Container sets its data directory's owner and mode itself (#353)

Closes #340.

The image no longer sets `USER`. Its new `ENTRYPOINT`, `deploy/docker-entrypoint.sh`, starts as root, creates `DATA_DIR` if missing, gives the directory and anything in it owned by another user to `webhooker` (UID 1000), sets the directory to `0750`, and runs the command as `webhooker` through `su-exec`. An empty root-owned bind mount, or data left by another UID, now works as mounted; the app never runs as root and is still PID 1. `CMD` is still `/app/webhooker`, so the `resetpw` commands are unchanged. Started with `--user`, the script only runs the command. It is in `/usr/local/bin`, not `/app`, which belongs to `webhooker`.

README: the UID 1000 ownership block, the upaas pre-deploy commands and the restore ownership step are gone; the upaas volume bullet names only the path.

- Judgement call: `su-exec` over `setpriv`: Alpine's small tool for this, needing only musl; busybox's `setpriv` cannot change user, and util-linux's adds `libcap-ng`.
- Deviation: `su-exec` is pinned by version (`0.2-r3`), not by hash; `ca-certificates` beside it is unpinned.
- Judgement call: each start reads every entry's owner but changes only entries owned by someone else.
- `docker exec` and the health check now run as root, since the image sets no `USER`.
- No automated test covers the script: the suite runs inside `docker build`, which cannot start a container.
- A missing host directory under upaas is sneak/upaas#235.

Model: opus-5-5
Reviewed-on: #353
Co-authored-by: clawbot <35+clawbot@noreply.example.org>

.dockerignore

@@ -3,8 +3,10 @@
 # stage of the Dockerfile.
 .git/
 bin/
-# Extracted from 3p/ by `make assets` inside the build; a host copy is not
+# Third-party browser assets are fetched and hash-verified inside the build by
-# needed. The tarball in 3p/ must stay in the context.
+# script/fetch-assets. Excluding any host copy keeps a developer's working tree
+# from supplying the bytes that get shipped. The script and its
+# static/vendor.sha256 manifest stay in the context.
 static/js/alpine.min.js
 *.md
 LICENSE

.gitignore

@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ temp/
 # CI cache barrier, written into the build context by the check workflow
 .ci-fingerprint
 
-# Alpine.js, extracted by `make assets` from its tarball in 3p/, which is
+# Third-party browser assets, fetched and hash-verified by
-# what is committed.
+# script/fetch-assets against static/vendor.sha256. Not committed:
+# REPO_POLICIES.md forbids minified bundles in version control.
 /static/js/alpine.min.js 

Dockerfile

@@ -51,8 +51,15 @@ RUN go mod download
 # the lint stage above.
 COPY . .
 
-# Run tests and build. Both first run script/assets, which extracts Alpine.js
+# Fetch the third-party browser assets the UI serves. They are not committed
-# from its tarball in 3p/.
+# (REPO_POLICIES.md forbids minified bundles in version control) and
+# .dockerignore keeps any host copy out of the build context, so this step is
+# the only way they enter the image. Each download is checked against a
+# hardcoded sha256 and the build fails on mismatch; make test re-checks the
+# hashes against the bytes go:embed actually put in the binary.
+RUN script/fetch-assets
+
+# Run tests and build
 RUN make test
 
 # Version stamped into the binary. .dockerignore excludes .git/, so
@@ -60,8 +67,8 @@ RUN make test
 # host and passes it in. The default is what a bare `docker build .`
 # with no --build-arg gets, and it names no tag the tree may not be at.
 #
-# Declared here, below the test step, so a changed version does not
+# Declared here, below the test and asset steps, so a changed version
-# invalidate its cached layer.
+# does not invalidate their cached layers.
 ARG VERSION=unknown
 
 RUN make build VERSION="$VERSION"
@@ -81,7 +88,9 @@ RUN CGO_ENABLED=1 make build VERSION="$VERSION" GO_LDFLAGS='-extldflags "-static
 # alpine:3.21, 2026-03-17
 FROM alpine:3.21@sha256:c3f8e73fdb79deaebaa2037150150191b9dcbfba68b4a46d70103204c53f4709
 
-RUN apk --no-cache add ca-certificates
+# su-exec 0.2-r3 (Alpine 3.21), 2026-09-29: the entrypoint runs the app
+# as webhooker with it.
+RUN apk --no-cache add ca-certificates su-exec=0.2-r3
 
 # Create non-root user
 RUN addgroup -g 1000 -S webhooker && \
@@ -92,13 +101,17 @@ WORKDIR /app
 # Copy binary from builder
 COPY --from=builder /build/bin/webhooker /app/webhooker
 
+# Not under /app, which belongs to webhooker: this script runs as root.
+COPY deploy/docker-entrypoint.sh /usr/local/bin/docker-entrypoint.sh
+
 # Create data directory for all SQLite databases (main app DB +
 # per-webhook event DBs). DATA_DIR defaults to /var/lib/webhooker.
 RUN mkdir -p /var/lib/webhooker
 
 RUN chown -R webhooker:webhooker /app /var/lib/webhooker
 
-USER webhooker
+# No USER: the entrypoint starts as root to make the data directory
+# webhooker's, then runs the app as webhooker.
 
