How to Set Up Shaarli on Oikos OpenHub: Deploying a Self-Hosted Bookmark Manager

Shaarli is a minimalist, open-source bookmark manager known for its speed and simplicity. It provides a dedicated, self-hosted platform for saving, organizing, and securely sharing web links, offering a modern, private alternative to relying solely on browser or commercial bookmark tools.

Deploying Shaarli via the Oikos OpenHub Platform-as-Service (PaaS) provides an instant, dedicated, and secure containerized environment. Oikos manages the infrastructure and persistence, ensuring your valuable link collection is always available and backed up.

1. Accessing the Oikos OpenHub Catalog#

Access the Oikos Console#

Visit: Navigate to the Oikos platform launchpad at https://launch.nife.io.
Log In: Use your registered Oikos credentials to access the primary application dashboard.

Navigate to OpenHub#

Locate: Find the OpenHub option in the left-hand navigation sidebar.
Selection: Click OpenHub to view the comprehensive catalog of deployable open-source applications.

Search for Shaarli#

Search Bar: Utilize the search functionality within the OpenHub interface and enter the term Shaarli.
Identify: Locate the Shaarli application card, pre-configured for deployment on the Oikos PaaS.

2. Configuring and Initiating Deployment#

Shaarli requires persistent storage for its configuration and database (typically SQLite) to ensure saved links are retained.

Start Deployment and Configuration Review#

Action: Hover over the Shaarli tile and click the Deploy button. This transitions you to the configuration screen.

Review Deployment Settings#

App Name: Assign a unique name to your bookmark instance (e.g., my-link-archive).
Cloud Region: Select a Cloud Region closest to your location for quick access and loading times.
Resource Allocation: Review the default CPU and RAM. Shaarli is extremely lightweight, and standard resources are more than adequate.

Crucial Persistence: Oikos must ensure a persistent volume is mapped to the container location where Shaarli stores its configuration and data (often the entire application folder or a specific data path). This is vital to prevent the loss of your saved links upon container restarts.

Finalization: Review all settings, confirm persistence is configured, and click Submit or the final Deploy button to commence the container launch process.

Monitor Deployment Status#

Process: Oikos provisions resources, pulls the Shaarli container image, maps the persistent storage, and establishes a secure HTTPS network endpoint.
Completion: Wait for the status indicator to change to Running.

3. Accessing and Initializing Shaarli#

Wait for Completion and Launch#

Action: Once the status is Running, click the Open App button.
Result: This redirects you to the unique, secure URL of your deployed Shaarli instance, which will present the initial setup page.

First-Time Setup and Security#

Set Admin Password: The first step is to immediately define a strong, unique Admin Password. This password is required for you to save new links and modify settings.
Log In: Use the password you just set to access the main bookmark dashboard.

4. Key Usage and Organization Features#

Once logged in, your Shaarli instance is ready to use its core features:

4.1. Saving Links (Bookmarklet)#

The most efficient way to save links is using the Bookmarklet:

Retrieve: Navigate to the Tools or Settings section in Shaarli to find the bookmarklet code.
Install: Drag this button/link to your browser's bookmark toolbar.
Save Instantly: When viewing a page you want to save, simply click the bookmarklet in your toolbar. A pop-up will appear, allowing you to instantly add the URL, title, description, and tags without leaving the page.

4.2. Organizing and Filtering#

Tags: Add relevant tags (e.g., ai, python, tutorial) to every link. Tags are the primary method of organization.
Filtering: Click on any tag in the sidebar to instantly filter your entire collection. You can also use the search bar to combine keywords and multiple tags for highly specific results.
Description: Use the description field to add rich context, summaries, or personal notes to each link.

4.3. Privacy and Sharing#

Visibility: When saving a link, you can choose its visibility:
- Public: The link is visible to anyone visiting your Shaarli instance (if public access is enabled in settings).
- Private: The link is only visible when you are logged in.
Sharing: The entire instance can be shared, or you can use the unique URL of a specific bookmark to share a single item with others.

4.4. Data Management#

Import: Use the Tools → Import/Export section to import bookmarks from a standard HTML file (exported from Chrome, Firefox, etc.).
Export: Export your entire Shaarli collection at any time as a backup.

Core Benefits of Deploying Shaarli on Oikos#

1. Data Sovereignty and Privacy#

By deploying Shaarli on Oikos, you gain full ownership and control over your saved links. Your personal archive is secured within your private container, ensuring no third party tracks or monitors your web interests.

2. High Availability for Bookmarks#

Oikos ensures the containerized Shaarli application is stable and reliable, meaning your link collection is always accessible and syncs smoothly across all your devices using its web interface.

3. Lightweight and Fast Access#

Shaarli's minimal design and reliance on efficient technologies (often SQLite) ensure fast loading times. Oikos provides the high-performance runtime required for quick bookmark saving and searching, even with thousands of links.

4. Simple Deployment with Managed Persistence#

Oikos handles all server-side necessities, including PHP runtime and persistent storage configuration, allowing you to launch a robust bookmark manager instantly without any manual web server or database setup.

Official Documentation#

For detailed guides on advanced configuration, themes, and community tools:

Shaarli Documentation: https://shaarli.readthedocs.io/en/master/