Deploying IT-Tools

Introduction

IT-Tools is a comprehensive collection of handy online tools for developers, sysadmins, and IT professionals. Created by Corentin Thomasset, this self-hosted application brings together dozens of utilities that you might otherwise search for individually across the web - from encoders and converters to generators and formatters.

The beauty of IT-Tools lies in its convenience. Instead of hunting for a Base64 encoder, then a different site for UUID generation, then another for hash calculations, you have everything in one clean, privacy-respecting interface that runs on your own infrastructure.

Key highlights of IT-Tools:

• Encoding/Decoding: Base64, URL encoding, HTML entities, JWT decoder
• Converters: JSON to YAML, Unix timestamp, color formats, number bases
• Generators: UUIDs, passwords, Lorem Ipsum, QR codes, fake data
• Hash Functions: MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, bcrypt, and more
• Text Tools: Case converter, text diff, regex tester, string utilities
• Network Tools: IPv4/IPv6 subnet calculator, MAC address lookup
• Development: JSON formatter, SQL formatter, cron expression parser
• Cryptography: RSA key pair generator, encryption/decryption tools
• Math Tools: Math evaluator, percentage calculator, unit converters
• Privacy Focused: All processing happens client-side in your browser
• Clean Interface: Modern, responsive design with dark mode support

This guide walks through deploying IT-Tools on Klutch.sh using Docker, giving your team a private utility toolkit.

Why Deploy IT-Tools on Klutch.sh

Deploying IT-Tools on Klutch.sh provides several advantages for your development workflow:

Simplified Deployment: Klutch.sh automatically detects your Dockerfile and builds IT-Tools without manual server configuration. Push to GitHub and your toolkit deploys automatically.

Privacy: All tools process data client-side in the browser. Deploying your own instance means no data leaves your infrastructure.

HTTPS by Default: Klutch.sh provides automatic SSL certificates, ensuring secure access to your tools.

GitHub Integration: Connect your configuration repository directly from GitHub. Updates trigger automatic redeployments.

Always Available: Access your utility toolkit from anywhere without relying on third-party services.

Custom Domains: Assign a custom domain for easy team access.

Lightweight: IT-Tools has minimal resource requirements, making it cost-effective to host.

Prerequisites

Before deploying IT-Tools on Klutch.sh, ensure you have:

• A Klutch.sh account
• A GitHub account with a repository for your IT-Tools configuration
• Basic familiarity with Docker and containerization concepts

Understanding IT-Tools Architecture

IT-Tools is built with simplicity in mind:

Vue.js Frontend: The entire application runs in the browser as a single-page application.

Static Hosting: No backend processing - the Nginx server simply delivers static files.

Client-Side Processing: All encoding, decoding, and generation happens in your browser, never on the server.

Preparing Your Repository

To deploy IT-Tools on Klutch.sh, create a GitHub repository containing your Dockerfile.

Repository Structure

it-tools-deploy/
├── Dockerfile
└── .dockerignore

Creating the Dockerfile

Create a Dockerfile in the root of your repository:

FROM corentinth/it-tools:latest

# Set timezone (optional)
ENV TZ=${TZ:-UTC}

# Expose the web interface port
EXPOSE 80

# Health check
HEALTHCHECK --interval=30s --timeout=10s --start-period=10s --retries=3 \
  CMD wget --no-verbose --tries=1 --spider http://localhost:80/ || exit 1

Alternative Dockerfile with Custom Base URL

If you need to serve IT-Tools from a subdirectory:

FROM node:18-alpine AS builder

# Clone and build IT-Tools
RUN apk add --no-cache git
RUN git clone https://github.com/CorentinTh/it-tools.git /app
WORKDIR /app

# Set base URL if serving from subdirectory
ENV BASE_URL=/tools/

# Install dependencies and build
RUN npm ci
RUN npm run build

# Production image
FROM nginx:alpine

# Copy built files
COPY --from=builder /app/dist /usr/share/nginx/html

# Copy nginx configuration for SPA routing
RUN echo 'server { \
    listen 80; \
    root /usr/share/nginx/html; \
    index index.html; \
    location / { \
        try_files $uri $uri/ /index.html; \
    } \
}' > /etc/nginx/conf.d/default.conf

EXPOSE 80

HEALTHCHECK --interval=30s --timeout=10s --start-period=10s --retries=3 \
  CMD wget --no-verbose --tries=1 --spider http://localhost:80/ || exit 1

Environment Variables Reference

IT-Tools has minimal configuration needs:

Variable	Required	Default	Description
TZ	No	UTC	Server timezone
BASE_URL	No	/	Base URL path for subdirectory hosting
VITE_LANGUAGE	No	en	Default interface language

Deploying IT-Tools on Klutch.sh

Once your repository is prepared, follow these steps to deploy IT-Tools:

Push Your Repository to GitHub

Initialize your repository and push to GitHub:

git init
git add Dockerfile .dockerignore
git commit -m "Initial IT-Tools deployment configuration"
git remote add origin https://github.com/yourusername/it-tools-deploy.git
git push -u origin main

Create a New Project on Klutch.sh

Navigate to the Klutch.sh dashboard and create a new project. Give it a descriptive name like “tools” or “it-tools”.

