Update docs for newest features

README.md

@@ -1,43 +1,78 @@
 # **Fail2Ban UI**
 
 🚀 **Fail2Ban-UI** is a Swiss-made **web-based management interface** for [Fail2Ban](https://www.fail2ban.org/).
-It provides an intuitive dashboard to **monitor, configure, and manage Fail2Ban** in real time.
+It provides an intuitive dashboard to **monitor, configure, and manage Fail2Ban** instances in real time, supporting both local and remote Fail2ban servers.
 
 Developed by **[Swissmakers GmbH](https://swissmakers.ch)**.
 
 ## **✨ Features**
 
+✅ **Multi-Server Management**
+- Manage **multiple Fail2ban servers** from a single interface
+- Support for **local**, **SSH**, and **API agent** connections
+- Add, edit, delete, and configure remote Fail2ban instances
+- Switch between servers seamlessly via server selector
+- Test connections before saving server configurations
+
 ✅ **Real-time Dashboard**
 - View **all active Fail2Ban jails** and **banned IPs** in a clean UI
-- Displays **live ban events**
+- Displays **live ban events** from all configured servers
+- **Internal log overview** with ban events stored in SQLite database
+- Statistics per server and global overview
+- Track ban events with country information and log lines
 
 ✅ **Ban & Unban Management**
-- **Unban IPs** directly via the UI
+- **Unban IPs** directly via the UI (works for local and remote servers)
-- **Search** for banned IPs accross all active jails
+- **Search** for banned IPs across all active jails
+- View ban history with detailed information (IP, jail, hostname, country, logs)
 
 ✅ **Fail2Ban Configuration Management**
-- **Edit & Save** active Fail2Ban jail/filter configs
+- **Edit & Save** active Fail2Ban jail/filter configs (local and remote)
+- **Manage Jails**: Enable/disable jails on local and remote servers
+- **Filter Debug**: Test filters against log lines using `fail2ban-regex`
 - Get automatic **email alerts** for specific country-based bans
 - Configure own SMTP settings for email alerts (STARTTLS only)
 - Adjust default ban time, find time, and set ignore IPs
 - Auto-detects changes and prompts for **reload** to apply
 - Enable debug-mode for detailed module logs
 
+✅ **SSH Remote Management**
+- Connect to remote Fail2ban servers via SSH
+- Automatic deployment of custom action for ban notifications
+- Passwordless sudo support for seamless operation
+- Configurable SSH key selection per server
+- Test SSH connections before saving
+
+✅ **API Agent Support** (Future)
+- Connect to remote Fail2ban instances via lightweight API agents
+- Secure communication using shared secrets
+- Push ban notifications from remote servers to the UI
+
+✅ **Persistent Storage**
+- **SQLite database** for storing server configurations and ban events
+- All settings and server configurations persist across restarts
+- Automatic migration from legacy JSON-based settings
+
 ✅ **Mobile-Friendly & Responsive UI / Fast**
 - Optimized for **mobile & desktop**
 - Powered by **Bootstrap 5**
 - **Go-based backend** ensures minimal resource usage
+- Parallel execution for improved performance on remote connections
 
 ✅ **Systemd & SELinux Support**
 - **Run as a systemd service** (Standalone or Container)
 - **Supports SELinux** for secure execution (also container version)
 
+✅ **Internationalization**
+- Multi-language support (English, German, French, Italian, Spanish)
+- Easy to add new languages via JSON translation files
+
 ## **📸 Screenshots**
 Some images from the UI in action:
 
-| Dashboard | Search | Filter Configuration |
+| Dashboard | Server Management | Filter Debug |
-|-----------|-------------|--------------------|
+|-----------|-------------------|--------------|
-| ![Dashboard](./screenshots/0_Dashboard.jpg) | ![Filter Debug](./screenshots/1_Dashboard_search.jpg) | ![Jail Config](./screenshots/3_Dashboard_edit_filter.jpg) |
+| ![Dashboard](./screenshots/0_Dashboard.jpg) | ![Server Management](./screenshots/1_Dashboard_search.jpg) | ![Filter Debug](./screenshots/3_Dashboard_edit_filter.jpg) |
 
