Hauk

Open-source self-hosted real-time location sharing service

Repository Demo

876stars

78forks

Last commit: 1y ago

Repo age: 7y old

Hauk is an open-source, self-hosted service for sharing your location in real time. It provides a PHP backend that stores location data in memory and a web frontend; companion mobile clients (Android and community iOS clients) connect to your server to start temporary share sessions.

Key Features

PHP-based backend designed to run on a standard PHP web server
Uses Memcached or Redis for in-memory storage of live location data (no disk persistence by default)
Generates temporary, randomly generated share links for real-time tracking sessions
Companion mobile clients (official Android client; third-party/official iOS clients exist) to start and manage shares
Official Docker image and docker-compose support for easy deployment; distribution packages available (e.g., Arch AUR)
Optional LDAP authentication support and configurable session expiration and permissions
Demo instance provided for quick testing (demo instances impose short retention limits)

Use Cases

Temporarily share your live location with friends or family while en route
Real-time location updates for meetups, deliveries, or small events without third-party tracking
Privacy-focused short-term tracking where location data should not be stored long-term

Limitations and Considerations

Requires a separate Memcached or Redis service and the corresponding PHP extension; location data is kept in memory and is lost on cache restart
No built-in TLS termination in the backend; a reverse proxy (e.g., nginx) or external TLS termination is recommended for production deployments
Demo/public instances are intentionally limited (short retention) and may route traffic through third-party CDNs for DDoS protection
Companion app requirements vary; the Android client requires Android 6.0+ and store availability may vary by platform

Hauk is a lightweight option when you need ephemeral, self-hosted location sharing with minimal server footprint. It is optimized for privacy by avoiding disk storage and by giving operators control over hosting and retention.

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