3ab1320f42
A friendly, task-oriented guide for non-technical users: README index, getting-started, concepts, items, passwords-and-generators, totp, attachments-and-documents, organizing, sync-and-backup, the-browser-extension, recovery, faq. Every command/flag derived from the actual CLI surface (`relicario --help` tree) and real extension behavior — no invented flags. Org item-type parity is covered high-level pending the v0.8.1 B/C merge (two TODO markers left for the rebase).
82 lines
4.9 KiB
Markdown
82 lines
4.9 KiB
Markdown
# Recovery — if something goes wrong
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This page covers what you can do when you lose access to your vault, what Relicario can recover, and — just as importantly — what it cannot.
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---
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## The two factors, plainly stated
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Unlocking your Relicario vault always requires two things working together:
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- **Factor 1 — your passphrase.** The phrase you type every time you unlock. Only you know it; it is never stored anywhere.
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- **Factor 2 — your reference image.** The JPEG photo you chose at setup. Relicario hid a random secret inside its pixels. You keep this file yourself; it is intentionally excluded from your git repository.
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Relicario mixes these two factors together to derive the key that decrypts your data. Neither factor alone is enough. If either one is missing or wrong, the vault cannot open.
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---
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## The Recovery QR — your offline backup of Factor 2
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The Recovery QR is a safety net for your reference image secret. Think of it as a printable backup of Factor 2, sealed shut by Factor 1.
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Here is what that means in practice:
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- **It is encrypted.** The QR encodes your image secret locked behind your passphrase. Someone who finds your printed QR still needs your passphrase to use it.
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- **It is not saved to disk.** Relicario prints it to your terminal as text art and then forgets it. You must print or photograph it immediately.
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- **Storing it offline (paper, safe) is the point.** A digital copy on the same device as your reference image does not add much protection.
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### Making a Recovery QR
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Run this inside your vault directory:
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```
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relicario recovery-qr generate
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```
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Relicario will read your reference image, ask for your vault passphrase, and print a QR code as ASCII art in the terminal. The code is **not written to any file**. Print it, photograph it, or copy the text — then store it somewhere safe and offline (a fireproof safe, a safety deposit box, a trusted family member's home).
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### Using a Recovery QR (advanced / last resort)
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If you have lost your reference image but still have the printed QR and your passphrase:
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```
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relicario recovery-qr unwrap
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```
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Paste the base64 payload you scanned from the QR, then enter your passphrase. Relicario prints the recovered image secret as a hex string.
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Think of this as a safe for the secret itself, not a one-click restore: it proves your Factor 2 can be recovered as long as you keep the QR **and** remember your passphrase. Turning that raw secret back into a ready-to-use reference image is an advanced step — so for everyday peace of mind, the simplest safety net is to keep a spare copy of your reference image (or an [`--include-image` backup archive](sync-and-backup.md)). Then "recovery" is just putting the file back and unlocking as usual.
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---
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## The hard truth
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There is no password reset. There is no backdoor. Not even the project authors can recover your data. This is intentional — it is what ensures the server hosting your git repository can never read your vault, even under legal compulsion.
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Here is what happens in each loss scenario:
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| What you lose | Result |
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| Your **passphrase** (even with both the reference image and the recovery QR) | **Unrecoverable.** The recovery QR is itself locked by your passphrase. No passphrase means nothing can be decrypted. |
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| Your **reference image AND your recovery QR** (even if you remember the passphrase) | **Unrecoverable.** The image secret is gone. Without it, the two-factor key derivation cannot complete. |
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| Only your **reference image** (but you have a printed recovery QR) | Recoverable — use `relicario recovery-qr unwrap` as described above. |
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| Only your **recovery QR** (but you still have the reference image file) | No problem. Your reference image is your active Factor 2. Make a fresh recovery QR when you can. |
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The underlying principle: losing both factors — your passphrase and your image secret — means the data is gone for good. This is not a limitation to be patched; it is the security guarantee that protects your data from everyone, including the people who wrote Relicario.
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---
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## Do this now — a short checklist
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Before you need any of this:
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- [ ] **Back up your reference image.** Copy `reference.jpg` (or whatever you named it) to at least one location that is separate from your computer — an encrypted external drive, a USB stick stored safely offline, or a secure cloud backup you control. Your git remote does **not** contain it; the file is gitignored by design.
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- [ ] **Print a Recovery QR.** Run `relicario recovery-qr generate`, print the output, and store the paper copy somewhere you would still find it if your devices were all lost or destroyed.
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- [ ] **Confirm you can recall your passphrase.** If you are not confident, consider whether your memorization strategy is reliable. There is no recovery path for a forgotten passphrase.
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For guidance on encrypted `.relbak` backup archives (which can optionally bundle the reference image), see [Sync & backup](sync-and-backup.md).
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---
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**Next:** [FAQ](faq.md)
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