Security Best Practices

Hrida Terminal gives AI real power to run commands and manage files. Here's how to make sure that power is used safely.

Use Docker

Always use Docker unless you specifically need direct access to your machine. Docker isolates Hrida Terminal in its own container: it has its own filesystem, its own processes, and can't access anything on your host computer unless you explicitly allow it.

docker run -d --name hrida-terminal -p 8000:8000 \
  --memory 2g --cpus 2 \
  -v hrida-terminal:/home/user \
  -e HRIDA_TERMINAL_API_KEY=your-secret-key \
  ghcr.io/hrida-ai/hrida-terminal

The --memory 2g and --cpus 2 flags prevent runaway processes from consuming all your machine's resources.

Running without Docker

Without Docker (bare metal mode), the AI can run any command with your user's permissions — including deleting files, installing software, or accessing anything your account can access. Only use bare metal on your own personal machine for personal projects.

Always set a password

Without an API key, anyone who can reach the port has full access — they can run commands, read files, and control the terminal.

-e HRIDA_TERMINAL_API_KEY=a-strong-password-here

For production, use a config file or Docker secrets instead of putting the key on the command line.

Use admin connections (not user connections)

When connecting to Hrida.ai, prefer the admin-configured approach:

	Admin-configured	User-configured
API key visibility	Hidden on the server	Stored in the user's browser
Requests go through	Hrida.ai's backend	Directly from the browser
Terminal network access needed from	Just the Hrida.ai server	Every user's computer

Admin-configured connections keep the API key out of users' browsers and let you control who has access.

Limit resources

Prevent a runaway script from consuming all available CPU and memory:

deploy:
  resources:
    limits:
      memory: 2G
      cpus: "2.0"

If a process exceeds these limits, Docker throttles it (CPU) or kills it (memory). Your server stays healthy.

Network isolation

For the most secure setup, put Hrida Terminal on a private Docker network that only Hrida.ai can reach:

services:
  hrida-ai:
    image: ghcr.io/hrida-ai/hrida-ai-studio:latest
    ports:
      - "3000:8080"
    networks:
      - public
      - internal

  hrida-terminal:
    image: ghcr.io/hrida-ai/hrida-terminal
    # Notice: no ports exposed to the outside
    networks:
      - internal

networks:
  public:
  internal:
    internal: true   # No internet access from this network

This means:

Hrida.ai can reach Hrida Terminal at http://hrida-terminal:8000
Hrida Terminal is not accessible from the internet
Hrida Terminal cannot make outbound internet requests

Egress filtering

If Hrida Terminal needs some internet access (to install packages, for example), you can restrict it to specific domains:

Only these domains will be reachable. Everything else is blocked. This prevents:

Unauthorized data leaving the container
Downloading unexpected software
Accessing internal services you didn't intend

Docker socket warning

The Docker container can optionally access your host's Docker (to let the AI build images, run containers, etc.):

-v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock

Only for trusted environments

Mounting the Docker socket gives the container full control over your host's Docker. This is effectively root access on your machine. Anyone with terminal access could:

Run containers that mount your entire filesystem
Access your host's network
Manage every container on your machine

Only do this if you fully trust everyone who has access to the terminal.

Security checklist

✅	Recommendation
☐	Use Docker, not bare metal
☐	Set a strong API key
☐	Use admin-configured connections
☐	Set memory and CPU limits
☐	Use network isolation (internal Docker network)
☐	Enable egress filtering if internet access isn't needed
☐	Don't mount the Docker socket unless necessary
☐	Use `slim` or `alpine` images if you don't need runtime package installs

Use Docker​

Always set a password​

Use admin connections (not user connections)​

Limit resources​

Network isolation​

Egress filtering​

Docker socket warning​

Security checklist​

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