fix(auth): keep the JWT signing key in a dedicated volume

The server wrote jwt.key to the executable's directory, /app in the
image, so it lived in the container's writable layer and every container
rebuild generated a new key and signed all users out.

- ARTEX_JWT_KEY_DIR selects the key directory (default: config.BaseDir(),
  unchanged for non-Docker installs). docker-compose.yml sets it to
  /app/keys and bind-mounts ./keys there; the Dockerfile declares the
  volume. The key stays out of data/, which the file manager browses.
- loadOrCreateJWTKey creates the directory (0700). When keyDir/jwt.key is
  missing it migrates dataDir/jwt.key, then BaseDir()/jwt.key (mode 0600,
  old file removed), otherwise generates a new key. An existing key is
  never overwritten; a short one is now a startup error.
- .gitignore and .dockerignore exclude keys/.
- README and CHANGELOG updated; the 0.5.0 known issue is removed.

.dockerignore

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ web/out
 server/webui/dist
 /artex
 data
+keys
 *.db
 transcripts
 bench/kv

.gitignore

@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ Thumbs.db
 
 # JWT signing key (generated at runtime, stored in the project root, never committed)
 /jwt.key
+/keys/
 
 # local environment generated by Docker deployment (contains passwords/keys, not committed)
 .env

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -4,6 +4,15 @@ All notable changes to this project are documented in this file. The format is b
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Fixed
+
+- **The JWT signing key survives container rebuilds**: the server wrote `jwt.key` to the executable's directory, `/app` in the image, so the key lived in the container's writable layer and recreating the container (for example `docker compose up -d --build`) generated a new key and signed every user out. The key directory is now set by `ARTEX_JWT_KEY_DIR` (default: the executable's directory, unchanged for non-Docker installs). `docker-compose.yml` sets it to `/app/keys` and bind-mounts `./keys` there, outside `./data`, which the file manager browses. On start, when `<key dir>/jwt.key` is missing, a key at `data/jwt.key`, then at the executable's directory, is copied there with mode 0600 and the old file is removed; otherwise a new key is generated. An existing key is never overwritten. Upgrading a Docker install signs every user out once, because the old key is in the container being replaced; to keep sessions, copy it out before recreating the container:
+
+  ```bash
+  mkdir -p keys
+  docker cp artex-artex-1:/app/jwt.key ./keys/jwt.key
+  ```
+
 ## [0.5.0] - 2026-11-04
 
 Ollama support, a setup token for the first-run claim, secret scrubbing for child processes, a Docker image that builds from a fresh clone, Go 1.26.10 and Node 22, and race and shellcheck runs in CI. Entries marked "direct commit" landed on `main` without a pull request.
@@ -43,7 +52,6 @@ Ollama support, a setup token for the first-run claim, secret scrubbing for chil
 
 ### Known issues
 
-- **The JWT signing key is not in the Docker volume**: the server writes `jwt.key` to the directory of the executable (`config.BaseDir()`), which is `/app` in the image, while the Dockerfile and `docker-compose.yml` comments say it lives in `/app/data`. The key therefore sits in the container's writable layer: recreating the container (for example `docker compose up -d --build` after an update) generates a new key and signs every user out. A key found at `data/jwt.key` is moved to `/app/jwt.key` on start and removed from the volume.
 - **The secret scrub has limits**: `os.Unsetenv` changes only the Go runtime's copy, so a process running as the same user can still read `/proc/<pid>/environ` of the server (and, in Docker, of PID 1, `start.sh`). Other variables that may carry credentials, such as `ARTEX_LLM_PROXY`, are not scrubbed.
 - **The LLM test and model-list endpoints still take `proxy` from the request**, so a saved key can travel through a request-supplied proxy when the base URL is plain HTTP.
 - **Postgres passwords with URL-special characters** (`@`, `/`, `#`, `?`) break the `ARTEX_PG_DSN` that `docker-compose.yml` builds by interpolation, and Compose interpolates `$` in `.env`.

