`: This sets the number of commits, or the "clone
628 depth", to fetch from the repository. For example, if you
629 set this to 2, the last 2 commits will be fetched. By
630 default, the depth is set to 1, meaning only the most
631 recent commit will be fetched, which is the commit that
632 triggered the workflow.
633- `submodules`: If you use [git
634 submodules](https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Git-Tools-Submodules)
635 in your repository, setting this field to `true` will
636 recursively fetch all submodules. This is `false` by
637 default.
638
639The default settings are:
640
641```yaml
642clone:
643 skip: false
644 depth: 1
645 submodules: false
646```
647
648### Dependencies
649
650Usually when you're running a workflow, you'll need
651additional dependencies. The `dependencies` field lets you
652define which dependencies to get, and from where. It's a
653key-value map, with the key being the registry to fetch
654dependencies from, and the value being the list of
655dependencies to fetch.
656
657Say you want to fetch Node.js and Go from `nixpkgs`, and a
658package called `my_pkg` you've made from your own registry
659at your repository at
660`https://tangled.sh/@example.com/my_pkg`. You can define
661those dependencies like so:
662
663```yaml
664dependencies:
665 # nixpkgs
666 nixpkgs:
667 - nodejs
668 - go
669 # custom registry
670 git+https://tangled.org/@example.com/my_pkg:
671 - my_pkg
672```
673
674Now these dependencies are available to use in your
675workflow!
676
677### Environment
678
679The `environment` field allows you define environment
680variables that will be available throughout the entire
681workflow. **Do not put secrets here, these environment
682variables are visible to anyone viewing the repository. You
683can add secrets for pipelines in your repository's
684settings.**
685
686Example:
687
688```yaml
689environment:
690 GOOS: "linux"
691 GOARCH: "arm64"
692 NODE_ENV: "production"
693 MY_ENV_VAR: "MY_ENV_VALUE"
694```
695
696### Steps
697
698The `steps` field allows you to define what steps should run
699in the workflow. It's a list of step objects, each with the
700following fields:
701
702- `name`: This field allows you to give your step a name.
703 This name is visible in your workflow runs, and is used to
704 describe what the step is doing.
705- `command`: This field allows you to define a command to
706 run in that step. The step is run in a Bash shell, and the
707 logs from the command will be visible in the pipelines
708 page on the Tangled website. The
709 [dependencies](#dependencies) you added will be available
710 to use here.
711- `environment`: Similar to the global
712 [environment](#environment) config, this **optional**
713 field is a key-value map that allows you to set
714 environment variables for the step. **Do not put secrets
715 here, these environment variables are visible to anyone
716 viewing the repository. You can add secrets for pipelines
717 in your repository's settings.**
718
719Example:
720
721```yaml
722steps:
723 - name: "Build backend"
724 command: "go build"
725 environment:
726 GOOS: "darwin"
727 GOARCH: "arm64"
728 - name: "Build frontend"
729 command: "npm run build"
730 environment:
731 NODE_ENV: "production"
732```
733
734### Complete workflow
735
736```yaml
737# .tangled/workflows/build.yml
738
739when:
740 - event: ["push", "manual"]
741 branch: ["main", "develop"]
742 - event: ["pull_request"]
743 branch: ["main"]
744
745engine: "nixery"
746
747# using the default values
748clone:
749 skip: false
750 depth: 1
751 submodules: false
752
753dependencies:
754 # nixpkgs
755 nixpkgs:
756 - nodejs
757 - go
758 # custom registry
759 git+https://tangled.org/@example.com/my_pkg:
760 - my_pkg
761
762environment:
763 GOOS: "linux"
764 GOARCH: "arm64"
765 NODE_ENV: "production"
766 MY_ENV_VAR: "MY_ENV_VALUE"
767
768steps:
769 - name: "Build backend"
770 command: "go build"
771 environment:
772 GOOS: "darwin"
773 GOARCH: "arm64"
774 - name: "Build frontend"
775 command: "npm run build"
776 environment:
777 NODE_ENV: "production"
778```
779
780If you want another example of a workflow, you can look at
781the one [Tangled uses to build the
782project](https://tangled.sh/@tangled.sh/core/blob/master/.tangled/workflows/build.yml).
