mnutt/sandstorm_irc_2020_12_29.txt Secret

## sandstorm_irc_2020_12_29.txt
kmisterk
Hey all!
isd
Hello!
13:27 kmisterk
Oh snap, it's matrix bridged. Hold up.
kmisterk
Or...Is that just ... a tag? Is there a matrix channel for #sandstorm?
kmisterk
Okay, anyway, to my initial reason for arriving. Perhaps I didn't search well enough for it yet, but is there an existing package to add some kind of URL shortening service to Sandstorm? Like, when sharing a file, etc? or any sort of link, just kind of pass it through a URL shortener as an additional option when copying a "share" link or similar?
isd
Re: url shortening, there is not.
isd
Re: matrix, several of us are using the matrix.org <-> freenode bridge, and I set up a room alias so #sandstorm:matrix.org is the same as the freenode channel. I'm not totally sure I grok the way matrix works and whether that's different from having a stand-alone matrix room and bridging.
isd
ChanServ on freenode is configured to kick folks that aren't identfieid though (we had spam problems a couple years back when this was set up), so it's a bit weird in that if you're logged in through matrix but not identified through NickServ, you can talk to other matrix users in here but IRC-only users can't hear you...
isd
What's your use case for the url shortener?
kmisterk
Well, I don't know that i actually have a legitimate use-case for it yet, however, if I am to understand that some of the apps produce links that you then share with others that do not have their own access to your server, such as a one-off file-share download, the link may not look pretty.
kmisterk
I guess I'll just play with it.
isd
Yeah, part of that is that the sharing links are meant to be secrets, so you don't need separate authentication. So (a) that reuqires a certain amount of entropy that puts a bound on how short you can make it without compromising security, and (b) if you use some external URL shortener, you're leaking access to that service.
kmisterk
Yeah, just tested a URL share link from the stadnard filedrop app and man, it's atrociously long.
isd
Yeah, it's really only reasonable when you expect people to click the link, rather than remember it and type it in.
kmisterk
I wouldn't wanna use an external URL shortener, but instead, package one, or even a small script, that can use one on the same server. Like, if I host a standard php-based yourls instance.
kmisterk
isd of course, yeah. Like an email share, or hidden behind <a> tags.
kmisterk
Was just curious about whether or not an integrated URL shortener app was available. Gonna look into seeing about packaging one.
JacobWeisz[m]
Problem would be that links to access your URL shortener package would be just as long as the original share URL.
isd
It also gets a bit weird because if you host the url shortener on sandstorm, you need to get to it soemhow... so chicken and egg.
JacobWeisz[m]
Not sure you could do that from inside Sandstorm.
isd
Maybe you could do something with static publishing, but it seems like it would be pretty hacky.
kmisterk
Hmm. any way to change the ddns provider to something different?
kmisterk
nvm, found it.
kmisterk
hmm. Think I'll switch over to cloudflare. That should allow me to do what I'm after, I think.
kmisterk
Thanks for the pointers, folks! Appreciated.
isd
No problem!
kmisterk
Hey, quick side-tangent of something semi-related, I notice the docs mention being able to host on a mini chromebox, but the documentation it links to in regards to *how* to do so is a bit dated...
JacobWeisz[m]
Note that if you want to host multiple services on the same host, it is also possible to do with Sandcats as your dynamic DNS provider, it requires a little script to extract the certs. But yeah, Cloudflare and a bunch of other DNS providers work with Sandstorm's ACME support.
JacobWeisz[m]
Where does it say this?
kmisterk
https://docs.sandstorm.io/en/latest/administering/faq/#can-i-use-lets-encrypt-for-adding-https-to-sandstorm is the docs page.
kmisterk
which links here; https://dareneiri.github.io/Asus-Chromebox-With-Full-Linux-Install/
kmisterk
the hardware steps showcased in the first half is great, exactly what you'd need to do to get to the point of modifying the firmware, but then, he references a Kodi install process, but that's not the goal. The goal is a ubuntu server install for the purposes of getting sanstorm installed.
kmisterk
Personally, I believe that showcasing such a process in the first place is really outside the scope of the purpose of the docs for sandstorm.io, but if anything, links to external sources of info should be generic, and to communities that can assist, not necessarily to a specific tutorial that get's dated quickly. Such as the
kmisterk
https://www.reddit.com/r/chrultrabook/ subreddit
kmisterk
Just my 2 cents, I suppose.
	kmisterk
	Hey all!
	isd
	Hello!
