01
A useful middle ground
Keep your VPS, systemd units, nginx and Git workflow. Add a desktop surface for the work that is easy to get wrong when repeated manually.
Blacksmith
Ship what you build.
Keep the host yours.
A focused deployment control panel for people who run real servers. Blacksmith turns the operating system tools already on your VPS into a clear, repeatable workflow.
For simple Python, Node.js, Rust and static applications on bare-metal Linux.
01 Bare metalNo container runtime or orchestration layer between you and the host.
02 SSH firstThe desktop client reaches a private agent through the SSH tunnel you already trust.
03 Small by designRust, systemd and a narrow scope keep the operational footprint predictable.
The point
A deployment panel that knows when to stay out of the way.
Blacksmith was made for the gap between repeating deployment commands by hand and adopting a heavyweight platform. It gives a small team a dependable path from a Git branch to a running service, while leaving the machine understandable.
02
Built for honest constraints
One server, a few applications, limited resources. That is not a temporary limitation here; it is the product boundary.
03
Operations you can inspect
Releases, logs, environment files, resource limits and rollback stay close to the host instead of disappearing behind an abstraction.
Under the hood
A small system with clear edges.
The desktop client and server agent share typed contracts. Administration stays private; the only public surface is the signed GitHub webhook when you choose to enable it.
The stack
ClientSvelteKit + Tauri 2
AgentRust + Axum + Tokio
Servicessystemd + polkit
TransportOpenSSH tunnel
Webnginx + optional TLS
DataSQLite + encrypted credentials
Security is a configuration, not a slogan.
Blacksmith is designed around least privilege, private administration, host-key verification and systemd sandboxing. It still expects an operator who understands the host: no tool can make an exposed port, an overpowered account or an unreviewed command safe.
- SSH tunnel for administration
- systemd service isolation
- HMAC-signed GitHub webhooks
- Encrypted credential storage
Start with the source