What Is bin (basedbin.fly.dev)?

Updated

bin (basedbin.fly.dev) is a minimalist pastebin-style web service for sharing text and files. You paste plain text or upload a file, and the site returns a shareable link. It is built by Gunwant Jain and describes itself as "a highly opinionated and minimalistic Pastebin." Use it when you need a fast way to hand off a snippet, config file, or log without setting up an account or a repository.

What you can do with it

The service has two entry points, both on the same page:

  • Paste text — type or paste content directly into the editor.
  • Upload a file — send an existing file instead of pasting its contents.

Both paths produce a paste that can be shared by link. There is no sign-up flow described on the page, and the interface is a single screen: a language selector, an editor, and an upload control.

Syntax highlighting

bin highlights the pasted content based on a language you choose. The list is unusually broad for a minimal pastebin, covering programming languages, config formats, and plain-text file types. A representative sample:

Category Examples
Programming Python, Go, Rust, TypeScript, C, C++, Java, Ruby, PHP, Swift, Kotlin, Scala, Elixir, Haskell, Zig
Web HTML, CSS, SCSS, Sass, Less, JavaScript, JSX/TSX, Vue, Svelte, Jinja2, Twig, EEx
Config & infra YAML, TOML, JSON, INI, Dockerfile, Terraform, Nix, CMake, Makefile, nginx, Apache Conf
Shell & scripts bash, fish, PowerShell, Batch File, AWK
Data & docs Markdown, reStructuredText, AsciiDoc, LaTeX, TeX, CSV, SQL, GraphQL
System files fstab, hosts, passwd, resolv, syslog, SSH Config, Authorized Keys, Known Hosts
Other Diff, Git Ignore, Git Config, Git Log, Git Rebase Todo, Regular Expressions, VimL, Emacs Lisp, Protocol Buffer

If your format is not listed, plain text still works — highlighting is a convenience, not a requirement.

When to choose bin over alternatives

bin fits situations where speed and low friction matter more than features:

  • Quick snippet sharing — you want a URL for a coworker in seconds, not a gist with a commit history.
  • Config and log handoff — the language list includes the file types people actually paste in bug reports (nginx, fstab, resolv, syslog, Dockerfile).
  • File drops — uploading a file is a first-class option, not an afterthought.

It is a weaker fit if you need versioning, comments, access control, or long-term storage guarantees. Those are not part of what the page describes. For anything sensitive, treat a public paste link as public — the page gives no indication of private or expiring pastes, so do not assume them.

How to use it

  1. Open basedbin.fly.dev.
  2. Choose one of the two modes: paste into the editor, or use the upload control to send a file.
  3. Select the language for syntax highlighting from the dropdown (optional — plain text is the default).
  4. Submit the paste and copy the resulting link to share.

Expected result: a highlighted, link-addressable paste of your text or file.

Common snags

  • Wrong language selected — highlighting will look off but the content is unaffected; re-paste with the correct language if it matters.
  • Assuming privacy — nothing on the page promises private or self-destructing pastes. Redact secrets before pasting.
  • Assuming permanence — the page does not state a retention policy, so keep your own copy of anything you cannot afford to lose.
  • Large files — no size limit is documented; if an upload fails, fall back to pasting the relevant excerpt.