OliveTin — Safe Web Interface for Predefined Shell Commands

Introduction

OliveTin provides a web-based dashboard of clickable buttons, each mapped to a predefined shell command. It is designed for situations where you want to let users or team members trigger specific server actions without giving them SSH access or teaching them command-line syntax.

What OliveTin Does

• Exposes predefined shell commands as web buttons with a clean UI
• Supports parameterized commands with input fields for arguments
• Provides an API for triggering actions programmatically
• Logs all command executions for auditing and troubleshooting
• Runs as a single Go binary or Docker container

Architecture Overview

OliveTin is written in Go and serves a single-page web application. Configuration is defined in a YAML file that maps button labels to shell commands. When a button is clicked, the backend executes the corresponding command in a subprocess and streams output back to the browser. The YAML config supports arguments, dropdowns, and confirmation dialogs for safe execution.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Deploy via Docker with a mounted configuration file
• Define actions in config.yaml with command, title, and optional arguments
• Set up authentication using built-in basic auth or a reverse proxy
• Configure execution timeouts and concurrent command limits
• Install as a systemd service on bare-metal Linux systems

Key Features

• Single YAML file defines all available actions
• Parameterized commands with dropdown menus and text inputs
• Real-time command output streaming to the web interface
• RESTful API for automation and integration with other tools
• Lightweight single binary with no database dependency

Comparison with Similar Tools

• Rundeck — enterprise job scheduler with complex setup; OliveTin is a simple button dashboard with minimal configuration
• Semaphore — Ansible/Terraform UI with project management; OliveTin focuses on ad-hoc shell command execution
• Webhook — runs commands via HTTP endpoints but lacks a UI; OliveTin provides a visual button interface
• Portainer — Docker management UI; OliveTin is container-agnostic and runs any shell command

FAQ

Q: Is OliveTin secure enough for production use? A: It executes only commands defined in the config file, so users cannot run arbitrary commands. Pair it with reverse proxy authentication for additional security.

Q: Can I use OliveTin to manage Docker containers? A: Yes. Define docker start, stop, or restart commands as actions in the config file.

Q: Does it support multi-user access control? A: Basic access control is available. For fine-grained permissions, use a reverse proxy with authentication.

Q: Can actions be triggered on a schedule? A: OliveTin itself does not include a scheduler, but its API can be called from cron jobs or other scheduling tools.

Sources

• https://github.com/OliveTin/OliveTin
• https://docs.olivetin.app