Native-first by design
RootNAS makes native Ubuntu storage state understandable without replacing it. The terminal and native configuration stay available.
Open source control plane for Ubuntu Server
See your storage.
Keep Ubuntu in control.
RootNAS turns native server state into a clear, responsive interface without hiding the operating system or requiring a cloud account.
CONTROL PATH
LOCAL ONLY
01
Browser
HTTPS :8443
02
RootNAS API
unprivileged
typed Unix socket
03
RootNAS Agent
allowlisted operations
04
Ubuntu
source of truth
Privilege is a narrow boundary, not a property of the whole application.
Native stateUbuntu remains authoritative
Fail closedAmbiguity is never hidden
Local accessNo external account required
Signed deliveryAuthenticated APT metadata
01 / WHY ROOTNAS
A server panel should explain the system, not replace it.
Honest system state
Partial observations, unknown devices, stale data, and native warnings remain explicit. An unused-looking disk is never presented as safe to erase.
Small privileged surface
The browser API cannot execute privileged system commands. A separate agent accepts only bounded, typed operations over a protected local socket.
02 / ARCHITECTURE
Root access stops at the smallest possible process.
The network-facing service runs without root. Authentication, input validation, and the privileged Ubuntu boundary remain separate and independently testable.
-
Browser
Local HTTPS session
Responsive interface and same-origin API requests.
-
API
Unprivileged validation
PAM-backed sessions and strict browser contracts.
-
Agent
Minimal root boundary
Peer-verified socket and allowlisted native probes.
-
Ubuntu
System remains canonical
Standard services, tools, devices, and configuration.
03 / INSTALL
Install from the signed APT repository.
For Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS+ on amd64. Release validation currently targets Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.
STEP 01
Trust the archive key
sudo apt update
sudo apt install --yes ca-certificates curl gnupg
curl --fail --location \
--output /tmp/rootnas-archive-keyring.gpg \
https://artcc.github.io/RootNAS/apt/stable/rootnas-archive-keyring.gpg
test "$(gpg --batch --show-keys --with-colons --fingerprint /tmp/rootnas-archive-keyring.gpg | awk -F: '$1 == "fpr" { print $10; exit }')" = "B43848B92B01CE38B3067DCFB271AA54E83DF39C"
sudo install -D -m 0644 /tmp/rootnas-archive-keyring.gpg /etc/apt/keyrings/rootnas-archive-keyring.gpg
rm /tmp/rootnas-archive-keyring.gpg
EXPECTED OPENPGP FINGERPRINT
B438 48B9 2B01 CE38 B306 7DCF B271 AA54 E83D F39C
STEP 02
Configure APT
sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/rootnas.sources >/dev/null <<'EOF'
Types: deb
URIs: https://artcc.github.io/RootNAS/apt/stable
Suites: noble
Components: main
Architectures: amd64
Signed-By: /etc/apt/keyrings/rootnas-archive-keyring.gpg
EOF
sudo apt update
sudo apt install rootnas
AFTER INSTALLATION
Open https://<server-address>:8443/ and sign in with an eligible non-root Ubuntu user in the sudo group.
The initial certificate is self-signed, so the browser will display a trust warning until certificate management is implemented or the certificate is trusted locally.