Plik

This is a repackaged open source software product wherein additional charges apply for cloudimg support services.

## Deploy a Private Temporary File-Sharing Server in Minutes

Plik is a scalable, open source, self-hosted temporary file upload and sharing service. Users upload one or more files through a clean web interface or the HTTP API, choose how long they should live, and receive short shareable links that expire automatically. Optional one-shot links that self-destruct after a single download, password-protected uploads, streaming uploads that are never written to disk, and markdown comments make Plik a flexible replacement for emailing large attachments or standing up ad hoc file drops. This AMI delivers Plik fully installed and reverse-proxied behind nginx with TLS, so a production-ready file-sharing service is operational within minutes of launch, with no manual package installation, no dependency troubleshooting and no proxy configuration required.

## Why This AMI vs. Self-Deploying From GitHub

Deploying Plik from source means installing and configuring the server, wiring up nginx as a TLS reverse proxy, hardening authentication, provisioning storage and managing systemd services - typically several hours of work for an experienced engineer. This AMI handles all of that for you:

• Zero-touch deployment - Launch the instance and browse to its address. The service is already running behind TLS in under five minutes.
• Secure by default - Plik normally allows open anonymous uploads. This image forces authentication so every upload requires a valid account or API token, and open self-registration is impossible. On first boot a one-shot service generates a unique administrator account and API token and writes them to a root-only file. No shared or default credentials ship in the image.
• Dedicated storage volume - The metadata database and uploaded files reside on a separately attached EBS volume that you can resize independently of the root volume.
• Production-grade stack - The Plik server binds only to loopback; nginx terminates TLS with a certificate generated per instance and reverse-proxies to it, streaming uploads up to ten gigabytes. All components run as managed systemd services and start automatically on boot.

## Application Architecture

Plik stores metadata in an embedded SQLite database and files on the attached data volume, supports configurable default and maximum time to live, per-upload size limits, and a bundled command line client for scripted uploads. The server binds to loopback and is fronted by nginx, which is the sole network-facing surface and terminates TLS. It is a strong foundation for teams that need quick, expiring, authenticated file sharing without depending on a third-party service.

## Use Cases

• Send large files without a third party - Unlike WeTransfer or similar public SaaS transfer services, your data never leaves your AWS account. Share big attachments on infrastructure you control without routing sensitive data through external servers.
• Data residency and compliance - Run a private file-drop inside your own VPC where data never leaves your chosen AWS Region and links expire automatically, satisfying data sovereignty requirements that public file-sharing services cannot meet.
• Automated, expiring file drops - Use API tokens and the bundled client to push build artifacts, reports or logs into short-lived, authenticated share links from scripts and pipelines. Unlike manual GitHub deployments, the API token and CLI are preconfigured and ready to use.

## Evaluation Path

To evaluate the product at minimal cost, launch the AMI on a t3.micro or t3.small instance with a small data volume. This lets you explore the web interface, test API uploads, and validate the security model before scaling to a production instance type.

## 24/7 cloudimg Support

Every subscription includes around-the-clock technical support from cloudimg engineers via email and live chat. We help with:

• Initial deployment and first-boot credential retrieval
• Upgrades to new Plik releases
• Reverse proxy and TLS termination configuration, including bringing your own domain and CA certificate
• Authentication, API token and upload policy tuning
• Data volume administration, backups and recovery

Critical issues receive a one-hour average response time. Unlike deploying Plik from GitHub on your own, you have dedicated engineering support for the full lifecycle of your deployment.

## Getting Started

1. Launch the AMI from AWS Marketplace in your preferred Region.

2. Once the instance is running, retrieve the administrator password and API token from the root-only credentials file.

3. Browse to the instance public address over HTTPS and sign in as the generated admin, or use the API token to upload from scripts.

4. Set default and maximum time-to-live, configure a real domain and CA certificate, and start sharing.