783
784## Self-hosting guide
785
786### Prerequisites
787
788* Go
789* Docker (the only supported backend currently)
790
791### Configuration
792
793Spindle is configured using environment variables. The following environment variables are available:
794
795* `SPINDLE_SERVER_LISTEN_ADDR`: The address the server listens on (default: `"0.0.0.0:6555"`).
796* `SPINDLE_SERVER_DB_PATH`: The path to the SQLite database file (default: `"spindle.db"`).
797* `SPINDLE_SERVER_HOSTNAME`: The hostname of the server (required).
798* `SPINDLE_SERVER_JETSTREAM_ENDPOINT`: The endpoint of the Jetstream server (default: `"wss://jetstream1.us-west.bsky.network/subscribe"`).
799* `SPINDLE_SERVER_DEV`: A boolean indicating whether the server is running in development mode (default: `false`).
800* `SPINDLE_SERVER_OWNER`: The DID of the owner (required).
801* `SPINDLE_PIPELINES_NIXERY`: The Nixery URL (default: `"nixery.tangled.sh"`).
802* `SPINDLE_PIPELINES_WORKFLOW_TIMEOUT`: The default workflow timeout (default: `"5m"`).
803* `SPINDLE_PIPELINES_LOG_DIR`: The directory to store workflow logs (default: `"/var/log/spindle"`).
804
805### Running spindle
806
8071. **Set the environment variables.** For example:
808
809 ```shell
810 export SPINDLE_SERVER_HOSTNAME="your-hostname"
811 export SPINDLE_SERVER_OWNER="your-did"
812 ```
813
8142. **Build the Spindle binary.**
815
816 ```shell
817 cd core
818 go mod download
819 go build -o cmd/spindle/spindle cmd/spindle/main.go
820 ```
821
8223. **Create the log directory.**
823
824 ```shell
825 sudo mkdir -p /var/log/spindle
826 sudo chown $USER:$USER -R /var/log/spindle
827 ```
828
8294. **Run the Spindle binary.**
830
831 ```shell
832 ./cmd/spindle/spindle
833 ```
834
835Spindle will now start, connect to the Jetstream server, and begin processing pipelines.
836
837## Architecture
838
839Spindle is a small CI runner service. Here's a high level overview of how it operates:
840
841* listens for [`sh.tangled.spindle.member`](/lexicons/spindle/member.json) and
842[`sh.tangled.repo`](/lexicons/repo.json) records on the Jetstream.
843* when a new repo record comes through (typically when you add a spindle to a
844repo from the settings), spindle then resolves the underlying knot and
845subscribes to repo events (see:
846[`sh.tangled.pipeline`](/lexicons/pipeline.json)).
847* the spindle engine then handles execution of the pipeline, with results and
848logs beamed on the spindle event stream over wss
849
850### The engine
851
852At present, the only supported backend is Docker (and Podman, if Docker
853compatibility is enabled, so that `/run/docker.sock` is created). Spindle
854executes each step in the pipeline in a fresh container, with state persisted
855across steps within the `/tangled/workspace` directory.
856
857The base image for the container is constructed on the fly using
858[Nixery](https://nixery.dev), which is handy for caching layers for frequently
859used packages.
860
861The pipeline manifest is [specified here](/docs/spindle/pipeline.md).
862
863## Secrets with openbao
864
865This document covers setting up Spindle to use OpenBao for secrets
866management via OpenBao Proxy instead of the default SQLite backend.
867
868### Overview
869
870Spindle now uses OpenBao Proxy for secrets management. The proxy handles
871authentication automatically using AppRole credentials, while Spindle
872connects to the local proxy instead of directly to the OpenBao server.
873
874This approach provides better security, automatic token renewal, and
875simplified application code.
876
877### Installation
878
879Install OpenBao from nixpkgs:
880
881```bash
882nix shell nixpkgs#openbao # for a local server
883```
884
885### Setup
886
887The setup process can is documented for both local development and production.
888
889#### Local development
890
891Start OpenBao in dev mode:
892
893```bash
894bao server -dev -dev-root-token-id="root" -dev-listen-address=127.0.0.1:8201
895```
896
897This starts OpenBao on `http://localhost:8201` with a root token.