 📌 **More screenshots are found [here](./screenshots/)**
 
@@ -56,7 +91,7 @@ To install and run directly on the system:
 ```bash
 git clone https://github.com/swissmakers/fail2ban-ui.git /opt/fail2ban-ui
 cd /opt/fail2ban-ui
-go build -o fail2ban-ui ./cmd/main.go
+go build -o fail2ban-ui ./cmd/server/main.go
 ...
 ```
 
@@ -80,11 +115,55 @@ podman run -d \
 
 > **📌 Note:** The container can also be managed as a **systemd service**.
 
+---
+
+## **🚀 Getting Started**
+
+### **First Launch**
+1. After starting Fail2Ban-UI, access the web interface at `http://localhost:8080` (or your configured port)
+2. You'll be prompted to **add your first Fail2ban server** or **enable the local connector**
+3. For local connections: Enable the local connector if Fail2ban is running on the same host
+4. For remote connections: Add a new server via SSH or API agent
+
+### **Adding a Server**
+
+#### **Local Server**
+- The local connector is available by default but **disabled** initially
+- Enable it in the server management settings if Fail2ban runs on the same host
+- Requires root access or passwordless sudo to the Fail2ban socket
+
+#### **SSH Server**
+1. Go to **Settings** → **Manage Servers**
+2. Click **Add Server**
+3. Select **SSH** as connection type
+4. Fill in:
+   - **Name**: A descriptive name for this server
+   - **Host**: IP address or hostname
+   - **Port**: SSH port (default: 22)
+   - **SSH User**: Username for SSH connection
+   - **SSH Key**: Select an SSH key from your `~/.ssh/` directory
+5. Click **Test Connection** to verify before saving
+6. The UI will automatically deploy the custom action for ban notifications
+
+**Requirements for SSH connections:**
+- SSH key-based authentication (passwordless login)
+- Passwordless sudo access to `fail2ban-client` and Fail2ban configuration files
+- Network connectivity from UI host to remote server
+
+#### **API Agent Server** (Future)
+- API agent support is planned for future releases
+- Will allow connecting to remote Fail2ban instances via a lightweight API service
+
+---
 
 ## **🔒 Security Considerations**
-- Fail2Ban-UI requires **root privileges** to interact with Fail2Ban.  
+
+- Fail2Ban-UI requires **root privileges** or **passwordless sudo** to interact with Fail2Ban sockets.  
 - **Restrict access** using **firewall rules** or a **reverse proxy** with authentication.  
 - Ensure that Fail2Ban logs/configs **aren't exposed publicly**.  
+- For SSH connections, use **SSH key-based authentication** and restrict SSH access.
+- Store SSH keys securely and use strong passphrases.
+- The SQLite database contains sensitive information - ensure proper file permissions.
 
 For **SELinux users**, apply the **Fail2Ban-UI security policies**:  
 ```bash
@@ -95,11 +174,12 @@ semodule -i fail2ban-container-ui.pp
 semodule -i fail2ban-container-client.pp
 ```
 
+---
 
 ## **🛠️ Troubleshooting**
 
 ### **UI not accessible?**
-- Ensure **port 8080** is open:
+- Ensure **port 8080** (or your configured port) is open:
   ```bash
   sudo firewall-cmd --add-port=8080/tcp --permanent
   sudo firewall-cmd --reload
@@ -109,6 +189,60 @@ semodule -i fail2ban-container-client.pp
   journalctl -u fail2ban-ui.service -f
   ```
 