Create a New App

Within your project, create a new app. Connect your GitHub account if you haven’t already, then select the repository containing your IT-Tools Dockerfile.

Configure HTTP Traffic

IT-Tools serves its web interface over HTTP. In the deployment settings:

• Select HTTP as the traffic type
• Set the internal port to 80

Set Environment Variables (Optional)

In the environment variables section, you can optionally set:

Variable	Value
TZ	Your timezone (e.g., America/New_York)

Deploy Your Application

Click Deploy to start the build process. Klutch.sh will:

• Detect your Dockerfile automatically
• Build the container image (or use the pre-built image)
• Start the IT-Tools container
• Provision an HTTPS certificate

Access IT-Tools

Once deployment completes, access your IT-Tools instance at https://your-app-name.klutch.sh. All tools are immediately available.

Available Tools

IT-Tools includes a comprehensive collection organized by category:

Crypto

• Token generator: Create random tokens and strings
• Hash text: MD5, SHA1, SHA256, SHA512 hashes
• Bcrypt: Hash and verify bcrypt passwords
• UUIDs generator: Generate v1, v4, and v5 UUIDs
• Encrypt/Decrypt: AES encryption and decryption
• RSA key pair: Generate RSA public/private keys
• JWT parser: Decode and inspect JWT tokens

Converter

• Date/time converter: Unix timestamps, ISO dates
• Base converter: Binary, octal, decimal, hex
• Color converter: HEX, RGB, HSL conversions
• JSON to YAML: Bidirectional conversion
• JSON to CSV: Transform data formats
• Number base converter: Convert between bases

Web

• URL encoder/decoder: Encode/decode URL components
• HTML entities: Encode/decode HTML entities
• URL parser: Break down URL components
• QR code generator: Create QR codes for any text
• HTTP status codes: Reference for HTTP codes
• MIME types: Look up MIME type information

Development

• JSON formatter: Pretty-print and validate JSON
• SQL formatter: Format SQL queries
• Regex tester: Test regular expressions
• Cron expression: Parse and generate cron expressions
• Diff: Compare two texts
• Lorem Ipsum: Generate placeholder text

Network

• IPv4 subnet calculator: Calculate network ranges
• IPv4 address converter: Convert IP formats
• MAC address lookup: Identify vendors
• IPv6 ULA generator: Generate unique local addresses

Math

• Math evaluator: Calculate expressions
• Percentage calculator: Compute percentages
• ETA calculator: Estimate time remaining

Text

• Case converter: UPPER, lower, Title, etc.
• Text statistics: Word count, character count
• Numeronym generator: Create abbreviations
• ASCII art: Convert text to ASCII art
• Text to NATO alphabet: Phonetic spelling

Images

• QR code generator: Create QR codes
• SVG placeholder: Generate placeholder images
• Camera/screenshot: Capture images (browser permitting)

Using IT-Tools

Quick Access

The home page shows all available tools. Use the search bar to quickly find specific utilities.

Favorites

Click the star icon on frequently used tools to add them to your favorites for quick access.

Dark Mode

Toggle dark mode using the theme switcher in the header for comfortable viewing in any lighting.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Many tools support keyboard shortcuts:

• Ctrl/Cmd + Enter: Execute/Convert
• Ctrl/Cmd + K: Open search

Security Considerations

Client-Side Processing

All IT-Tools operations happen in your browser:

• Data never leaves your device
• No server-side logging of inputs
• Safe for sensitive data processing

Self-Hosting Benefits

Deploying your own instance ensures:

• No third-party tracking
• Control over access
• Compliance with data policies

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Tools Not Loading

Symptoms: Tools page shows loading spinner indefinitely.

Solutions:

• Clear browser cache
• Check browser console for JavaScript errors
• Ensure HTTPS certificate is valid

Slow Performance

Symptoms: Operations take longer than expected.

Solutions:

• Large operations (like hashing big files) are CPU-bound in the browser
• Use a more powerful device for intensive operations
• Split large inputs into smaller chunks

Additional Resources

• IT-Tools Demo Site
• IT-Tools GitHub Repository
• IT-Tools Docker Image
• Klutch.sh Deployments

Conclusion

Deploying IT-Tools on Klutch.sh gives you a private collection of developer utilities with automatic builds, secure HTTPS access, and the peace of mind that comes from self-hosting. The client-side architecture means your data stays in your browser, making it safe for processing sensitive information.

Whether you’re encoding data, generating UUIDs, testing regex patterns, or performing dozens of other common development tasks, IT-Tools on Klutch.sh provides a convenient, always-available toolkit that respects your privacy.