Standalone + Ngrok

This guide will walk you through setting up S.I.M.P as a standalone application and exposing it to the internet using Ngrok.

Prerequisites

• Download the latest standalone release for your operating system from the GitHub releases page
• Ngrok account (free tier is sufficient)
• Ngrok CLI installed on your system

Steps

1. Download and Extract

1. Download the appropriate standalone release for your operating system
2. Extract the archive to your desired location

2. Configure S.I.M.P

1. Locate the config.yaml file in the extracted directory
2. Configure the file according to your needs (refer to the Configuration Guide)
3. Make sure to set the server.host to localhost or 127.0.0.1 and choose a port (default is 3000)

3. Set Up Ngrok

1. Sign up for a free Ngrok account if you haven't already
2. Install Ngrok following the official documentation
3. Authenticate Ngrok with your auth token:

   ngrok config add-authtoken YOUR_AUTH_TOKEN

4. Start S.I.M.P

1. Run the standalone executable:
   • On Windows: Double click the .exe file or run it from command prompt
   • On Linux: Make the file executable with chmod +x ./simp and run it with ./simp
2. Verify that S.I.M.P is running by accessing http://localhost:3000 (or your configured port)

5. Start Ngrok Tunnel

1. Open a new terminal window
2. Start Ngrok, pointing to your S.I.M.P port, set in config.yaml:

   ngrok http 3000

3. Ngrok will provide you with a public URL (e.g., https://random-string.ngrok.io)

Important Notes

• The Ngrok URL changes every time you restart Ngrok (unless you have a paid plan)
• Update your ShareX configuration to use the new Ngrok URL
• For production use, consider:
  • Using a paid Ngrok plan for a fixed domain
  • Setting up proper authentication
  • Using a reverse proxy like Nginx or Caddy instead

Security Considerations

• Always use HTTPS (Ngrok provides this by default)
• Set up authentication in your config.yaml
• Be cautious with file permissions
• Monitor your Ngrok dashboard for unusual traffic

Troubleshooting

• If S.I.M.P isn't accessible via Ngrok:
  • Verify S.I.M.P is running locally
  • Check if the ports match in both S.I.M.P config and Ngrok command
  • Ensure your firewall isn't blocking the connections
  • Check Ngrok's status in their dashboard