🔐 Layerbase PGP

• PGP Web Encrypt Client - (no JavaScript)- [PGP Web - PGP Web Encrypt Client - (with JavaScript) (TBD)
• CLI Tool

Note: This is a personal side project created to learn more about encryption, PGP, and implementing secure web applications that work without JavaScript. It's a work in progress and should be used for educational purposes.

A monorepo containing a PGP encryption CLI tool and web interface. Built with Node.js, TypeScript, and Vercel serverless functions.

📦 What's Inside

This is a pnpm workspace monorepo with two packages:

• @pgp/cli - Interactive CLI tool for PGP encryption/decryption with SQLite key management
• @pgp/api - Web interface + serverless API deployed to Vercel (works without JavaScript)

See MONOREPO.md for detailed documentation.

⚠️ Project Status

This project is actively being developed as a learning exercise. While functional, it may contain bugs or security considerations that need addressing. Use at your own discretion and avoid using it for highly sensitive production data.

✨ Features

• 🔒 PGP Encryption/Decryption - Secure message encryption using OpenPGP
• 📋 Clipboard Integration - Seamlessly encrypt/decrypt from clipboard
• ✍️ Multiple Input Methods:
  • Paste from clipboard
  • Open in your preferred text editor
  • Type inline directly in the terminal
• 🎨 Beautiful CLI Interface - Colorful, intuitive prompts with emoji icons
• 🖥️ Cross-Platform Support - Works on Linux, macOS, and Windows
• 🛠️ Smart Editor Detection - Auto-detects available editors (VS Code, Vim, Nano, Notepad, etc.)
• 👋 Graceful Exit Handling - Clean Ctrl+C interruption handling

🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v18 or higher recommended)
• pnpm (v10.19.0 or higher)
• PGP key pair (public and private keys)

Installation

Option 1: Automated Installer (Recommended for Non-Developers)

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/layerbase-pgp.git
cd layerbase-pgp

2. Run the installer:

./install.sh

The installer will:

• Detect your operating system and shell
• Check for Node.js and install it if missing (using nvm)
• Check for pnpm and install it if missing
• Install all dependencies and compile native modules
• Build the project
• Create a .env file from the example
• Optionally create an lpgp command alias

3. Configure your PGP keys:

Edit the .env file and add your PGP keys (see .env.example for format).

Important: Make sure there's a blank line after the BEGIN header in your PGP keys.

Option 2: Manual Installation (For Developers)

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/layerbase-pgp.git
cd layerbase-pgp

2. Install dependencies:

pnpm install

This will install all Node.js dependencies including better-sqlite3, which requires native compilation. The installation process automatically:

• Compiles the SQLite native module for your platform
• Sets up the project dependencies
• Prepares the development environment

3. Set up your environment variables:

Create a .env file in the root directory with your PGP keys:

cp .env.example .env

Then edit .env and add your PGP keys.

Important: Make sure there's a blank line after the BEGIN header in your PGP keys.

4. Build the project:

pnpm build

5. Database initialization:

The SQLite database is automatically created on first run. No manual setup required! When you first start the application, it will:

• Create the db/ directory
• Initialize an empty SQLite database with all tables
• Set up default settings

Usage

Run the PGP tool:

pnpm pgp

You'll be greeted with an interactive menu:

╔════════════════════════════════════════╗
║  🔐  PGP Encryption/Decryption Tool   ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════╝

? What would you like to do?
  🔒 Encrypt a message
  🔓 Decrypt a message
  👋 Exit

🎯 How It Works

Encrypting a Message

1. Select "🔒 Encrypt a message"
2. Choose your input method:
   • 📋 Paste from clipboard - Automatically encrypts text from your clipboard
   • 📝 Use an editor - Opens your preferred text editor
   • ⌨️ Type inline - Enter text directly (press Enter, then Ctrl+D to finish)
3. The encrypted message is displayed and automatically copied to your clipboard

Decrypting a Message

1. Select "🔓 Decrypt a message"
2. Choose your input method for the encrypted text
3. The decrypted message is displayed and automatically copied to your clipboard

🛠️ Development

Available Scripts

# Run the PGP tool
pnpm pgp

# Start the development server (placeholder)
pnpm serve

# Format code with Prettier
pnpm format

# Build the TypeScript project
pnpm build

# Run the built project
pnpm start

Project Structure

layerbase-pgp/
├── src/
│   ├── index.ts          # Placeholder server
│   ├── pgp-tool.ts       # Main PGP CLI tool
│   ├── db.ts             # SQLite database layer
│   └── schema.sql        # Database schema definition
├── db/                   # SQLite database (auto-created, not in git)
│   └── data.db           # User data and PGP keys
├── .env                  # Environment variables (not in git)
├── package.json
├── tsconfig.json
├── TODO.md               # Project roadmap
└── README.md

📋 Roadmap

See TODO.md for the complete project roadmap. Upcoming features include:

• ✅ SQLite database integration (completed)
• Configuration file support (replacing .env)
• Web UI with Express backend
• Standalone landing page with progressive enhancement
  • Real-time encryption with JavaScript enabled
  • Server-side encryption fallback when JavaScript is disabled
  • Learn how to build accessible, secure web apps that work without client-side JavaScript
• PGP key detection from system
• Key generation and management
• File encryption/decryption
• Multi-recipient support

🔒 Security Considerations

As this is a learning project, please note:

• Store your .env file securely and never commit it to version control
• The .gitignore already excludes .env files
• Consider the security implications of storing private keys in environment variables
• For production use, consider more secure key storage methods (e.g., hardware tokens, key management systems)
• This tool has not undergone professional security audit

🤝 Contributing

This is primarily a personal learning project, but suggestions and feedback are welcome! Feel free to:

• Open issues for bugs or feature requests
• Submit pull requests with improvements
• Share your experience using the tool

📝 License

Source Available Educational License - NOT Open Source

This software is source-available for educational purposes, security auditing, and learning only. Commercial use and use by for-profit enterprises is prohibited without explicit permission. See the LICENSE file for full terms.

The source code is publicly available to promote transparency, enable security audits, and support learning about encryption and web development - but this does not make it open source software.

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Built with OpenPGP.js for encryption
• Inquirer.js for beautiful CLI prompts
• Chalk for terminal styling
• Clipboardy for clipboard operations

---

Learning Focus: This project explores:

• PGP encryption and cryptography fundamentals
• Node.js CLI development with TypeScript
• Security best practices for handling sensitive data
• Progressive enhancement and building web applications that work without JavaScript
• Server-side vs. client-side encryption trade-offs
• Accessible web design principles

It's a work in progress and will continue to evolve as I learn more about encryption, secure communication, and building resilient web applications.