I’m using Vaultgarden. Things are okay after losing my SSD yesterday morning. My strategy worked… HDD for data, SSD for the OS. I promptly found an available drive, installed Linux mint and recovered.
But that was scary. I keep a backup on another computer. The only way to actually run it and see the passwords needed to do anything was thru my phone. I was lucky that somehow the database was available offline. But if I had run out of battery I would be extremely screwed.
So I’ve decided the Vaultgarden is encumbered by not really having a local reliable copy. Maybe I’m wrong, but as I understand, if your server goes down and you log out, you’re screwed… No more passwords until your server is up again. I find that to be extremely stupid unless I was protecting my severed testicles… No wait, that would be way worse.
So I’d there a server + local system? Like Joplin… You can write notes all day with no server at all. The server just Synchronizes it all. In the past I used syncthing and I will continue using it. One thought was to have an automated backup from Vaultgarden that was automatically synced to my various devices as a Keypass database.
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I tried some keypass tools and immediately went back to Vaultwarden. Bitwarden clients work offline until you have to sync, no risks here, but the user experience is way way better. It’s easier to add new accounts, search for them, store additional data like addresses or credit cards and fill them out automatically. I can imagine using keePass for some password I have to access once a week but not for everyday use in my browser and on mobile.
You all need to get on vaultwarden, the small self host bitwarden. I move to that after my keypass db got out of sync on my nextcloud for the second time that day, I’ve not looked back.
Vautlwarden as a service is great and since it’s GPLv3 licensed there’s no way that can be shut down. But the client is another matter and maybe that doesn’t stay open for using it with Vaultwarden forever https://www.osnews.com/story/145029/get-your-passwords-out-of-bitwarden-while-you-still-can/
So I’d there a server + local system? Like Joplin… You can write notes all day with no server at all. The server just Synchronizes it all. In the past I used syncthing and I will continue using it. One thought was to have an automated backup from Vaultgarden that was automatically synced to my various devices as a Keypass database.
This is exactly how I use KeePass, and is fully supported as well. Set it up, import the VW database (might need some fuckery to do so, I’ve not played with VW), place the KeePass database in a location that makes sense to you on your device, then sync that folder via Syncthing to your other devices.
You’re using Linux, obviously, and the OG KeePass program was never written for Linux, so you’ll want a fork called KeePass XC. Unfortunately, the XC team doesn’t support plugins, but that should be a non-issue if you’re using Syncthing. Just point XC at the folder that’s being synced and you’re golden.
What other platforms are you using? Android? iOS? Windows? There are many forks of KeePass available for every platform. they are all cross-compatible and can utilize the same database.
I was lucky that somehow the database was available offline.
That’s how BW/VW is supposed to work. It retains a local database that syncs with the main server.
Vaultwarden?
You can write notes all day with no server at all. The server just Synchronizes it all.
Yes, that’s exactly how it works right now. Clients will keep a local copy of the database, so even if the server goes away for a while, you can still use it.
But you had the backup, you restored it, everything worked properly. I’m not sure what the issue is here.
I just feel uneasy about not knowing exactly where the database is and how to keep it safe. I thought that database just went poof if you logged out.
It’s on your server, and whenever you keep your backup. I don’t know if it keeps a local copy on your phone when you log out or not. Generally I just don’t log out.
Just don’t count on the current Bitwarden client being compatible with Vaultwarden forever. Bitwarden’s new CEO is pushing to make more profit wherever possible, and recently rescinded the statement from the company’s website that the client would be free forever.
They’ll never be able to walk back the open source nature of the product, but they can choose to make their client incompatible with Vaultwarden and push for the centrally hosted option as the only option.
Not sure if anyone’s forked the Bitwarden client yet, but that’s how I’d start using Vaultwarden if the option exists.
Or, you know, skip the headache and just start using Keepass.
It looks like there are 1900 forks on GitHub.