898
899Set up environment for bao CLI:
900
901```bash
902export BAO_ADDR=http://localhost:8200
903export BAO_TOKEN=root
904```
905
906#### Production
907
908You would typically use a systemd service with a
909configuration file. Refer to
910[@tangled.org/infra](https://tangled.org/@tangled.org/infra)
911for how this can be achieved using Nix.
912
913Then, initialize the bao server:
914
915```bash
916bao operator init -key-shares=1 -key-threshold=1
917```
918
919This will print out an unseal key and a root key. Save them
920somewhere (like a password manager). Then unseal the vault
921to begin setting it up:
922
923```bash
924bao operator unseal <unseal_key>
925```
926
927All steps below remain the same across both dev and
928production setups.
929
930#### Configure openbao server
931
932Create the spindle KV mount:
933
934```bash
935bao secrets enable -path=spindle -version=2 kv
936```
937
938Set up AppRole authentication and policy:
939
940Create a policy file `spindle-policy.hcl`:
941
942```hcl
943# Full access to spindle KV v2 data
944path "spindle/data/*" {
945 capabilities = ["create", "read", "update", "delete"]
946}
947
948# Access to metadata for listing and management
949path "spindle/metadata/*" {
950 capabilities = ["list", "read", "delete", "update"]
951}
952
953# Allow listing at root level
954path "spindle/" {
955 capabilities = ["list"]
956}
957
958# Required for connection testing and health checks
959path "auth/token/lookup-self" {
960 capabilities = ["read"]
961}
962```
963
964Apply the policy and create an AppRole:
965
966```bash
967bao policy write spindle-policy spindle-policy.hcl
968bao auth enable approle
969bao write auth/approle/role/spindle \
970 token_policies="spindle-policy" \
971 token_ttl=1h \
972 token_max_ttl=4h \
973 bind_secret_id=true \
974 secret_id_ttl=0 \
975 secret_id_num_uses=0
976```
977
978Get the credentials:
979
980```bash
981# Get role ID (static)
982ROLE_ID=$(bao read -field=role_id auth/approle/role/spindle/role-id)
983
984# Generate secret ID
985SECRET_ID=$(bao write -f -field=secret_id auth/approle/role/spindle/secret-id)
986
987echo "Role ID: $ROLE_ID"
988echo "Secret ID: $SECRET_ID"
989```
990
991#### Create proxy configuration
992
993Create the credential files:
994
995```bash
996# Create directory for OpenBao files
997mkdir -p /tmp/openbao
998
999# Save credentials
1000echo "$ROLE_ID" > /tmp/openbao/role-id
1001echo "$SECRET_ID" > /tmp/openbao/secret-id
1002chmod 600 /tmp/openbao/role-id /tmp/openbao/secret-id
1003```
1004
1005Create a proxy configuration file `/tmp/openbao/proxy.hcl`:
1006
1007```hcl
1008# OpenBao server connection
1009vault {
1010 address = "http://localhost:8200"
1011}
1012
1013# Auto-Auth using AppRole
1014auto_auth {
1015 method "approle" {
1016 mount_path = "auth/approle"
1017 config = {
1018 role_id_file_path = "/tmp/openbao/role-id"
1019 secret_id_file_path = "/tmp/openbao/secret-id"
1020 }
1021 }
1022
1023 # Optional: write token to file for debugging
1024 sink "file" {
1025 config = {
1026 path = "/tmp/openbao/token"
1027 mode = 0640
1028 }
1029 }
1030}
1031
1032# Proxy listener for Spindle
1033listener "tcp" {
1034 address = "127.0.0.1:8201"
1035 tls_disable = true
1036}
1037
1038# Enable API proxy with auto-auth token
1039api_proxy {
1040 use_auto_auth_token = true
1041}
1042
1043# Enable response caching
1044cache {
1045 use_auto_auth_token = true
1046}
1047
1048# Logging
1049log_level = "info"
1050```
1051
1052#### Start the proxy
1053
1054Start OpenBao Proxy:
1055
1056```bash
1057bao proxy -config=/tmp/openbao/proxy.hcl
1058```
1059
1060The proxy will authenticate with OpenBao and start listening on
1061`127.0.0.1:8201`.