 EXPOSE 8080
 
@@ -117,4 +130,5 @@ ENV BIND_ADDRESS=0.0.0.0
 HEALTHCHECK --interval=30s --timeout=3s --start-period=5s --retries=3 \
     CMD wget --no-verbose --tries=1 --spider http://localhost:8080/.well-known/healthcheck || exit 1
 
+ENTRYPOINT ["/usr/local/bin/docker-entrypoint.sh"]
 CMD ["/app/webhooker"]

Makefile

@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ setup:
 	@script/setup
 
 assets:
-	@script/assets
+	@script/fetch-assets
 
 test:
 	@script/test
@@ -45,13 +45,13 @@ fmt-check:
 check:
 	@script/check
 
-build: assets
+build:
 	go build -ldflags '$(strip -X main.version=$(VERSION) $(GO_LDFLAGS))' -o bin/webhooker ./cmd/webhooker
 
 run: build
 	./bin/webhooker
 
-dev: assets
+dev:
 	go run ./cmd/webhooker
 
 deps:

README.md

@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ before deploying one.
 - Go 1.26.1+ (the version in `go.mod`)
 - Docker (for linting, for the test stage of the CI gate, and for
   containerized deployment)
+- `curl`, used by `script/fetch-assets` to download the third-party
+  browser assets, which are not committed (`make bootstrap` installs
+  it if missing)
 
 golangci-lint is not a prerequisite and must not be installed on the
 host: `script/bootstrap` does not install it, and `make lint` runs the
@@ -33,7 +36,9 @@ digest-pinned linter image via `Dockerfile.lint`.
 git clone https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/webhooker.git
 cd webhooker
 
-# Install the Go toolchain if missing, and the Go dependencies
+# Install Go dependencies and the third-party browser assets.
+# `make deps` alone is not enough: it only runs go mod download/tidy,
+# and the checks below need the fetched assets.
 make bootstrap
 
 # Run all checks (test, lint, format check)
@@ -53,7 +58,7 @@ make docker
 ```bash
 make bootstrap  # Install all dependencies (idempotent)
 make setup      # Bootstrap + install git pre-commit hook
-make assets     # Extract Alpine.js from 3p/ (test, check, build, dev run it)
+make assets     # Fetch + verify third-party browser assets
 make fmt        # Format code (gofmt + goimports)
 make fmt-check  # Fail if gofmt would change anything (writes nothing)
 make lint       # Run golangci-lint in Docker (Dockerfile.lint)
@@ -533,6 +538,12 @@ its Argon2id hash. There is no second account and no forgot-password
 flow, so the banner and the reset command below are the only two ways
 in.
 
+A start that finds no `webhooker.db` in `DATA_DIR` also logs
+`created a new, empty database` at `WARN`, with the file's path,
+shortly before the banner. On a deployment that has run before, that
+line means `DATA_DIR` was empty, most often because its volume is not
+mounted.
+
 #### Recovering a lost admin password
 
 `webhooker resetpw` sets an existing account's password from the
@@ -547,8 +558,9 @@ printf '%s' "$NEW_PASSWORD" | \
     DATA_DIR=/var/lib/webhooker webhooker resetpw admin
 ```
 
