# Self-Hosted Tempest Server & Web Mode

Tempest can run as a **self-hosted server** — a Node.js process that handles encrypted vault sync, SSH session multiplexing, and Tempest Push routing for the devices you connect to it. Combined with Tempest's **Web Mode** (the same UI running in a browser), this lets you SSH from any device that has a browser — without installing anything on it — while keeping all the encrypted sync inside your own infrastructure.

This is the right setup for:

* Privacy-sensitive teams that want zero data on third-party servers
* Air-gapped or restricted networks
* "I want to SSH from my Chromebook / iPad without installing apps"
* Homelab enthusiasts who already self-host everything

## Configure on the welcome screen

When you first launch Tempest desktop or open a fresh browser tab to your server URL:

1. Welcome screen → **Self-hosted server** section
2. Enter your server URL (e.g. `https://tempest.example.com`)
3. Sign in with your account credentials

After this, all sync, scheduled runs, and notifications flow through your server.

## Web Mode — Tempest in any browser

Self-hosted server + Web Mode is the killer combo: visit your server URL in any browser, sign in, and you get the full Tempest UI — host list, terminal tabs, SFTP, AI assistant — running entirely in the browser.

This is great for:

* SSH from a Chromebook or iPad
* Quick access from a borrowed machine without installing the desktop client
* Mobile-friendly access in a pinch

The browser → server channel uses WebSockets; the server holds the SSH connections (per the C/S architecture), and the browser receives pre-rendered terminal frames.

## Auto-reconnect

The browser ↔ server WebSocket reconnects automatically if your network blips, with visible "disconnected, reconnecting…" / "reconnected" toasts so you know what's happening.

## Privacy & E2E with self-hosting

Even when you self-host:

* Your **vault encryption keys never leave your devices**.
* The server still only sees ciphertext (it's the same E2EE design as the cloud sync — see [End-to-End Encryption](/account-and-privacy/end-to-end-encryption.md)).

The benefit of self-hosting isn't a different security model — it's that *you* are the operator of the relay, with full audit log access and no third-party data residency questions.

## Backend responsibilities

The Tempest server runs:

* **Encrypted vault sync endpoint** — receives encrypted vault docs from your devices
* **SSH multiplexing** — holds the actual SSH connections so the browser doesn't (browsers can't speak SSH directly)
* **Snippet scheduler** — fires scheduled snippet runs even when no client is connected
* **Tempest Push relay** — forwards encrypted notification payloads to APNs / FCM
* **Notification module** — local channels (webhook, Pushover, SMTP) sent directly from the server

## What the server does *not* hold

* Your vault encryption keys (only your devices do)
* OAuth2 tokens (those stay in the browser / desktop client per the C/S design)

See the [Tempest Knowledge Base](/readme.md) for what each layer does.

## Deployment

Tempest server is a Docker image. Detailed deployment configs please contact support for early access.

## See also

* [How Tempest Protects Your Privacy](/account-and-privacy/how-tempest-protect-your-privacy.md)
* [End-to-End Encryption](/account-and-privacy/end-to-end-encryption.md) — applies whether sync is cloud or self-hosted
* [Tempest Push Notifications](/productivity/tempest-push-notifications.md) — works through self-hosted server


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