	13:27 kmisterk
	Oh snap, it's matrix bridged. Hold up.
	kmisterk
	Or...Is that just ... a tag? Is there a matrix channel for #sandstorm?
	kmisterk
	Okay, anyway, to my initial reason for arriving. Perhaps I didn't search well enough for it yet, but is there an existing package to add some kind of URL shortening service to Sandstorm? Like, when sharing a file, etc? or any sort of link, just kind of pass it through a URL shortener as an additional option when copying a "share" link or similar?
	isd
	Re: url shortening, there is not.
	isd
	Re: matrix, several of us are using the matrix.org <-> freenode bridge, and I set up a room alias so #sandstorm:matrix.org is the same as the freenode channel. I'm not totally sure I grok the way matrix works and whether that's different from having a stand-alone matrix room and bridging.
	isd
	ChanServ on freenode is configured to kick folks that aren't identfieid though (we had spam problems a couple years back when this was set up), so it's a bit weird in that if you're logged in through matrix but not identified through NickServ, you can talk to other matrix users in here but IRC-only users can't hear you...
	isd
	What's your use case for the url shortener?
	kmisterk
	Well, I don't know that i actually have a legitimate use-case for it yet, however, if I am to understand that some of the apps produce links that you then share with others that do not have their own access to your server, such as a one-off file-share download, the link may not look pretty.
	kmisterk
	I guess I'll just play with it.
	isd
	Yeah, part of that is that the sharing links are meant to be secrets, so you don't need separate authentication. So (a) that reuqires a certain amount of entropy that puts a bound on how short you can make it without compromising security, and (b) if you use some external URL shortener, you're leaking access to that service.
	kmisterk
	Yeah, just tested a URL share link from the stadnard filedrop app and man, it's atrociously long.
	isd
	Yeah, it's really only reasonable when you expect people to click the link, rather than remember it and type it in.
	kmisterk
	I wouldn't wanna use an external URL shortener, but instead, package one, or even a small script, that can use one on the same server. Like, if I host a standard php-based yourls instance.
	kmisterk
	isd of course, yeah. Like an email share, or hidden behind <a> tags.
	kmisterk
	Was just curious about whether or not an integrated URL shortener app was available. Gonna look into seeing about packaging one.
	JacobWeisz[m]
	Problem would be that links to access your URL shortener package would be just as long as the original share URL.
	isd
	It also gets a bit weird because if you host the url shortener on sandstorm, you need to get to it soemhow... so chicken and egg.
	JacobWeisz[m]
	Not sure you could do that from inside Sandstorm.
	isd
	Maybe you could do something with static publishing, but it seems like it would be pretty hacky.
	kmisterk
	Hmm. any way to change the ddns provider to something different?
	kmisterk
	nvm, found it.
	kmisterk
	hmm. Think I'll switch over to cloudflare. That should allow me to do what I'm after, I think.
	kmisterk
	Thanks for the pointers, folks! Appreciated.
	isd
	No problem!
	kmisterk
	Hey, quick side-tangent of something semi-related, I notice the docs mention being able to host on a mini chromebox, but the documentation it links to in regards to how to do so is a bit dated...
	JacobWeisz[m]
	Note that if you want to host multiple services on the same host, it is also possible to do with Sandcats as your dynamic DNS provider, it requires a little script to extract the certs. But yeah, Cloudflare and a bunch of other DNS providers work with Sandstorm's ACME support.
	JacobWeisz[m]
	Where does it say this?
	kmisterk
	https://docs.sandstorm.io/en/latest/administering/faq/#can-i-use-lets-encrypt-for-adding-https-to-sandstorm is the docs page.
	kmisterk
	which links here; https://dareneiri.github.io/Asus-Chromebox-With-Full-Linux-Install/
	kmisterk
	the hardware steps showcased in the first half is great, exactly what you'd need to do to get to the point of modifying the firmware, but then, he references a Kodi install process, but that's not the goal. The goal is a ubuntu server install for the purposes of getting sanstorm installed.
	kmisterk
	Personally, I believe that showcasing such a process in the first place is really outside the scope of the purpose of the docs for sandstorm.io, but if anything, links to external sources of info should be generic, and to communities that can assist, not necessarily to a specific tutorial that get's dated quickly. Such as the
	kmisterk
	https://www.reddit.com/r/chrultrabook/ subreddit
	kmisterk
	Just my 2 cents, I suppose.