-In a container it is the same binary, which the image sets as `CMD`
+In a container it is the same binary. The image's `CMD` is
-rather than `ENTRYPOINT`, so the whole command has to be given:
+`/app/webhooker`, and a command given to `docker run` replaces all of
+it, so the whole command has to be given:
 
 ```bash
 docker run --rm -v webhooker-data:/var/lib/webhooker \
@@ -685,38 +697,22 @@ those three values rather than trusting the figure. Measured at 65s on
 Docker 29.7.2.) A container `unhealthy` with `connection refused` in
 its health log, or a published port that resets connections, is this.
 
-The container runs as a non-root user (`webhooker`, UID 1000), exposes
+The app runs as a non-root user (`webhooker`, UID 1000), exposes port
-port 8080, and includes a health check against
+8080, and includes a health check against `/.well-known/healthcheck`.
-`/.well-known/healthcheck`. The `/var/lib/webhooker` volume holds all
+The `/var/lib/webhooker` volume holds all SQLite databases: the main
-SQLite databases: the main application database (`webhooker.db`), the
+application database (`webhooker.db`), the per-webhook event databases
-per-webhook event databases (`events-{uuid}.db`), and any archive
+(`events-{uuid}.db`), and any archive databases written by `database`
-databases written by `database` targets (`archive-{uuid}.db`). Mount
+targets (`archive-{uuid}.db`). Mount this as a persistent volume to
-this as a persistent volume to preserve data across container
+preserve data across container restarts.
-restarts.
 
-**The bind-mounted directory must be owned by UID 1000, or the
+**The container sets its data directory's owner and mode itself
-container does not start.** Docker creates a `-v` source path that
+before the app starts**, so a host directory can be mounted as it is,
-does not exist yet as `root:root`, and the process runs as UID 1000,
+whoever owns it. The image's `ENTRYPOINT`,
-so it cannot take its `DATA_DIR` lock:
+`deploy/docker-entrypoint.sh`, starts as root, creates `DATA_DIR` if
-
+it is missing, gives the directory and anything in it that belongs to
-```
+another user to `webhooker`, sets the directory to `0750`, and only
-webhooker: locking data directory /var/lib/webhooker: open
+then runs the app as `webhooker`. Started with `--user`, it changes
-/var/lib/webhooker/webhooker.lock: permission denied
+nothing and runs the app as that user.
-```
-
-It exits non-zero at that point, before opening any database. Create
-the directory ahead of the first `docker run`:
-
-```bash
-mkdir -p /path/to/data
-chown 1000:1000 /path/to/data
-chmod 750 /path/to/data
-```
-
-The same `chown` is what a restore needs — see step 4 of
-[Restore](#restore). A **named volume** does not have this problem:
-Docker copies the image's ownership onto a volume it initializes, and
-the image creates `/var/lib/webhooker` owned by `webhooker`.
 
 **The file modes are not yours to set, and do not depend on the
 directory.** `webhooker.db` holds target configuration in plaintext —
@@ -724,13 +720,10 @@ bearer tokens, API keys, Slack webhook URLs — along with the session
 encryption key, so webhooker creates every SQLite file it owns `0600`:
 each database and both of its `-wal` and `-shm` sidecars, across all
 three tiers. Files an earlier build left `0644` are tightened when
-they are opened. A `DATA_DIR` webhooker creates itself is `0750`, but
+they are opened. The directory's `0750` is defence in depth — it stops
-a bind mount supplies its own directory and Docker's default for one
+other local users listing the directory and learning your webhook
-it creates is `0755`; the `0600` files hold there regardless. The
+UUIDs from the `events-{uuid}.db` filenames — not the barrier
-`chmod 750` above is defence in depth — it stops other local users
+protecting the credentials.
-listing the directory and learning your webhook UUIDs from the
-`events-{uuid}.db` filenames — not the barrier protecting the
-credentials.
 
 ### Running under upaas
 
@@ -746,17 +739,6 @@ repository's `Dockerfile` and runs it. The app needs:
   app name, port `8080`. Leave `PORT` unset: the image's health check
   probes `8080`.
 - **Volume:** one host directory mounted at `/var/lib/webhooker`.
-  upaas bind-mounts the host path it is given and does not create it,
-  and the container does not start unless UID 1000 owns it (see
-  [Running with Docker](#running-with-docker)). Create it before the
-  first deploy:
-
-    ```bash
-    mkdir -p /path/to/data
-    chown 1000:1000 /path/to/data
-    chmod 750 /path/to/data
-    ```
-
 - **Environment variables:**
     - `WEBHOOKER_ENVIRONMENT=prod`
     - `TRUSTED_PROXIES`: your reverse proxy's address on that Docker
@@ -1015,12 +997,12 @@ done
 `.backup` reads through the WAL and writes a single consistent file with
 no sidecars of its own, so the destination is complete as it stands.
 Two caveats. First, the runtime image is `alpine:3.21` with only
-`ca-certificates` added — the `sqlite3` CLI is **not** in it, so run
+`ca-certificates` and `su-exec` added — the `sqlite3` CLI is **not** in
-this on the host against the volume path, or from a throwaway container
+it, so run this on the host against the volume path, or from a
-that mounts the volume. Second, each file is captured at its own
+throwaway container that mounts the volume. Second, each file is
-instant, so a webhook created or an event delivered between two files
+captured at its own instant, so a webhook created or an event delivered
-being copied lands in one and not the other. If you need the whole set
+between two files being copied lands in one and not the other. If you
-coherent as of a single moment, stop the service.
+need the whole set coherent as of a single moment, stop the service.
 
 Note that `sqlite3 <db> .dump` is **not** one of these procedures: it is
 an export, it holds a read transaction open for as long as it runs, and
@@ -1074,21 +1056,11 @@ with any `-wal`/`-shm` beside it, or wait until there are none.
    archive not opened since a crash. A copy salvaged from a crashed
    instance has them for everything, and needs all of them.
 
-4. **Fix ownership.** The container runs as the non-root `webhooker`
+4. Start the service. The container gives the directory and the
-   user, UID 1000 / GID 1000. Restored files must be owned by (or
+   restored files to the `webhooker` user before the app starts,
-   writable by) that UID, and so must the directory itself — SQLite
+   whoever restored them (see
-   creates the `-wal` and `-shm` sidecars beside the database, so a
+   [Running with Docker](#running-with-docker)). `AutoMigrate` runs
-   writable file inside a directory it cannot write is not enough:
+   against each restored database as it is opened.
-
-    ```bash
-    chown -R 1000:1000 /path/to/data
-    ```
-
-    Restoring as `root` on the host and forgetting this step is the
-    usual way a restore fails.
-
-5. Start the service. `AutoMigrate` runs against each restored database
-   as it is opened.
 
 ### Upgrades
 
@@ -1249,14 +1221,14 @@ This repository adheres to the
 standard: normalized scripts in `script/` are the entrypoints for the
 development workflow. Ten of the Makefile's seventeen targets are thin
 shims that call them; `build`, `run`, `dev`, `deps`, `clean`, `css` and
-`version` are inline commands with no script behind them, though `build`
+`version` are inline commands with no script behind them, though
-and `version` both take their value from `script/version`.
+`build` and `version` both take their value from `script/version`.
 
-`script/test`, `make build` and `make dev` each run `script/assets`
+`make check` needs the third-party browser assets in `static/`, which
-first, which writes the ignored `static/js/alpine.min.js` (see
+are not committed, so run `make bootstrap` (or just `make assets`) once
-[Third-party browser assets](#third-party-browser-assets)), so
+after cloning. Without them the tests fail with a message naming that
-`make test`, `make check` and the pre-commit hook work on a fresh clone
+remedy. `make check` does not fetch them itself because it must not
-without a separate step.
+change any files in the repo.
 
 We provide:
 
@@ -1264,8 +1236,8 @@ We provide:
 - `script/setup` — make a fresh clone ready for development
   (bootstrap, then install-precommit)
 - `script/projectname` — output the project name ("webhooker")
-- `script/assets` — extract Alpine.js from its tarball in `3p/` (see
+- `script/fetch-assets` — download the third-party browser assets into
-  [Third-party browser assets](#third-party-browser-assets))
+  `static/`, verifying each against its pinned sha256
 - `script/test` — run the test suite
 - `script/lint` — run golangci-lint in Docker (see Linting below)
 - `script/fmt` — format all code (writes)
@@ -1287,25 +1259,24 @@ We provide:
 
 ## Third-party browser assets
 
-The web UI serves one third-party script, Alpine.js. Its npm package tarball
+The web UI serves one third-party script, Alpine.js. It is **not** committed:
-is committed as `3p/alpinejs-3.14.9.tgz`, byte for byte as the npm registry
+a minified bundle in the tree is unreviewable, and `REPO_POLICIES.md` bars
-publishes it. It is a dependency, not this repo's build output, so
+both committed build artifacts and unpinned external references.
-`REPO_POLICIES.md`'s rule against committed build artifacts does not apply.
-The directory is `3p/` rather than `vendor/` because Go treats a root
-`vendor/` directory as its module vendor directory.
 
-`script/assets` (`make assets`) extracts the browser build,
+Instead `script/fetch-assets` downloads it from a pinned URL, checks the
-`package/dist/cdn.min.js`, from the tarball to `static/js/alpine.min.js`,
+download against a hardcoded sha256, and installs it under `static/`. The
-where `go:embed` picks it up. `script/test`, `make build` and `make dev` run
+sha256 of every installed asset is recorded in `static/vendor.sha256`, and
-it first, and the Dockerfile builds through `make test` and `make build`, so
+`static/vendor_test.go` re-hashes the bytes `go:embed` put in the binary
-nothing downloads Alpine.js. The extracted file is not committed, and
+against that manifest — so the pin is enforced on what actually ships, not
-`.dockerignore` keeps any host copy out of the build context.
+merely written down. Any mismatch fails the build.
 
-To move to a new version: download
+`make bootstrap` runs the fetch for local development, and the Dockerfile
-`https://registry.npmjs.org/alpinejs/-/alpinejs-<version>.tgz`, check it
+runs it in the build stage; `.gitignore` and `.dockerignore` keep the
-against the `dist.integrity` hash listed at
+artifact out of both the repo and the build context.
-`https://registry.npmjs.org/alpinejs/<version>`, replace the tarball in `3p/`
+
-with it, update its file name in `script/assets`, and run `make check`.
+To move to a new version: update the version, URL, and tarball sha256 in
+`script/fetch-assets` and the asset sha256 in `static/vendor.sha256`, then
+run `make assets && make check`.
 
 ## Rationale
 
@@ -2784,8 +2755,6 @@ imports. The entry point is `cmd/webhooker/main.go`.
 