1062
1063#### Configure spindle
1064
1065Set these environment variables for Spindle:
1066
1067```bash
1068export SPINDLE_SERVER_SECRETS_PROVIDER=openbao
1069export SPINDLE_SERVER_SECRETS_OPENBAO_PROXY_ADDR=http://127.0.0.1:8201
1070export SPINDLE_SERVER_SECRETS_OPENBAO_MOUNT=spindle
1071```
1072
1073On startup, the spindle will now connect to the local proxy,
1074which handles all authentication automatically.
1075
1076### Production setup for proxy
1077
1078For production, you'll want to run the proxy as a service:
1079
1080Place your production configuration in
1081`/etc/openbao/proxy.hcl` with proper TLS settings for the
1082vault connection.
1083
1084### Verifying setup
1085
1086Test the proxy directly:
1087
1088```bash
1089# Check proxy health
1090curl -H "X-Vault-Request: true" http://127.0.0.1:8201/v1/sys/health
1091
1092# Test token lookup through proxy
1093curl -H "X-Vault-Request: true" http://127.0.0.1:8201/v1/auth/token/lookup-self
1094```
1095
1096Test OpenBao operations through the server:
1097
1098```bash
1099# List all secrets
1100bao kv list spindle/
1101
1102# Add a test secret via Spindle API, then check it exists
1103bao kv list spindle/repos/
1104
1105# Get a specific secret
1106bao kv get spindle/repos/your_repo_path/SECRET_NAME
1107```
1108
1109### How it works
1110
1111- Spindle connects to OpenBao Proxy on localhost (typically
1112 port 8200 or 8201)
1113- The proxy authenticates with OpenBao using AppRole
1114 credentials
1115- All Spindle requests go through the proxy, which injects
1116 authentication tokens
1117- Secrets are stored at
1118 `spindle/repos/{sanitized_repo_path}/{secret_key}`
1119- Repository paths like `did:plc:alice/myrepo` become
1120 `did_plc_alice_myrepo`
1121- The proxy handles all token renewal automatically
1122- Spindle no longer manages tokens or authentication
1123 directly
1124
1125### Troubleshooting
1126
1127**Connection refused**: Check that the OpenBao Proxy is
1128running and listening on the configured address.
1129
1130**403 errors**: Verify the AppRole credentials are correct
1131and the policy has the necessary permissions.
1132
1133**404 route errors**: The spindle KV mount probably doesn't
1134exist - run the mount creation step again.
1135
1136**Proxy authentication failures**: Check the proxy logs and
1137verify the role-id and secret-id files are readable and
1138contain valid credentials.
1139
1140**Secret not found after writing**: This can indicate policy
1141permission issues. Verify the policy includes both
1142`spindle/data/*` and `spindle/metadata/*` paths with
1143appropriate capabilities.
1144
1145Check proxy logs:
1146
1147```bash
1148# If running as systemd service
1149journalctl -u openbao-proxy -f
1150
1151# If running directly, check the console output
1152```
1153
1154Test AppRole authentication manually:
1155
1156```bash
1157bao write auth/approle/login \
1158 role_id="$(cat /tmp/openbao/role-id)" \
1159 secret_id="$(cat /tmp/openbao/secret-id)"
1160```
1161
1162# Migrating knots & spindles
1163
1164Sometimes, non-backwards compatible changes are made to the
1165knot/spindle XRPC APIs. If you host a knot or a spindle, you
1166will need to follow this guide to upgrade. Typically, this
1167only requires you to deploy the newest version.
1168
1169This document is laid out in reverse-chronological order.
1170Newer migration guides are listed first, and older guides
1171are further down the page.
1172
1173## Upgrading from v1.8.x
1174
1175After v1.8.2, the HTTP API for knot and spindles have been
1176deprecated and replaced with XRPC. Repositories on outdated
1177knots will not be viewable from the appview. Upgrading is
1178straightforward however.
