About AuraCloud
AuraCloud is an experimental self-hosted cloud infrastructure built on the principles of privacy, transparency, and user sovereignty.
What is Self-Hosting?
Self-hosting means running your own services on hardware you control, rather than relying on third-party cloud providers. This gives you:
- Complete Control - You own your data and infrastructure
- Privacy - No third parties can access your information
- Transparency - You know exactly what's running and how
- Learning - Hands-on experience with real infrastructure
The Experiment
AuraCloud is a living experiment in building a complete, privacy-focused alternative to commercial cloud services. Every service is carefully chosen to align with open source values while providing real utility.
Open Source & Privacy Ethos
Why Open Source Matters
Open source software is more than just free code - it's a philosophy of transparency and collaboration:
- Transparency - Anyone can inspect the code for security or privacy issues
- Community - Developed and maintained by users, for users
- Freedom - No vendor lock-in or proprietary restrictions
- Security - More eyes reviewing code means fewer vulnerabilities
- Longevity - Projects can't be "sunset" by a corporation
Privacy by Design
Every service in AuraCloud is selected with privacy as a core requirement:
- No Tracking - Your activity is never monitored or sold
- Encryption - Data is encrypted at rest and in transit
- VPN-Only Access - Services are isolated from the public internet
- Minimal Data - Only essential information is collected
- User Control - You decide what data exists and who can access it
Self-Sovereignty
AuraCloud embodies the principle of digital self-sovereignty - the idea that you should control your own digital life without intermediaries.
AuraCloud Services
Each service is chosen for its alignment with our ethos and practical utility.
💬 AuraChat (Prosody XMPP)
Purpose: Decentralized, encrypted instant messaging
Why It Fits: Prosody is a lightweight, open-source XMPP server. XMPP is a proven, decentralized protocol that's been around since 1999. No corporate control, true federation, and end-to-end encryption via OMEMO.
Utility: Secure communication with anyone on the XMPP network worldwide. Full control over your messages and metadata.
Official Site: https://prosody.im
Donate: Via their website - supports independent development
💾 AuraDrive (FileBrowser + LUKS)
Purpose: Encrypted file storage and sharing
Why It Fits: FileBrowser is open source and runs entirely on your infrastructure. Files are encrypted at rest using LUKS full-disk encryption, meaning even if the drive is stolen, data remains secure.
Utility: Store sensitive documents, backups, and files without trusting cloud providers. Access from anywhere via VPN.
Official Site: https://filebrowser.org
Donate: GitHub Sponsors - support the maintainer
🛡️ AuraGuard (AdGuard Home)
Purpose: Network-wide ad blocking and DNS-level protection
Why It Fits: AdGuard Home is open-source software that blocks ads, trackers, and malicious domains at the DNS level. No browser extensions needed - protection for every device on your network.
Utility: Block ads and tracking across all devices (phones, tablets, smart TVs, IoT). Protect your entire network from malware, phishing, and tracking domains. Full control over DNS queries and filtering rules.
Official Site: https://adguard.com/adguard-home
Donate: Support via their website
⚙️ AuraPanel (Custom Dashboard)
Purpose: System administration and control
Why It Fits: Custom-built for AuraCloud with no external dependencies. Complete transparency in what data is collected and how the system operates.
Utility: Centralized control over services, monitoring, and system state. Quick access to critical operations like AuraDrive lock/unlock.
Source: Custom-built - no external dependencies
🔐 WireGuard VPN
Purpose: Secure, encrypted network access
Why It Fits: WireGuard is a modern, extremely fast VPN protocol with minimal attack surface. It's been audited, is built into the Linux kernel, and uses state-of-the-art cryptography.
Utility: All AuraCloud services are VPN-only, ensuring they're never exposed to the public internet. WireGuard provides the secure tunnel for accessing your infrastructure from anywhere.
Official Site: https://wireguard.com
Donate (Bitcoin): 3Jsk6BuNkzW22RaCS1UaJy8w4bCwtVCkUF
🚫 Fail2ban
Purpose: Intrusion prevention and brute-force protection
Why It Fits: Fail2ban is a proven, open-source tool that monitors logs and automatically bans IPs showing malicious behavior. It's been protecting servers since 2004.
Utility: Automatically blocks brute-force attacks on SSH, web services, and other exposed ports. Reduces attack surface and protects against automated threats.
Official Site: https://github.com/fail2ban/fail2ban
Donate: GitHub Sponsors - support the maintainers
Security Model
Defense in Depth
AuraCloud uses multiple layers of security:
- VPN-Only Access - Services only accessible through WireGuard VPN
- Encryption at Rest - LUKS full-disk encryption for sensitive data
- Encryption in Transit - TLS/SSL for all network communication
- Minimal Attack Surface - Only essential services exposed
- Regular Updates - Security patches applied promptly
Threat Model
AuraCloud is designed to protect against:
- Corporate Surveillance - No third-party access to your data
- Data Breaches - Encryption protects data even if hardware is compromised
- Network Attacks - VPN requirement prevents unauthorized access
- Service Shutdown - You control when services run, not a corporation
What AuraCloud Doesn't Protect Against
It's important to understand the limitations:
- Compromised client devices (your laptop/phone)
- Physical access to unlocked systems
- State-level adversaries with significant resources
- User error (weak passwords, sharing credentials)
Best Practices
- Use strong, unique passwords for each service
- Keep VPN credentials secure
- Regularly update client software
- Enable 2FA where available
- Monitor AuraGuard for unusual activity