 ```
 webhooker/
-├── 3p/
-│   └── alpinejs-3.14.9.tgz    # Alpine.js npm package, extracted by make assets
 ├── cmd/webhooker/
 │   └── main.go               # Entry point: subcommand dispatch; no args locks DATA_DIR and wires fx
 ├── internal/
@@ -2879,7 +2848,8 @@ webhooker/
 │   ├── css/tailwind.css       # Generated stylesheet the pages load
 │   ├── css/style.css          # Older hand-written stylesheet, no longer loaded
 │   ├── js/app.js              # Progressive-enhancement copy-to-clipboard
-│   └── js/alpine.min.js       # Alpine.js, extracted from 3p/ by make assets, not committed
+│   ├── js/alpine.min.js       # Alpine.js, fetched by script/fetch-assets, not committed
+│   └── vendor.sha256          # Pinned hashes the fetched assets are verified against
 ├── templates/                 # Go HTML templates (base, login, sources, etc.)
 ├── script/                    # Scripts to Rule Them All entrypoints
 ├── Dockerfile                 # Three stages: lint, test+build, Alpine runtime
@@ -3068,7 +3038,11 @@ check, see [The login endpoint](#the-login-endpoint).
 - Prometheus metrics behind basic auth
 - Static assets embedded in binary (no filesystem access needed at
   runtime)
-- Container runs as non-root user (UID 1000)
+- The app runs as the non-root `webhooker` user (UID 1000) in the
+  container. The image sets no `USER`, so these run as root: the
+  `ENTRYPOINT` script, which sets the data directory's owner and mode
+  before the app starts; the image's health check; and `docker exec`,
+  unless given `--user`
 - GORM soft deletes on every entity that carries `BaseModel`, which is
   all of them but `Setting` (data preserved for audit)
 