Dockerfile

@@ -123,10 +123,10 @@ COPY --from=build /out/artex /app/artex
 # to artex — docker stop only signals PID 1; without forwarding, artex never receives it,
 # cannot shut down gracefully, and is hard-killed by SIGKILL after 10 seconds.
 COPY start.sh /app/start.sh
-RUN chmod +x /app/artex /app/start.sh
+RUN chmod +x /app/artex /app/start.sh && mkdir -p /app/keys
 COPY skills/ /app/skills/
-# persistence point for data/ (SQLite + jwt.key)
-VOLUME ["/app/data"]
+# persistence points: data/ (SQLite, task files) and keys/ (jwt.key, via ARTEX_JWT_KEY_DIR)
+VOLUME ["/app/data", "/app/keys"]
 EXPOSE 8787 8788
 ENTRYPOINT ["/app/start.sh"]
 CMD ["-addr", ":8787", "-proxy", ":8788"]

README.md

@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ Daily cron example (03:20, operator crontab):
 
 ## Updating and upgrading
 
-> Upgrading only swaps the program and never touches data: the Postgres volume `pgdata`, `./data` (jwt.key / SQLite, etc.), and `./skills` are all preserved. **No manual database migration is needed**: `artex` idempotently re-runs `schema.sql` on every start (with `ADD COLUMN` / `CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS`), i.e. "restart equals migrate". It is still recommended to back up `./data` and the database before upgrading.
+> Upgrading only swaps the program and never touches data: the Postgres volume `pgdata`, `./data` (SQLite, task files, etc.), `./keys` (jwt.key), and `./skills` are all preserved. **No manual database migration is needed**: `artex` idempotently re-runs `schema.sql` on every start (with `ADD COLUMN` / `CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS`), i.e. "restart equals migrate". It is still recommended to back up `./data` and the database before upgrading.
 
 ### Upgrading from a clone made before 2026-10-23
 

cmd/artex/main.go

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"os/signal"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
+	"strings"
 	"syscall"
 	"time"
 
@@ -97,7 +98,17 @@ func run() int {
 		skillDir = abs
 	}
 	log.Printf("[config] skill directory: %s", skillDir)
-	srv := server.New(ctx, mgr, skillDir, *dataDir, config.BaseDir(), server.WithSecretScrub())
+	// JWT signing key directory: ARTEX_JWT_KEY_DIR (the Docker image points it at
+	// the /app/keys volume) or the base dir. Never the browsable data dir.
+	keyDir := strings.TrimSpace(os.Getenv("ARTEX_JWT_KEY_DIR"))
+	if keyDir == "" {
+		keyDir = config.BaseDir()
+	}
+	if abs, err := filepath.Abs(keyDir); err == nil {
+		keyDir = abs
+	}
+	log.Printf("[config] JWT key directory: %s", keyDir)
+	srv := server.New(ctx, mgr, skillDir, *dataDir, keyDir, server.WithSecretScrub())
 	httpSrv := &http.Server{
 		Addr:              *addr,
 		Handler:           srv.Handler(),

docker-compose.yml

@@ -34,13 +34,17 @@ services:
       ARTEX_LLM_MODEL: ${ARTEX_LLM_MODEL:-}
       ARTEX_LLM_BASE_URL: ${ARTEX_LLM_BASE_URL:-}
       ARTEX_LLM_PROXY: ${ARTEX_LLM_PROXY:-}
+      ARTEX_JWT_KEY_DIR: /app/keys
     ports:
       - "${ARTEX_BIND_ADDR:-127.0.0.1}:8787:8787"
       - "127.0.0.1:8788:8788"
     volumes:
-      # Bind the data directory (jwt.key, SQLite, etc.) to data/ in the project root,
+      # Bind the data directory (SQLite, task files, etc.) to data/ in the project root,
       # so it is easy to inspect/back up on the host and survives container rebuilds.
       - ./data:/app/data
+      # JWT signing key (jwt.key), kept out of data/, which the file manager browses.
+      # Persisting it keeps users signed in across container rebuilds.
+      - ./keys:/app/keys
       # Mount skills/ from the project root into the container (overriding the image's built-in /app/skills);
       # skill changes require no image rebuild — the container reads the host copy.
       - ./skills:/app/skills

scripts/benchmark/README.md

@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ Standing rules, enforced by the runner:
 cd scripts/benchmark
 
