Air-gapped Mode
Chinaski can run entirely disconnected from the internet, installed from an offline bundle with outbound calls disabled at the app's core. This page orients you; subpages cover the mechanics: what the switch disables, how to install offline, how to operate without certificates forever, and how to receive updates by hand.
- The air-gap switch: exactly what
CHINASKI_AIRGAP=1disables and what still works. - Offline installation: building a bundle on a connected machine and installing without internet.
- No-certificate deployment: the end-of-the-world mode without a reverse proxy, TLS, or DNS.
- Offline updates: the signed bundle approach to receiving releases.
One-line orientation
After the initial install, Chinaski performs no outbound connections; it's part of the design, not a setting you have to babysit. The installer writes the air-gap switch into your env file on first install and the application tells you in its startup log whether air-gap mode is active.
In this section
Also in Air-gapped Mode
Set CHINASKI_AIRGAP=1 to turn off all outbound network features at once: webhooks, deploys, Turnstile, admin email, and update checks.
Install Chinaski on a machine with no internet access: build the bundle on a connected machine, verify its checksum, and install offline.
Run Chinaski with no TLS, DNS, or proxy in EOTW mode: the bundled hypnotoad config, required env vars, and how client IPs stay trustworthy.
Apply Chinaski updates in air-gapped environments: the signed release bundle, its Ed25519 signature, and running apply_update.sh.