+### **No servers configured?**
+- On first launch, you need to either:
+  - Enable the local connector (if Fail2ban runs locally)
+  - Add a remote server via SSH or API agent
+- Go to **Settings** → **Manage Servers** to configure your first server
+
+### **SSH connection issues?**
+- Verify SSH key authentication works manually:
+  ```bash
+  ssh -i ~/.ssh/your_key user@remote-host
+  ```
+- Ensure passwordless sudo is configured:
+  ```bash
+  sudo -l
+  ```
+- Check debug mode in settings for detailed error messages
+- Verify the SSH user has access to `/var/run/fail2ban/fail2ban.sock`
+
+### **Local connector not working?**
+- Ensure Fail2ban is running: `sudo systemctl status fail2ban`
+- Check socket permissions: `ls -la /var/run/fail2ban/fail2ban.sock`
+- Verify the UI has access (runs as root or has sudo permissions)
+
+### **Database issues?**
+- The SQLite database is stored in the application directory
+- Check file permissions if you see database errors
+- Backup the database before major updates
+
+---
+
+## **📊 Database**
+
+Fail2Ban-UI uses an embedded **SQLite database** (`fail2ban-ui.db`) to store:
+- **Server configurations**: All configured Fail2ban servers (local, SSH, API agent)
+- **Application settings**: UI preferences, SMTP settings, etc.
+- **Ban events**: Historical ban records with IP, jail, hostname, country, and log lines
+
+The database is automatically created on first launch and migrated from legacy JSON settings if present.
+
+---
+
+## **🌐 Internationalization**
+
+Fail2Ban-UI supports multiple languages:
+- English (en)
+- German (de, de_ch)
+- French (fr)
+- Italian (it)
+- Spanish (es)
+
+Change the language in **Settings** → **Language**. New languages can be added by creating translation files in `internal/locales/`.
+
+---
+
 ## **🤝 Contributing**
 We welcome **pull requests** and **feature suggestions**!
 

deployment/container/README.md

@@ -2,6 +2,13 @@
 
 A **containerized version of Fail2Ban-UI**, allowing easy deployment for managing Fail2Ban configurations, logs, and bans via a web-based UI.
 
+## **Features**
+- **Multi-server management**: Manage multiple Fail2ban servers (local, SSH, API agent) from a single interface
+- **SQLite database**: Persistent storage for server configurations and ban events
+- **Remote management**: Connect to remote Fail2ban instances via SSH
+- **Filter debugging**: Test filters against log lines using `fail2ban-regex`
+- **Jail management**: Enable/disable jails on local and remote servers
+
 
 ## How to Build the Image
 
@@ -67,6 +74,19 @@ Remove the container:
 podman rm fail2ban-ui
 ```
 
+## First Launch & Server Configuration
+After starting the container, access the web interface at `http://localhost:8080` (or your configured port).
+
+**Important:** On first launch, you need to:
+1. **Enable the local connector** (if Fail2ban runs on the same host), OR
+2. **Add a remote server** via SSH or API agent
+
+Go to **Settings** → **Manage Servers** in the web UI to configure your first Fail2ban server.
+
+The UI uses an embedded SQLite database to store all server configurations and ban events. The database is stored in the `/config` volume mount.
+
+> **Note:** The local Fail2ban service is optional. Fail2Ban-UI can manage remote Fail2ban servers via SSH or API agents without requiring a local Fail2ban installation in the container.
+
 ## Troubleshooting
 
 ### UI Not Accessible
@@ -80,6 +100,17 @@ podman logs fail2ban-ui
 podman exec -it fail2ban-ui ps aux
 ```
 
+### No Servers Configured
+- On first launch, you must add at least one Fail2ban server
+- Go to **Settings** → **Manage Servers** in the web UI
+- Enable the local connector or add a remote server via SSH
+
+### SSH Connection Issues
+- Verify SSH key authentication works from the host
+- Ensure passwordless sudo is configured on the remote server
+- Check debug mode in settings for detailed error messages
+- The container needs network access to remote SSH servers
+
 ## Contact & Support
 For issues, contributions, or feature requests, visit our GitHub repository:  
 🔗 [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/swissmakers/fail2ban-ui/issues)

deployment/systemd/README.md

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ This guide provides two methods to **run Fail2Ban-UI as a systemd service**.
 1. Systemd service that starts the local compiled binary.
 2. Systemd service that starts the fail2ban-ui container.
 