 # against a locally deployed ARTEX, with an independent judge endpoint
-ARTEX_TOKEN=<jwt or mint via ARTEX_JWT_KEY=/app/jwt.key copy> \
+ARTEX_TOKEN=<jwt or mint via ARTEX_JWT_KEY=/app/keys/jwt.key copy> \
 JUDGE_BASE_URL=https://api.example.com JUDGE_MODEL=<other-model> JUDGE_API_KEY=... \
 python3 run_bench.py --corpus juice-shop --subject-model glm-5.3
 ```

server/auth.go

@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/golang-jwt/jwt/v5"
 	"golang.org/x/crypto/bcrypt"
+
+	"github.com/Autumn-27/artex/config"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -47,28 +49,38 @@ func validatePassword(pw string) string {
 	return ""
 }
 
+// jwtLegacyBaseDir is the second legacy key location (the executable's directory,
+// where releases before ARTEX_JWT_KEY_DIR wrote the key). A var so tests can point it
+// at a temp dir.
+var jwtLegacyBaseDir = config.BaseDir
+
 // loadOrCreateJWTKey reads the 32-byte signing key from keyDir/jwt.key. keyDir is
-// the project base dir (next to the executable), NOT the browsable workspace root
-// (dataDir) — the signing key must never be listable/downloadable via the file
-// manager. Legacy installs kept it at dataDir/jwt.key; if present there and not yet
-// at the new location, it is migrated (key preserved, so sessions stay valid) and
-// the old file removed so it disappears from the workspace. On first run a random
-// key is generated and persisted.
+// ARTEX_JWT_KEY_DIR (the /app/keys volume in Docker) or the project base dir, NOT
+// the browsable workspace root (dataDir) — the signing key must never be
+// listable/downloadable via the file manager. When keyDir/jwt.key is missing, a key
+// at dataDir/jwt.key, then at BaseDir()/jwt.key, is migrated (key preserved, so
+// sessions stay valid) and the old file removed. Otherwise a random key is
+// generated. An existing key file is never overwritten.
 func loadOrCreateJWTKey(keyDir, dataDir string) ([]byte, error) {
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(keyDir, 0o700); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("create jwt key dir: %w", err)
+	}
 	path := filepath.Join(keyDir, jwtKeyFilename)
-	// one-time migration out of the old in-workspace location.
-	if legacy := filepath.Join(dataDir, jwtKeyFilename); legacy != path {
 	if _, err := os.Stat(path); os.IsNotExist(err) {
-			if data, rerr := os.ReadFile(legacy); rerr == nil {
-				if werr := os.WriteFile(path, data, 0o600); werr == nil {
-					_ = os.Remove(legacy)
-					log.Printf("[auth] JWT key migrated from %s to %s (moved out of the browsable workspace)", legacy, path)
+		if err := migrateJWTKey(path, dataDir); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
 		}
 	}
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(path)
+	if err == nil {
+		key := strings.TrimSpace(string(data))
+		if len(key) < 32 {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("jwt key %s is shorter than 32 bytes; fix or remove it (it is never overwritten)", path)
 		}
+		return []byte(key), nil
 	}
-	if data, err := os.ReadFile(path); err == nil && len(strings.TrimSpace(string(data))) >= 32 {
-		return []byte(strings.TrimSpace(string(data))), nil
+	if !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("read jwt key: %w", err)
 	}
 	buf := make([]byte, 32)
 	for i := range buf {
@@ -78,13 +90,71 @@ func loadOrCreateJWTKey(keyDir, dataDir string) ([]byte, error) {
 		}
 		buf[i] = keyChars[n.Int64()]
 	}
-	if err := os.WriteFile(path, buf, 0600); err != nil {
+	if err := writeNewJWTKey(path, buf); err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("write jwt key: %w", err)
 	}
 	log.Printf("[auth] new JWT key written to %s", path)
 	return buf, nil
 }
 
+// migrateJWTKey copies the first legacy key found (dataDir, then BaseDir) to dst
+// and removes the old file. Candidates equal to dst are skipped.
+func migrateJWTKey(dst, dataDir string) error {
+	for _, src := range []string{
+		filepath.Join(dataDir, jwtKeyFilename),
+		filepath.Join(jwtLegacyBaseDir(), jwtKeyFilename),
+	} {
+		if samePath(src, dst) {
