vlt-go

README

vlt-go

A cross-platform terminal-based, fully local password manager written in Go. Secure, simple, and deliberate.

Supports Linux and Windows.

Installation & Setup

Prerequisites

• Go 1.19 or later installed (https://go.dev/dl/)
• Build Tools (required for CGO compilation):
  • Linux: Install build-essential

    sudo apt update
    sudo apt install build-essential
    

  • Windows: Install GCC (via MinGW-w64 or TDM-GCC)
    • MinGW-w64: https://www.mingw-w64.org/downloads/
    • TDM-GCC: https://jmeubank.github.io/tdm-gcc/

Install Globally

Method 1: Direct Install (Recommended)

Install vlt_go and vlt_daemon_go directly from GitHub:

Linux:

# Enable CGO and install both binaries
export CGO_ENABLED=1
go install github.com/dvdagreat/vlt-go/cmd/vlt_go@latest
go install github.com/dvdagreat/vlt-go/cmd/vlt_daemon_go@latest

Windows (PowerShell):

# Enable CGO and install both binaries
$env:CGO_ENABLED=1
go install github.com/dvdagreat/vlt-go/cmd/vlt_go@latest
go install github.com/dvdagreat/vlt-go/cmd/vlt_daemon_go@latest

Windows (CMD):

REM Enable CGO and install both binaries
set CGO_ENABLED=1
go install github.com/dvdagreat/vlt-go/cmd/vlt_go@latest
go install github.com/dvdagreat/vlt-go/cmd/vlt_daemon_go@latest

Method 2: Clone and Install

Clone the repository and install locally:

Linux:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/dvdagreat/vlt-go.git
cd vlt-go

# Enable CGO and install both binaries globally
export CGO_ENABLED=1
go install ./cmd/vlt_go
go install ./cmd/vlt_daemon_go

Windows (PowerShell):

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/dvdagreat/vlt-go.git
cd vlt-go

# Enable CGO and install both binaries globally
$env:CGO_ENABLED=1
go install ./cmd/vlt_go
go install ./cmd/vlt_daemon_go

Windows (CMD):

REM Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/dvdagreat/vlt-go.git
cd vlt-go

REM Enable CGO and install both binaries globally
set CGO_ENABLED=1
go install ./cmd/vlt_go
go install ./cmd/vlt_daemon_go

The binaries will be installed to $GOPATH/bin/ (or %GOPATH%\bin\ on Windows), which should be in your PATH.

Verify installation:

vlt_go --help

---

Usage

Adding a credential:

vlt_go pass add

Retrieving a credential to clipboard:

vlt_go pass get

Editing a credential:

vlt_go pass edit

Removing a credential:

vlt_go pass rm

Viewing help and commands:

vlt_go --help
# or for specific commands
vlt_go pass --help

Using the Daemon

If you don't want to type your master password for every command, run the daemon in a dedicated terminal window:

vlt_daemon_go

While running, vlt_go will automatically pull the cached password for 5 minutes (configurable).

---

Goals

vlt-go is designed to be a universal store for:

• Credentials and passwords
• Access tokens (API keys, OAuth tokens, etc.)
• Security and emergency recovery keys
• Private keys (SSH, etc.)

Essentially, if it can be stored as text, vlt-go can protect it behind a single master password.

Why another password manager?

Most modern solutions (1Password, NordPass, Proton Pass, etc.) are cloud-based and closed-source. While convenient, they introduce specific risks that vlt-go eliminates:

• Cloud Exposure: Cloud-based credentials can technically be accessed from anywhere—even if you don't want them to be.
• Single Point of Failure: Large-scale password SaaS platforms are "honeypots" for hackers; a single breach can expose millions of users.
• Closed Source Lack of Transparency: Proprietary encryption logic lacks public auditability. You have to trust the company is using industry-grade methods.
• True Zero-Knowledge: Many platforms claim zero-knowledge, but they still manage your recovery and account access.

The vlt-go Approach

• Local-First: vlt-go is fully offline. Your data never leaves your machine. No "Account Compromised" emails, because there is no account—just your local system.
• Open Source: The code is transparent and open for community audit. Vulnerabilities can be identified and patched by anyone, free from corporate gatekeeping.
• Strict Zero-Knowledge: Security is enforced locally. If you lose your master password, even the tool cannot recover your data. You are in total control.

Features

• Secure Storage — Add, retrieve, and manage credentials via an intuitive CLI. Data is stored in a locally encrypted SQLite database.
• Master Password Protection — Only one password to remember. The master password is never stored on disk, placing the full weight of security in the user's hands.
• Smart Daemon Tool — The vlt_daemon_go caches your master password in memory for 5 minutes, balancing high security with developer productivity. Uses Unix sockets on Linux/macOS and Named Pipes on Windows for secure inter-process communication.
• Lightweight & Native — No GUI bloat or heavy external dependencies. Built for speed and shell integration.
• Hardened Security — Utilizes the Argon2 hashing algorithm for robust key derivation, ensuring your data is protected by industry-standard cryptography.
• Cross-Platform — Works seamlessly on Linux and Windows with platform-specific optimizations.

Downsides of using vlt-go

• (accessibility) You lose the ability to access your passwords across machines.
• (accessibility) You can't use Autofill (...yet!)
• (human psychology) You need to be careful against social engineering by hackers. If they get your master password then they can access all your passwords.
• (accessibility) If you forget your master password, there is no way to restore your password due to zero knowledge architecture.

Architecture

The project is structured into multiple packages:

• cmd/vlt_go: Main CLI application
• cmd/vlt_daemon_go: Background daemon for credential caching
• pkg/crypto: Encryption and key derivation (AES-256-GCM, Argon2)
• pkg/storage: SQLite-based persistent storage
• pkg/daemon: Daemon server implementation
• internal/cli: CLI command handlers
• internal/utils: Utility functions

Security

• Encryption: AES-256-GCM
• Key Derivation: Argon2id with configurable parameters
• Password Hashing: Argon2id with salt
• Session Management: In-memory caching with 5-minute timeout

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

Credits

This is a Go port of vlt-rs, the original Rust implementation.