1179
1180For knots:
1181
1182- Upgrade to latest tag (v1.9.0 or above)
1183- Head to the [knot dashboard](https://tangled.org/settings/knots) and
1184 hit the "retry" button to verify your knot
1185
1186For spindles:
1187
1188- Upgrade to latest tag (v1.9.0 or above)
1189- Head to the [spindle
1190 dashboard](https://tangled.org/settings/spindles) and hit the
1191 "retry" button to verify your spindle
1192
1193## Upgrading from v1.7.x
1194
1195After v1.7.0, knot secrets have been deprecated. You no
1196longer need a secret from the appview to run a knot. All
1197authorized commands to knots are managed via [Inter-Service
1198Authentication](https://atproto.com/specs/xrpc#inter-service-authentication-jwt).
1199Knots will be read-only until upgraded.
1200
1201Upgrading is quite easy, in essence:
1202
1203- `KNOT_SERVER_SECRET` is no more, you can remove this
1204 environment variable entirely
1205- `KNOT_SERVER_OWNER` is now required on boot, set this to
1206 your DID. You can find your DID in the
1207 [settings](https://tangled.org/settings) page.
1208- Restart your knot once you have replaced the environment
1209 variable
1210- Head to the [knot dashboard](https://tangled.org/settings/knots) and
1211 hit the "retry" button to verify your knot. This simply
1212 writes a `sh.tangled.knot` record to your PDS.
1213
1214If you use the nix module, simply bump the flake to the
1215latest revision, and change your config block like so:
1216
1217```diff
1218 services.tangled.knot = {
1219 enable = true;
1220 server = {
1221- secretFile = /path/to/secret;
1222+ owner = "did:plc:foo";
1223 };
1224 };
1225```
1226
1227# Hacking on Tangled
1228
1229We highly recommend [installing
1230nix](https://nixos.org/download/) (the package manager)
1231before working on the codebase. The nix flake provides a lot
1232of helpers to get started and most importantly, builds and
1233dev shells are entirely deterministic.
1234
1235To set up your dev environment:
1236
1237```bash
1238nix develop
1239```
1240
1241Non-nix users can look at the `devShell` attribute in the
1242`flake.nix` file to determine necessary dependencies.
1243
1244## Running the appview
1245
1246The nix flake also exposes a few `app` attributes (run `nix
1247flake show` to see a full list of what the flake provides),
1248one of the apps runs the appview with the `air`
1249live-reloader:
1250
1251```bash
1252TANGLED_DEV=true nix run .#watch-appview
1253
1254# TANGLED_DB_PATH might be of interest to point to
1255# different sqlite DBs
1256
1257# in a separate shell, you can live-reload tailwind
1258nix run .#watch-tailwind
1259```
1260
1261To authenticate with the appview, you will need redis and
1262OAUTH JWKs to be setup:
1263
1264```
1265# oauth jwks should already be setup by the nix devshell:
1266echo $TANGLED_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET
1267z42ty4RT1ovnTopY8B8ekz9NuziF2CuMkZ7rbRFpAR9jBqMc
1268
1269echo $TANGLED_OAUTH_CLIENT_KID
12701761667908
1271
1272# if not, you can set it up yourself:
1273goat key generate -t P-256
1274Key Type: P-256 / secp256r1 / ES256 private key
1275Secret Key (Multibase Syntax): save this securely (eg, add to password manager)
1276 z42tuPDKRfM2mz2Kv953ARen2jmrPA8S9LX9tRq4RVcUMwwL
1277Public Key (DID Key Syntax): share or publish this (eg, in DID document)
1278 did:key:zDnaeUBxtG6Xuv3ATJE4GaWeyXM3jyamJsZw3bSPpxx4bNXDR
1279
1280# the secret key from above
1281export TANGLED_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET="z42tuP..."
1282
1283# run redis in at a new shell to store oauth sessions
1284redis-server
1285```
1286
1287## Running knots and spindles
1288
1289An end-to-end knot setup requires setting up a machine with
1290`sshd`, `AuthorizedKeysCommand`, and git user, which is
1291quite cumbersome. So the nix flake provides a
1292`nixosConfiguration` to do so.