+			continue
+		}
+		data, err := os.ReadFile(src)
+		if os.IsNotExist(err) {
+			continue
+		}
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Printf("[auth] cannot read legacy JWT key %s: %v", src, err)
+			continue
+		}
+		if err := writeNewJWTKey(dst, data); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("migrate jwt key from %s: %w", src, err)
+		}
+		if err := os.Remove(src); err != nil {
+			log.Printf("[auth] JWT key copied to %s but the old file %s could not be removed: %v", dst, src, err)
+		}
+		log.Printf("[auth] JWT key migrated from %s to %s", src, dst)
+		return nil
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// writeNewJWTKey creates path with mode 0600, failing if it already exists.
+func writeNewJWTKey(path string, data []byte) error {
+	f, err := os.OpenFile(path, os.O_WRONLY|os.O_CREATE|os.O_EXCL, 0o600)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if _, err := f.Write(data); err != nil {
+		f.Close()
+		_ = os.Remove(path)
+		return err
+	}
+	if err := f.Close(); err != nil {
+		_ = os.Remove(path)
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func samePath(a, b string) bool {
+	if absA, err := filepath.Abs(a); err == nil {
+		a = absA
+	}
+	if absB, err := filepath.Abs(b); err == nil {
+		b = absB
+	}
+	return a == b
+}
+
 // signJWT issues a 7-day HS256 token for user ARTEX.
 func signJWT(key []byte) (string, error) {
 	return jwt.NewWithClaims(jwt.SigningMethodHS256, jwt.RegisteredClaims{

server/auth_test.go

@@ -3,10 +3,188 @@ package server
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"net/http/httptest"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 )
 
+// jwtKeyDirs returns fresh key, data and legacy base dirs and points
+// jwtLegacyBaseDir at the latter for the duration of the test. keyDir does not
+// exist yet, so loadOrCreateJWTKey has to create it.
+func jwtKeyDirs(t *testing.T) (keyDir, dataDir, baseDir string) {
+	t.Helper()
+	root := t.TempDir()
+	keyDir = filepath.Join(root, "keys")
+	dataDir = filepath.Join(root, "data")
+	baseDir = filepath.Join(root, "base")
+	for _, d := range []string{dataDir, baseDir} {
+		if err := os.MkdirAll(d, 0o755); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	}
+	old := jwtLegacyBaseDir
+	jwtLegacyBaseDir = func() string { return baseDir }
+	t.Cleanup(func() { jwtLegacyBaseDir = old })
+	return keyDir, dataDir, baseDir
+}
+
+// assertKeyFileMode checks for 0600. Windows has no Unix permission bits (Go
+// reports 0666 or 0444), so the check is skipped there.
+func assertKeyFileMode(t *testing.T, path string) {
+	t.Helper()
+	fi, err := os.Stat(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		t.Logf("mode check skipped on windows (got %v)", fi.Mode().Perm())
+		return
+	}
+	if got := fi.Mode().Perm(); got != 0o600 {
+		t.Fatalf("%s mode=%v want 0600", path, got)
+	}
+}
+
+func assertMissing(t *testing.T, path string) {
+	t.Helper()
+	if _, err := os.Stat(path); !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		t.Fatalf("%s should not exist (stat err=%v)", path, err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestLoadOrCreateJWTKeyMigrates(t *testing.T) {
+	const legacyKey = "legacy-key-0123456789abcdefghijkl"
+	for _, src := range []string{"data", "base"} {
+		t.Run(src, func(t *testing.T) {
+			keyDir, dataDir, baseDir := jwtKeyDirs(t)
+			legacy := filepath.Join(dataDir, jwtKeyFilename)
+			if src == "base" {
+				legacy = filepath.Join(baseDir, jwtKeyFilename)
+			}
+			if err := os.WriteFile(legacy, []byte(legacyKey+"\n"), 0o644); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+
+			key, err := loadOrCreateJWTKey(keyDir, dataDir)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			if string(key) != legacyKey {
+				t.Fatalf("key=%q want the migrated %q", key, legacyKey)
+			}
+			path := filepath.Join(keyDir, jwtKeyFilename)
+			data, err := os.ReadFile(path)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			if string(data) != legacyKey+"\n" {
+				t.Fatalf("migrated file content=%q, want the legacy bytes unchanged", data)