-## For SELinux enabled systems (needed in bouth cases)
+## For SELinux enabled systems (needed in both cases)
 If SELinux is enabled, you must apply the required SELinux policies to allow Fail2Ban to communicate with the Fail2Ban-UI API via port 8080.
 
 Apply the prebuilt SELinux Module with:
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ Install **Go 1.22+** and required dependencies:
   ```
 Make sure you setup GeoIP and your country database is available under: `/usr/share/GeoIP/GeoLite2-Country.mmdb`
 
+> **Note:** The local Fail2ban service is optional. Fail2Ban-UI can manage remote Fail2ban servers via SSH or API agents without requiring a local Fail2ban installation.
+
 Clone the repository to `/opt/fail2ban-ui`:
   ```bash
   sudo git clone https://github.com/swissmakers/fail2ban-ui.git /opt/fail2ban-ui
@@ -35,8 +37,8 @@ Save this file as `/etc/systemd/system/fail2ban-ui.service`:
 ```ini
 [Unit]
 Description=Fail2Ban UI
-After=network.target fail2ban.service
+After=network.target
-Requires=fail2ban.service
+Wants=fail2ban.service
 
 [Service]
 Type=simple
@@ -80,6 +82,17 @@ Stop:
 sudo systemctl stop fail2ban-ui.service
 ```
 
+### First Launch & Server Configuration
+After starting the service, access the web interface at `http://localhost:8080` (or your configured port).
+
+**Important:** On first launch, you need to:
+1. **Enable the local connector** (if Fail2ban runs on the same host), OR
+2. **Add a remote server** via SSH or API agent
+
+Go to **Settings** → **Manage Servers** in the web UI to configure your first Fail2ban server.
+
+The UI uses an embedded SQLite database (`fail2ban-ui.db`) to store all server configurations and ban events. This database is automatically created in the working directory.
+
 ## Running Fail2Ban-UI as a (Systemd controlled) Container
 
 This method runs Fail2Ban-UI as a **containerized service** with **automatic startup** and handling through systemd.
@@ -110,8 +123,8 @@ Save this file as `/etc/systemd/system/fail2ban-ui-container.service`:
 ```ini
 [Unit]
 Description=Fail2Ban UI (Containerized)
-After=network.target fail2ban.service
+After=network.target
-Requires=fail2ban.service
+Wants=fail2ban.service
 
 [Service]
 ExecStart=/usr/bin/podman run --rm \

internal/fail2ban/connector_ssh.go

@@ -422,10 +422,11 @@ func (sc *SSHConnector) TestFilter(ctx context.Context, filterName string, logLi
 			continue
 		}
 		// Use fail2ban-regex: log line as string, filter file path
-		// Escape the log line for shell safety
+		// Use sudo -s to run a shell that executes the piped command
 		escapedLine := strconv.Quote(logLine)
-		cmd := fmt.Sprintf("sudo fail2ban-regex %s %s", escapedLine, strconv.Quote(filterPath))
+		escapedPath := strconv.Quote(filterPath)
-		out, err := sc.runRemoteCommand(ctx, []string{"sh", "-c", cmd})
+		cmd := fmt.Sprintf("echo %s | fail2ban-regex - %s", escapedLine, escapedPath)
+		out, err := sc.runRemoteCommand(ctx, []string{"sudo", "sh", "-c", cmd})
 		// fail2ban-regex returns success (exit 0) if the line matches
 		// Look for "Lines: 1 lines, 0 ignored, 1 matched" or similar success indicators
 		if err == nil {