1293
1294<details>
1295 <summary><strong>MacOS users will have to setup a Nix Builder first</strong></summary>
1296
1297 In order to build Tangled's dev VM on macOS, you will
1298 first need to set up a Linux Nix builder. The recommended
1299 way to do so is to run a [`darwin.linux-builder`
1300 VM](https://nixos.org/manual/nixpkgs/unstable/#sec-darwin-builder)
1301 and to register it in `nix.conf` as a builder for Linux
1302 with the same architecture as your Mac (`linux-aarch64` if
1303 you are using Apple Silicon).
1304
1305 > IMPORTANT: You must build `darwin.linux-builder` somewhere other than inside
1306 > the tangled repo so that it doesn't conflict with the other VM. For example,
1307 > you can do
1308 >
1309 > ```shell
1310 > cd $(mktemp -d buildervm.XXXXX) && nix run nixpkgs#darwin.linux-builder
1311 > ```
1312 >
1313 > to store the builder VM in a temporary dir.
1314 >
1315 > You should read and follow [all the other intructions][darwin builder vm] to
1316 > avoid subtle problems.
1317
1318 Alternatively, you can use any other method to set up a
1319 Linux machine with `nix` installed that you can `sudo ssh`
1320 into (in other words, root user on your Mac has to be able
1321 to ssh into the Linux machine without entering a password)
1322 and that has the same architecture as your Mac. See
1323 [remote builder
1324 instructions](https://nix.dev/manual/nix/2.28/advanced-topics/distributed-builds.html#requirements)
1325 for how to register such a builder in `nix.conf`.
1326
1327 > WARNING: If you'd like to use
1328 > [`nixos-lima`](https://github.com/nixos-lima/nixos-lima) or
1329 > [Orbstack](https://orbstack.dev/), note that setting them up so that `sudo
1330 > ssh` works can be tricky. It seems to be [possible with
1331 > Orbstack](https://github.com/orgs/orbstack/discussions/1669).
1332
1333</details>
1334
1335To begin, grab your DID from http://localhost:3000/settings.
1336Then, set `TANGLED_VM_KNOT_OWNER` and
1337`TANGLED_VM_SPINDLE_OWNER` to your DID. You can now start a
1338lightweight NixOS VM like so:
1339
1340```bash
1341nix run --impure .#vm
1342
1343# type `poweroff` at the shell to exit the VM
1344```
1345
1346This starts a knot on port 6444, a spindle on port 6555
1347with `ssh` exposed on port 2222.
1348
1349Once the services are running, head to
1350http://localhost:3000/settings/knots and hit verify. It should
1351verify the ownership of the services instantly if everything
1352went smoothly.
1353
1354You can push repositories to this VM with this ssh config
1355block on your main machine:
1356
1357```bash
1358Host nixos-shell
1359 Hostname localhost
1360 Port 2222
1361 User git
1362 IdentityFile ~/.ssh/my_tangled_key
1363```
1364
1365Set up a remote called `local-dev` on a git repo:
1366
1367```bash
1368git remote add local-dev git@nixos-shell:user/repo
1369git push local-dev main
1370```
1371
1372The above VM should already be running a spindle on
1373`localhost:6555`. Head to http://localhost:3000/settings/spindles and
1374hit verify. You can then configure each repository to use
1375this spindle and run CI jobs.
1376
1377Of interest when debugging spindles:
1378
1379```
1380# service logs from journald:
1381journalctl -xeu spindle
1382
1383# CI job logs from disk:
1384ls /var/log/spindle
1385
1386# debugging spindle db:
1387sqlite3 /var/lib/spindle/spindle.db
1388
1389# litecli has a nicer REPL interface:
1390litecli /var/lib/spindle/spindle.db
1391```
1392
1393If for any reason you wish to disable either one of the
1394services in the VM, modify [nix/vm.nix](/nix/vm.nix) and set
1395`services.tangled.spindle.enable` (or
1396`services.tangled.knot.enable`) to `false`.