@@ -3187,18 +3161,21 @@ version is fixed independently of the compiler's:
    `make fmt-check`, then `golangci-lint config verify` and
    `golangci-lint run`, both with `--network=none`.
 2. **Builder stage** (`golang:1.26.1-bookworm`) — depends on the lint
-   stage passing (it copies a file from it), runs `make test` and
+   stage passing (it copies a file from it), runs `script/fetch-assets`
-   `make build` (both extract Alpine.js from `3p/` first), and finally
+   to download and verify the third-party browser assets, then runs
-   rebuilds the binary with `CGO_ENABLED=1` and static linking so it
+   `make test` and `make build`, and finally rebuilds the binary with
-   runs on musl. Both builds go through `make build`, the relink adding
+   `CGO_ENABLED=1` and static linking so it runs on musl. Both builds
-   its `-extldflags` via `GO_LDFLAGS`, so neither can drop the `-X` that
+   go through `make build`, the relink adding its `-extldflags` via
-   stamps the version. The version arrives as the `VERSION` build arg,
+   `GO_LDFLAGS`, so neither can drop the `-X` that stamps the version.
-   since the context has no `.git` (see
+   The version arrives as the `VERSION` build arg, since the context
-   [Version stamping](#version-stamping)).
+   has no `.git` (see [Version stamping](#version-stamping)).
-3. **Runtime stage** (`alpine:3.21`) — copies the static binary,
+3. **Runtime stage** (`alpine:3.21`) — copies the static binary and
-   creates the `/var/lib/webhooker` directory for all SQLite databases,
+   `deploy/docker-entrypoint.sh`, creates the `/var/lib/webhooker`
-   runs as the non-root `webhooker` user (UID 1000), exposes port 8080,
+   directory for all SQLite databases, exposes port 8080, and includes
-   and includes a health check against `/.well-known/healthcheck`.
+   a health check against `/.well-known/healthcheck`. It sets no
+   `USER`: the `ENTRYPOINT` script starts as root, sets the data
+   directory's owner and mode, and runs the app as the non-root
+   `webhooker` user (UID 1000) through `su-exec`.
 
 The lint stage invokes `golangci-lint` directly rather than `make lint`:
 it is already the pinned linter image, and `make lint` builds

deploy/docker-entrypoint.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# deploy/docker-entrypoint.sh: the image's ENTRYPOINT. A bind-mounted
+# data directory keeps its owner from the host, often root, and the app
+# could not write to it. Started as root, this creates DATA_DIR if
+# needed, gives it and everything in it to webhooker, sets its mode, and
+# runs the command as webhooker, so the app never runs as root. Started
+# as another user, it only runs the command.
+set -eu
+
+main() {
+    if [ "$(id -u)" != 0 ]; then
+        exec "$@"
+    fi
+
+    dir="${DATA_DIR:-/var/lib/webhooker}"
+    mkdir -p "$dir"
+    find "$dir" ! -user webhooker -exec chown -h webhooker:webhooker {} +
+    chmod 750 "$dir"
+    exec su-exec webhooker "$@"
+}
+
+main "$@"

internal/database/bootstrap_banner_test.go

@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ package database_test
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
+	"log/slog"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -83,3 +85,37 @@ func TestFirstBoot_PrintsTheAdminPasswordAsABanner(t *testing.T) {
 		t, ok, "the printed password must open the seeded account",
 	)
 }
+
+// TestNewDatabase_IsLoggedWithItsPath is the log half of
+// https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/webhooker/issues/359. A DATA_DIR that is
+// unexpectedly empty boots exactly like a first start, so the start
+// that creates the database must say so, and where. Opening that
+// database again must not.
+func TestNewDatabase_IsLoggedWithItsPath(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+
+	open := func() string {
+		var out bytes.Buffer
+
+		db, err := database.Open(dir, slog.New(slog.NewTextHandler(&out, nil)))
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.NoError(t, db.Close())
+
+		return out.String()
+	}
+
+	const created = `level=WARN msg="created a new, empty database"`
+
+	first := open()
+	second := open()
+
+	assert.Contains(
+		t, first,
+		created+" path="+filepath.Join(dir, database.MainDBFileName),
+	)
+	assert.NotContains(
+		t, second, created, "an existing database is not new",
+	)
+}

internal/database/database.go

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"io/fs"
 	"log/slog"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -199,6 +200,12 @@ func (d *Database) connectTo(dataDir string) error {
 	// Construct the main application database path inside DATA_DIR.
 	dbPath := filepath.Join(dataDir, MainDBFileName)
 
+	// Checked before opening, which creates the file. A DATA_DIR that
+	// is unexpectedly empty -- its volume not mounted, say -- looks
+	// exactly like a first start, so a new database is a warning.
+	_, statErr := os.Stat(dbPath)
+	created := errors.Is(statErr, fs.ErrNotExist)
+
 	// Opened through OpenSQLite so this handle carries the same WAL
 	// journaling, busy timeout, immediate-transaction locking, and pool
 	// bounds as every other database file. See sqlite_open.go.
@@ -229,7 +236,12 @@ func (d *Database) connectTo(dataDir string) error {
 	}
 
 	d.db = db
+
+	if created {
+		d.log.Warn("created a new, empty database", "path", dbPath)
+	} else {
 		d.log.Info("connected to database", "path", dbPath)
+	}
 
