Localtonet File Server Now Supports Bitwarden Alongside Immich
Localtonet File Server already replaced Google Photos with its Immich-compatible mobile backup system. Today it replaces your cloud password manager too. The File Server now runs a Bitwarden-compatible vault server, so official Bitwarden apps, browser extensions, and CLI clients can connect straight to your own PC.
š Bitwarden-compatible vault server, running on your own hardware
š± Immich-compatible photo backup, still there, still deduplicating
š Both reachable through the same Localtonet File Server tunnel, one public HTTPS URL
Why This Matters
A password manager is the single most sensitive piece of software most people run. Handing your vault to a third-party cloud means trusting that company's breach history, its encryption practices, and its business continuity forever. Self-hosting Bitwarden has always been possible, but it usually means Docker Compose, a Postgres or SQL Server instance, a reverse proxy, and a machine that stays online around the clock.
Localtonet File Server removes that setup entirely. The same File Server tunnel that already serves your files, your encrypted folders, and your Immich-compatible photo backups now also speaks the Bitwarden client API. No extra container stack. No separate database. No second tunnel.
What You Get
š Bitwarden-Compatible Server The File Server implements the API that official Bitwarden clients speak. Point the Bitwarden desktop app, mobile app, browser extension, or CLI at your Localtonet public URL as a custom server, log in, and your vault syncs directly to your own PC. No Bitwarden cloud account involved.
š Vault Data Stays on Your Hardware Encrypted vault items are stored on the same disk as the rest of your File Server content. Nothing is relayed through Localtonet's infrastructure beyond the tunnel handshake, the same model the File Server already uses for regular files and photo backups.
š± Immich-Compatible Backup, Unchanged The mobile photo backup system that speaks the Immich API is still fully active. Checksum-based deduplication, album sync, and EXIF-aware thumbnails all continue to work exactly as before. Adding Bitwarden support did not touch this path.
š One Tunnel, Two Self-Hosted Services A single File Server tunnel now stands in for both a photo backup server and a password manager server. You configure one folder path on the File Server Tunnel page and get a public HTTPS URL that both the Bitwarden clients and Immich-compatible clients can target.
How to Connect a Bitwarden Client
- Make sure your Localtonet File Server tunnel is running. If you don't have one yet, set it up from the File Server Tunnel page.
- Open your Bitwarden app or browser extension.
- Go to the server settings and choose Self-hosted, then enter your Localtonet File Server public URL as the server address.
- Log in or create your account. From this point the client talks directly to your PC through the tunnel.
Every device you want synced, desktop, phone, browser extension, points at the same URL. Your vault stays consistent across all of them, and it never leaves hardware you control.
The Combined Picture
| Client | Talks to | Data location |
|---|---|---|
| Bitwarden apps and extensions | File Server's Bitwarden-compatible API | Your PC's disk |
| Immich-compatible mobile backup clients | File Server's Immich-compatible API | Your PC's disk |
| Web file manager | File Server UI | Your PC's disk |
Three different client ecosystems, one tunnel, one machine, zero monthly fees for any of them.
Ready to Move Your Vault Off the Cloud?
If your File Server tunnel is already running, open your Bitwarden client and switch the server URL today. If you're starting fresh, set up the tunnel first from the File Server Tunnel page, then connect both your Bitwarden and Immich-compatible clients to the same public URL.
Comments (9)
This is actually pretty huge, the part that sold me was official Bitwarden clients working against one self-hosted URL without dragging in Docker, SQL, and a reverse proxy. If this stays stable, it knocks out a stupid amount of setup pain for people who just want their vault and photo backup on their own box.
Yeah, and having it share the same tunnel as the Immich side is the bit I like most, fewer moving parts usually means fewer weird weekend fixes later. Curious how vault backups/export are handled on the File Server side, that's the one thing I'd want to sanity check before switching over.
Same, backups are the first thing I'd check too, especially versioning or an easy restore flow if I mess something up. But ngl the "official Bitwarden apps just point at your Localtonet URL" part is super exciting, thats way less intimidating than every self-hosted guide I've bounced off before.
Yeah, the easy restore path is what I'd want to see too, especially if you're moving family logins over and not just your own stuff. Also wondering how they handle attachments and larger vaults in practice, but the fact it rides on the same File Server setup I already use for photos makes this feel way more approachable.
Totally with you on family logins, that's where a clean onboarding flow matters way more than raw features. The bit that hyped me most was browser extension + mobile + CLI all hitting the same self-hosted URL, if that setup is smooth this is kind of a cracked combo with Immich on the same tunnel.
Yeah, the CLI support is such a nice bonus for this, I use it for little scripts way more than I expected. If the custom server setup is painless on mobile too, this could be one of those features that gets non technical family members onboarded without me turning it into a whole project, which is awesome.
Same here, mobile is the real test for me because if certs or autofill get finicky people bail fast. I'd also want to know whether it supports Bitwarden's usual 2FA options cleanly on the self-hosted side, that's one of those details that matters a lot more than the headline feature.
Yeah, 2FA support is a big one for me too, especially if things like TOTP or passkey login behave the same as people expect in the regular apps. Also really hoping the first sign-in on mobile is straightforward, because once someone gets stuck in settings theyre usually done š
Yeah, that first sign-in flow is probably make or break more than anything else. Iām also wondering how account creation/invites work on this, because if Iām setting it up for a couple family members, the admin side being simple matters almost as much as the apps connecting cleanly.
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