+			}
+			assertKeyFileMode(t, path)
+			assertMissing(t, legacy)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestLoadOrCreateJWTKeyMigratesDataDirFirst(t *testing.T) {
+	keyDir, dataDir, baseDir := jwtKeyDirs(t)
+	dataKey := "data-key-0123456789abcdefghijklmn"
+	baseKey := "base-key-0123456789abcdefghijklmn"
+	if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dataDir, jwtKeyFilename), []byte(dataKey), 0o600); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(baseDir, jwtKeyFilename), []byte(baseKey), 0o600); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	key, err := loadOrCreateJWTKey(keyDir, dataDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if string(key) != dataKey {
+		t.Fatalf("key=%q want the dataDir key", key)
+	}
+	assertMissing(t, filepath.Join(dataDir, jwtKeyFilename))
+}
+
+func TestLoadOrCreateJWTKeyGenerates(t *testing.T) {
+	keyDir, dataDir, _ := jwtKeyDirs(t)
+	key, err := loadOrCreateJWTKey(keyDir, dataDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if len(key) != 32 {
+		t.Fatalf("len(key)=%d want 32", len(key))
+	}
+	path := filepath.Join(keyDir, jwtKeyFilename)
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if len(data) != 32 || string(data) != string(key) {
+		t.Fatalf("file holds %d bytes, want the 32 returned", len(data))
+	}
+	assertKeyFileMode(t, path)
+	assertMissing(t, filepath.Join(dataDir, jwtKeyFilename))
+
+	again, err := loadOrCreateJWTKey(keyDir, dataDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if string(again) != string(key) {
+		t.Fatal("second load returned a different key")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestLoadOrCreateJWTKeyNeverOverwrites(t *testing.T) {
+	keyDir, dataDir, baseDir := jwtKeyDirs(t)
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(keyDir, 0o700); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	path := filepath.Join(keyDir, jwtKeyFilename)
+	current := "current-key-0123456789abcdefghijk"
+	if err := os.WriteFile(path, []byte(current), 0o600); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	// legacy keys must not replace the current one, and are left alone.
+	legacyData := filepath.Join(dataDir, jwtKeyFilename)
+	legacyBase := filepath.Join(baseDir, jwtKeyFilename)
+	for _, p := range []string{legacyData, legacyBase} {
+		if err := os.WriteFile(p, []byte("legacy-key-0123456789abcdefghijkl"), 0o600); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	}
+	key, err := loadOrCreateJWTKey(keyDir, dataDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if string(key) != current {
+		t.Fatalf("key=%q want the existing %q", key, current)
+	}
+	for _, p := range []string{legacyData, legacyBase} {
+		if _, err := os.Stat(p); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("legacy key %s should be untouched: %v", p, err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// a short (invalid) key is an error, not a reason to replace it.
+	short := "too-short"
+	if err := os.WriteFile(path, []byte(short), 0o600); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if _, err := loadOrCreateJWTKey(keyDir, dataDir); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("want an error for a short key")
+	}
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if string(data) != short {
+		t.Fatalf("short key was overwritten with %d bytes", len(data))
+	}
+}
+
 // GetSetting distinguishes "key absent" from "read failed" only through its error:
 // both return an empty value. If a password handler mistakes the error for "no
 // password set yet", a database blip opens the init door — authInit would let an

server/server.go

@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ type Server struct {
 	ctx    context.Context
 
 	skillDir string // root directory for skill subdirectories
-	jwtKey   []byte // HS256 signing key loaded from / generated into dataDir/jwt.key
+	jwtKey   []byte // HS256 signing key loaded from / generated into keyDir/jwt.key
 
 	scrubSecrets bool // drop ARTEX_PG_DSN and the API keys from the environment once read (binary only)