 	// Run migrations
 	return d.migrate()

internal/server/routes_test.go

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"net/url"
 	"regexp"
+	"slices"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
@@ -220,9 +221,21 @@ func (e *testEnv) csrfFrom(
 	// out of the markup has to be unescaped before it is submitted.
 	token := html.UnescapeString(match[1])
 
-	combined := make([]*http.Cookie, 0, len(cookies))
+	// A cookie the page sets replaces the one of the same name, as in
-	combined = append(combined, cookies...)
+	// a browser. Sent both, the server would read the first, older one.
-	combined = append(combined, w.Result().Cookies()...)
+	set := w.Result().Cookies()
+	combined := make([]*http.Cookie, 0, len(cookies)+len(set))
+
+	for _, c := range cookies {
+		replaced := slices.ContainsFunc(set, func(n *http.Cookie) bool {
+			return n.Name == c.Name
+		})
+		if !replaced {
+			combined = append(combined, c)
+		}
+	}
+
+	combined = append(combined, set...)
 
 	return token, combined
 }
@@ -614,6 +627,59 @@ func TestPagesLogin_CorrectPasswordSurvivesASpentBudget(
 	)
 }
 
+// TestPagesLogin_CookiesFromAnEarlierDatabase is
+// https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/webhooker/issues/359. A new database
+// brings a new session key, and the operator's browser still holds
+// the session and CSRF cookies signed with the old one. Logging in
+// must work as from a fresh browser and leave cookies the new key
+// accepts.
+func TestPagesLogin_CookiesFromAnEarlierDatabase(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	const (
+		username = "operator"
+		password = "correct-horse-battery-staple"
+	)
+
+	earlier := newTestEnv(t)
+	earlierID, _ := earlier.seedUser(t, username, password)
+	_, stale := earlier.csrfFrom(t, "/pages/login", nil)
+	stale = append(stale, earlier.authCookies(t, earlierID, username)...)
+
+	env := newTestEnv(t)
+	env.seedUser(t, username, password)
+
+	token, cookies := env.csrfFrom(t, "/pages/login", stale)
+
+	form := url.Values{}
+	form.Set("csrf_token", token)
+	form.Set("username", username)
+	form.Set("password", password)
+
+	w := env.post("/pages/login", form, cookies)
+	require.Equal(
+		t, http.StatusSeeOther, w.Code,
+		"a session cookie from another key must not fail the login",
+	)
+
+	// The response deletes the old session cookie and then sets the
+	// new one; a browser keeps the last.
+	var fresh *http.Cookie
+
+	for _, c := range w.Result().Cookies() {
+		if c.Name == session.SessionName {
+			fresh = c
+		}
+	}
+
+	require.NotNil(t, fresh, "login must set a session cookie")
+	assert.Equal(
+		t, "/sources",
+		env.get("/", []*http.Cookie{fresh}).Header().Get("Location"),
+		"the new session cookie must authenticate",
+	)
+}
+
 // --- /user/{username} group ---
 
 // TestPasswordChange_OversizeBody_RejectedAndPasswordUnchanged

internal/server/static_assets_test.go

@@ -13,9 +13,9 @@ import (
 
 // TestBaseTemplateScriptsAreServed walks every /s/ script the base
 // template loads on each page and fetches it through the real router.
-// Alpine.js is extracted from its tarball in 3p/ at build time, so the
+// Alpine.js is fetched at build time rather than committed, so nothing
-// file is not in the tree: this is the check that the page still gets
+// in the repo guarantees it is present: this is the check that the page
-// the JavaScript it asks for.
+// still gets the JavaScript it asks for.
 func TestBaseTemplateScriptsAreServed(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 

internal/session/codec_test.go

@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ import (
 )
 
 // The tests below exercise the securecookie codecs underneath the
-// store and nothing else: Session.Get only decodes, so no server-side
+// store and nothing else: they decode through the store itself, so no
-// expiry check takes part in the result. They exist because
+// server-side expiry check takes part in the result. They exist because
 // NewCookieStore gives its codecs a 30-day max age that assigning
 // store.Options does not override, which would let the codec accept a
 // cookie weeks past the cap the cookie attribute advertises.
@@ -75,10 +75,11 @@ func restamp(
 	return base64.URLEncoding.EncodeToString(payload)
 }
 
-// decodeCookie feeds value back through the store's decode path.
+// decodeCookie feeds value back through the store's decode path. It
+// asks the store rather than Session.Get, which treats a cookie that
+// does not decode as absent and so hides the codec's reason.
 func decodeCookie(
 	t *testing.T,
-	s *session.Session,
 	value string,
 ) (*sessions.Session, error) {
 	t.Helper()
@@ -94,7 +95,7 @@ func decodeCookie(
 		SameSite: http.SameSiteLaxMode,
 	})
 
-	sess, err := s.Get(req)
+	sess, err := session.NewStore(testKey()).Get(req, session.SessionName)
 	require.NotNil(t, sess)
 
 	return sess, err
@@ -105,7 +106,7 @@ func TestCodec_AcceptsCookieInsideAbsoluteCap(t *testing.T) {
 
 	s := testSession(t)
 