1397
1398# Contribution guide
1399
1400## Commit guidelines
1401
1402We follow a commit style similar to the Go project. Please keep commits:
1403
1404* **atomic**: each commit should represent one logical change
1405* **descriptive**: the commit message should clearly describe what the
1406change does and why it's needed
1407
1408### Message format
1409
1410```
1411<service/top-level directory>/<affected package/directory>: <short summary of change>
1412
1413Optional longer description can go here, if necessary. Explain what the
1414change does and why, especially if not obvious. Reference relevant
1415issues or PRs when applicable. These can be links for now since we don't
1416auto-link issues/PRs yet.
1417```
1418
1419Here are some examples:
1420
1421```
1422appview/state: fix token expiry check in middleware
1423
1424The previous check did not account for clock drift, leading to premature
1425token invalidation.
1426```
1427
1428```
1429knotserver/git/service: improve error checking in upload-pack
1430```
1431
1432
1433### General notes
1434
1435- PRs get merged "as-is" (fast-forward) -- like applying a patch-series
1436using `git am`. At present, there is no squashing -- so please author
1437your commits as they would appear on `master`, following the above
1438guidelines.
1439- If there is a lot of nesting, for example "appview:
1440pages/templates/repo/fragments: ...", these can be truncated down to
1441just "appview: repo/fragments: ...". If the change affects a lot of
1442subdirectories, you may abbreviate to just the top-level names, e.g.
1443"appview: ..." or "knotserver: ...".
1444- Keep commits lowercased with no trailing period.
1445- Use the imperative mood in the summary line (e.g., "fix bug" not
1446"fixed bug" or "fixes bug").
1447- Try to keep the summary line under 72 characters, but we aren't too
1448fussed about this.
1449- Follow the same formatting for PR titles if filled manually.
1450- Don't include unrelated changes in the same commit.
1451- Avoid noisy commit messages like "wip" or "final fix"—rewrite history
1452before submitting if necessary.
1453
1454## Code formatting
1455
1456We use a variety of tools to format our code, and multiplex them with
1457[`treefmt`](https://treefmt.com): all you need to do to format your changes
1458is run `nix run .#fmt` (or just `treefmt` if you're in the devshell).
1459
1460## Proposals for bigger changes
1461
1462Small fixes like typos, minor bugs, or trivial refactors can be
1463submitted directly as PRs.
1464
1465For larger changes—especially those introducing new features, significant
1466refactoring, or altering system behavior—please open a proposal first. This
1467helps us evaluate the scope, design, and potential impact before implementation.
1468
1469Create a new issue titled:
1470
1471```
1472proposal: <affected scope>: <summary of change>
1473```
1474
1475In the description, explain:
1476
1477- What the change is
1478- Why it's needed
1479- How you plan to implement it (roughly)
1480- Any open questions or tradeoffs
1481
1482We'll use the issue thread to discuss and refine the idea before moving
1483forward.
1484
1485## Developer certificate of origin (DCO)
1486
1487We require all contributors to certify that they have the right to
1488submit the code they're contributing. To do this, we follow the
1489[Developer Certificate of Origin
1490(DCO)](https://developercertificate.org/).
1491
1492By signing your commits, you're stating that the contribution is your
1493own work, or that you have the right to submit it under the project's
1494license. This helps us keep things clean and legally sound.
1495
1496To sign your commit, just add the `-s` flag when committing:
1497
1498```sh
1499git commit -s -m "your commit message"
1500```
1501
1502This appends a line like:
1503
1504```
1505Signed-off-by: Your Name <your.email@example.com>
1506```
1507
1508We won't merge commits if they aren't signed off. If you forget, you can
1509amend the last commit like this:
1510
1511```sh
1512git commit --amend -s
1513```
1514
1515If you're submitting a PR with multiple commits, make sure each one is
1516signed.
1517
1518For [jj](https://jj-vcs.github.io/jj/latest/) users, you can run the following command
1519to make it sign off commits in the tangled repo:
1520
1521```shell
1522# Safety check, should say "No matching config key..."
1523jj config list templates.commit_trailers
1524# The command below may need to be adjusted if the command above returned something.
1525jj config set --repo templates.commit_trailers "format_signed_off_by_trailer(self)"
1526```
1527
1528Refer to the [jujutsu
1529documentation](https://jj-vcs.github.io/jj/latest/config/#commit-trailers)
1530for more information.