Heimdall

Heimdall is an open-source, self-hosted application dashboard that organizes web applications and bookmarks in a single location. It functions as a landing page or browser start page, allowing users to group links into a visual grid of tiles for quick access. This setup prevents links from being lost in standard browser bookmark folders by providing a dedicated visual interface for navigation.

The software is deployed as a web application on a server. It can be installed by cloning the repository and configuring a PHP environment or by using a multi-arch Docker image supporting x86-64, armhf, and arm64 architectures. Users can point their HTTP document root to the public folder and generate an encryption key to initialize the instance.

Key features

• Integration of a customizable search bar using Google, Bing, or DuckDuckGo
• Automatic icon and color assignment for supported Foundation apps
• Live status updates for Enhanced apps via API integrations
• Ability to search for dashboard tiles by name
• Support for custom background images
• Multi-language support with translations for over 20 languages
• Configuration of search providers via a YAML file

Built with Laravel 11, the application requires PHP 8.4 and several standard extensions, including cURL, DOM, and OpenSSL. It uses SQLite for data storage and requires the php-zip extension for installation. The system is designed for users who manage multiple self-hosted services, such as media servers or network tools, and need a centralized entry point. It supports deployment behind reverse proxies and allows for the use of self-signed certificates for internal API communication, which is useful for users managing local CAs.

For those using Docker, the application supports internal networking addresses to communicate with other containers. The software also provides specific configuration guidelines for Apache and Nginx to ensure that routing and webfonts function correctly within a server environment. This makes it suitable for users running a variety of backend infrastructures.

Heimdall serves as a personal workspace organizer for users managing a home server or a collection of web-based tools.