-	sess, err := decodeCookie(t, s, restamp(
+	sess, err := decodeCookie(t, restamp(
 		t,
 		issuedCookie(t, s),
 		time.Now().Add(-(testAbsoluteMaxAge-time.Hour)),
@@ -126,7 +127,7 @@ func TestCodec_RejectsCookiePastAbsoluteCap(t *testing.T) {
 
 	s := testSession(t)
 
-	sess, err := decodeCookie(t, s, restamp(
+	sess, err := decodeCookie(t, restamp(
 		t,
 		issuedCookie(t, s),
 		time.Now().Add(-(testAbsoluteMaxAge+time.Hour)),

internal/session/session.go

@@ -224,10 +224,22 @@ func New(
 }
 
 // Get retrieves a session for the request.
+//
+// A session cookie that does not decode -- one signed with an earlier
+// session key, say, because the database was made anew -- is treated
+// as absent: the caller gets a new, empty session and no error, and
+// the next save replaces the cookie.
 func (s *Session) Get(
 	r *http.Request,
 ) (*sessions.Session, error) {
-	return s.store.Get(r, SessionName)
+	sess, err := s.store.Get(r, SessionName)
+	if sess == nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	// For a cookie that does not decode, gorilla/sessions returns a
+	// new, empty session alongside the error that is dropped here.
+	return sess, nil
 }
 
 // GetKey returns the raw 32-byte authentication key used for

script/assets

@@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/sh
-# script/assets: extract Alpine.js from its npm package tarball, committed
-# in 3p/, to static/js/alpine.min.js, where go:embed reads it. The
-# extracted file is not committed. script/test, make build and make dev run
-# this first.
-set -eu
-
-ROOT="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")/.." && pwd -P)"
-
-main() {
-    cd "$ROOT"
-    tar -xzOf 3p/alpinejs-3.14.9.tgz package/dist/cdn.min.js \
-        >static/js/alpine.min.js
-}
-
-main "$@"

script/bootstrap

@@ -4,7 +4,9 @@
 # installed tools are skipped. Base tooling comes from nix, apt, brew,
 # or apk (detected in that order); assumes NOTHING is present (not git,
 # make, or go). golangci-lint is deliberately not installed: linting runs
-# only in docker, via script/lint and Dockerfile.lint.
+# only in docker, via script/lint and Dockerfile.lint. Finishes by running
+# script/fetch-assets, which installs the hash-pinned third-party browser
+# assets the repo does not commit.
 set -eu
 
 ROOT="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")/.." && pwd -P)"
@@ -67,6 +69,11 @@ main() {
 
     go mod download
 
+    # Third-party browser assets are not committed; fetch and verify them
+    # so a fresh clone can build and test.
+    if missing curl; then pkg_install curl curl curl curl; fi
+    "$ROOT/script/fetch-assets"
+
     echo "bootstrap complete"
 }
 

script/fetch-assets

@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# script/fetch-assets: download the third-party browser assets the web UI
+# ships and install them under static/. Minified bundles are not committed
+# (REPO_POLICIES.md: no build artifacts in version control), so the build
+# fetches them here. Every download is verified against a hardcoded sha256
+# before it is installed, and any mismatch aborts. Idempotent: an asset
+# already present with its pinned hash is left alone.
+set -eu
+
+ROOT="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")/.." && pwd -P)"
+
+# The sha256 of each installed asset lives in static/vendor.sha256, in
+# sha256sum(1) format, with paths relative to static/. That file is the
+# single source of truth: this script verifies against it, and
+# static/vendor_test.go asserts the bytes embedded into the binary match
+# it, so the hash cannot rot into a value nothing checks.
+MANIFEST="static/vendor.sha256"
+
+# Alpine.js 3.14.9, 2026-08-17. Fetched from registry.npmjs.org, the
+# publisher of record; the jsDelivr and unpkg copies are mirrors of this
+# same tarball. dist/cdn.min.js is the browser build Alpine publishes for
+# a <script> tag.
+ALPINE_VERSION="3.14.9"
+ALPINE_URL="https://registry.npmjs.org/alpinejs/-/alpinejs-${ALPINE_VERSION}.tgz"
+# sha256 of alpinejs-3.14.9.tgz
+ALPINE_TARBALL_SHA256="97dad7c0c81e659cfc8e7700055da9770f8186187cb9a8a76efb57e00d5ce52a"
+ALPINE_MEMBER="package/dist/cdn.min.js"
+ALPINE_DEST="js/alpine.min.js"
+
+sha256_of() {
+    if command -v sha256sum >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        sha256sum "$1" | cut -d' ' -f1
+    else
+        shasum -a 256 "$1" | cut -d' ' -f1
+    fi
+}
+
+# expected_sha256 <path-relative-to-static>
+expected_sha256() {
+    awk -v want="$1" '$2 == want { print $1; found = 1 }
+        END { if (!found) exit 1 }' "$ROOT/$MANIFEST"
+}
+
+# verify <file> <expected-sha256> <what>
+verify() {
+    actual="$(sha256_of "$1")"
+    if [ "$actual" != "$2" ]; then
+        echo "fetch-assets: sha256 mismatch for $3" >&2
+        echo "  expected: $2" >&2
+        echo "  actual:   $actual" >&2
+        exit 1
+    fi
+}
+
+# up_to_date <path-relative-to-static> <expected-sha256>
+up_to_date() {
+    [ -f "$ROOT/static/$1" ] || return 1
+    [ "$(sha256_of "$ROOT/static/$1")" = "$2" ]
+}
+
+fetch_alpine() {
+    want="$(expected_sha256 "$ALPINE_DEST")"
+
+    if up_to_date "$ALPINE_DEST" "$want"; then
+        echo "fetch-assets: static/$ALPINE_DEST already at $want"
+        return 0
+    fi
+
+    echo "fetch-assets: fetching Alpine.js $ALPINE_VERSION from $ALPINE_URL"
+    tmp="$(mktemp -d)"
+    trap 'rm -rf "$tmp"' EXIT INT TERM
+    curl -fsSL -o "$tmp/alpine.tgz" "$ALPINE_URL"
+    verify "$tmp/alpine.tgz" "$ALPINE_TARBALL_SHA256" "alpinejs-${ALPINE_VERSION}.tgz"
+    tar -xzOf "$tmp/alpine.tgz" "$ALPINE_MEMBER" >"$tmp/alpine.min.js"
+    verify "$tmp/alpine.min.js" "$want" "$ALPINE_MEMBER from alpinejs-${ALPINE_VERSION}.tgz"
+
+    mkdir -p "$(dirname "$ROOT/static/$ALPINE_DEST")"
+    cp "$tmp/alpine.min.js" "$ROOT/static/$ALPINE_DEST"
+    rm -rf "$tmp"
+    trap - EXIT INT TERM
+    echo "fetch-assets: installed static/$ALPINE_DEST ($want)"
+}
+
+# Re-check every manifest entry against what is now on disk, so an entry
+# no script installs fails loudly instead of passing silently.
+verify_manifest() {
+    while read -r want path; do
+        case "$want" in '' | '#'*) continue ;; esac
+        if [ ! -f "$ROOT/static/$path" ]; then
+            echo "fetch-assets: $MANIFEST lists static/$path, which is missing" >&2
+            exit 1
+        fi
+        verify "$ROOT/static/$path" "$want" "static/$path"
+    done <"$ROOT/$MANIFEST"
+}
+
+main() {
+    cd "$ROOT"
+    fetch_alpine
+    verify_manifest
+    echo "fetch-assets: all assets in $MANIFEST verified"
+}
+
+main "$@"

script/test

@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ ROOT="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")/.." && pwd -P)"
 
 main() {
     cd "$ROOT"
-    "$ROOT/script/assets"
     go test -v -race -timeout 90s ./...
 }
 

static/vendor.sha256

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+3ed1eed252488921df65e363d6715deb04d7f92aaedb9e52199fdf73cb1e0ad3  js/alpine.min.js

static/vendor_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+package static_test
+
+import (
+	"bufio"
+	"crypto/sha256"
+	"encoding/hex"
+	"os"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+
+	"sneak.berlin/go/webhooker/static"
+)
+
+const manifestPath = "vendor.sha256"
+
+// fetchHint is appended to every failure here: the assets the manifest
+// covers are fetched by the build, not committed, so a fresh clone that
+// has not run script/fetch-assets fails this test and should be told why.
+const fetchHint = "run `script/fetch-assets` (or `make assets`) to install " +
+	"the pinned third-party assets"
+
+// TestVendoredAssetsMatchManifest asserts that every asset listed in
+// static/vendor.sha256 is embedded in the binary with exactly the pinned
+// bytes. script/fetch-assets verifies the same hashes at download time;
+// this test verifies them again on what actually ships, so a build that
+// skipped, cached, or subverted the fetch cannot produce a binary serving
+// unpinned third-party JavaScript.
+func TestVendoredAssetsMatchManifest(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	entries := readManifest(t)
+	require.NotEmpty(t, entries, "%s lists no assets", manifestPath)
+
+	for path, want := range entries {
+		t.Run(path, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			data, err := static.Static.ReadFile(path)
+			require.NoErrorf(
+				t, err,
+				"%s is listed in %s but is not embedded; %s",
+				path, manifestPath, fetchHint,
+			)
+
+			sum := sha256.Sum256(data)
+			got := hex.EncodeToString(sum[:])
+			require.Equalf(
+				t, want, got,
+				"embedded %s does not match its pinned sha256 in %s; %s",
+				path, manifestPath, fetchHint,
+			)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// readManifest parses static/vendor.sha256, which is in sha256sum(1)
+// format with paths relative to static/.
+func readManifest(t *testing.T) map[string]string {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	f, err := os.Open(manifestPath)
+	require.NoError(t, err, "opening %s", manifestPath)
+
+	defer func() { require.NoError(t, f.Close()) }()
+
+	entries := make(map[string]string)
+	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(f)
+
+	for scanner.Scan() {
+		line := strings.TrimSpace(scanner.Text())
+		if line == "" || strings.HasPrefix(line, "#") {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		fields := strings.Fields(line)
+		require.Lenf(
+			t, fields, 2,
+			"%s: malformed entry %q, want \"<sha256>  <path>\"",
+			manifestPath, line,
+		)
+
+		sum, path := fields[0], fields[1]
+		require.Lenf(t, sum, 64, "%s: %q is not a sha256", manifestPath, sum)
+		entries[path] = sum
+	}
+
+	require.NoError(t, scanner.Err(), "reading %s", manifestPath)
+
+	return entries
+}