# Getting Started

Latest review: 2021-07-08

## Installation

To complete the installation we will need to perform the following steps:

1. install python3, pip and npm
2. download aprendizations from the repository
3. install javascript libraries (with npm)
4. install aprendizations (with pip)

5. generate SSL certificates

6. configure the firewall (optional)

To use the software we need to:

1. initialize database

2. go to the demo directory (or an existing course)
3. run `aprendizations demo.yaml`

Each of these steps is explained below.

### Install python3 with sqlite3 support and npm

Python can be installed either from the system package management or compiled
from sources.

#### Installing from the system package manager

```sh
sudo pkg install python3 npm        # FreeBSD

sudo apt install python3 npm        # Linux (Ubuntu)

sudo port install python38 npm7     # MacOS

```

In FreeBSD also install `py3X-sqlite3` where `X` is the python version.

#### Installing from source (outdated)

Make sure that the build tools and libraries are installed:

```sh
# Ubuntu:

sudo apt install build-essential libssl-dev zlib1g-dev libncurses5-dev \

  libncursesw5-dev libreadline-dev libsqlite3-dev libgdbm-dev libdb5.3-dev \

  libbz2-dev libexpat1-dev liblzma-dev tk-dev libffi-dev
```

Download [python](http://www.python.org) and

```sh

tar xvfJ Python-3.7.tar.xz

cd Python-3.7
./configure --prefix=$HOME/.local --enable-optimizations
make && make install
```

This will install python locally under `~/.local/bin`. Make sure to add it to

your `PATH` in `~/.profile`. If `~/bin` is already in the path, just make a

symbolic link `ln -s ~/.local/bin ~/bin`.

### Install pip

Install `pip` from the system package manager:

```sh

sudo apt install python3-pip       # Ubuntu

sudo pkg py38-pip                  # FreeBSD

sudo port install py39-pip         # MacOS

```

Then run `python3 -m pip install -U pip` to install latest version into your
user account under `~/.local/bin`.

In the end you should be able to run `pip --version` and `python3 -c "import
sqlite3"` without errors.

In some systems, `pip` can be named `pip3`, `pip3.8` or `pip-3.8`.

Edit the configuration file `~/.config/pip/pip.conf` (FreeBSD, Linux) or
`Library/Application Support/pip/pip.conf` (MacOS) and add the lines

```ini

[global]
user = yes
```

This will set pip to install modules in the user area (recommended).

### Download and install aprendizations

```sh
git clone https://git.xdi.uevora.pt/mjsb/aprendizations.git

cd aprendizations

npm install             # install javascript libraries
pip install .           # install aprendizations and dependencies
```

Javascript libraries are installed in `aprendizations/node_modules` and are

linked from `aprendizations/aprendizations/static`.

Python packages are usually installed in:

* `~/.local/lib/python3.8/site-packages/` in Linux/FreeBSD.
* `~/Library/python/3.9/lib/python/site-packages/` in MacOS.

When aprendizations is installed with pip, all the dependencies are also
installed. The javascript libraries previously installed with npm are copied to
the above directory and the cloned repository is no longer needed.

At this point `aprendizations` is installed in

```sh

~/.local/bin                          # Linux/FreeBSD

~/Library/Python/3.9/bin              # MacOS

```

and can be run from the terminal:

```sh
aprendizations --version

aprendizations --help

```

### SSL Certificates

We need certificates for https. Certificates can be self-signed or validated by

a trusted authority.

Self-signed can be used locally for development and testing, but browsers will
complain. LetsEncrypt issues trusted and free certificates, but the server must
have a registered publicly accessible domain name.

#### Generating selfsigned certificates

Generate a selfsigned certificate and place it in `~/.local/share/certs`.

```sh

openssl req -x509 -newkey rsa:4096 -keyout privkey.pem -out cert.pem -days 365 -nodes
```

#### LetsEncrypt certificates

Install the certbot from LetsEncrypt:

```sh
sudo pkg install py38-certbot       # FreeBSD
sudo apt install certbot            # Ubuntu
```

To generate or renew the certificates, ports 80 and 443 must be accessible.
**Any firewall and webserver have to be stopped**.

```sh
sudo certbot certonly --standalone -d www.example.com   # first time
sudo certbot renew                                      # renew

```

Certificates are saved under

`/usr/local/etc/letsencrypt/live/www.example.com/`. Copy them to

`~/.local/share/certs` and change permissions to be readable:

```sh

cd ~/.local/share/certs

sudo cp /usr/local/etc/letsencrypt/live/www.example.com/cert.pem .

sudo cp /usr/local/etc/letsencrypt/live/www.example.com/privkey.pem .

chmod 400 cert.pem privkey.pem
```

## Configuration

### Database

User data is maintained in a sqlite3 database which has to be created manually

using the `initdb-aprendizations` command.  The database file should be located
in the same directory as the main YAML configuration file.

For example, to run the included demo do:

```sh
cd demo                               # contains a small example
initdb-aprendizations                 # show or initialize database

initdb-aprendizations --admin         # add admin user

initdb-aprendizations inscricoes.csv  # add students from CSV

initdb-aprendizations --add 1184 "Aladino da Silva"   # add new user
initdb-aprendizations --update 1184 --pw alibaba      # update password
initdb-aprendizations --help          # for available options

```

The default password is equal to the user name, if left undefined.

### Running the demo

The application includes a small example in `demo/demo.yaml` that can be used
for initial testing. Run it with

```sh

cd demo
aprendizations demo.yaml
```

Open the browser at [https://127.0.0.1:8443](https://127.0.0.1:8443).

If everything looks good, check at the correct address

`https://www.example.com:8443`.

The option `--debug` provides more verbose logging and might be useful during

testing.

### Firewall configuration

Ports 80 and 443 are only usable by root. For security reasons the server runs
as an unprivileged user on port 8443 for https.  To access the server in the

default https port (443), port forwarding must be configured in the firewall.

#### FreeBSD and pf

Edit `/etc/pf.conf`:

```sh

ext_if="em0"                # change em0 to the correct network interface
rdr on $ext_if proto tcp from any to any port 80 -> 127.0.0.1 port 8080
rdr on $ext_if proto tcp from any to any port 443 -> 127.0.0.1 port 8443
```

Virtualbox with guest additions uses `ext_if="vtnet0"`.

Edit `/etc/rc.conf`

```sh

pf_enable="YES"
pf_flags=""

pf_rules="/etc/pf.conf"

# optional logging:

pflog_enable="YES"

pflog_flags=""

pflog_logfile="/var/log/pflog"
```

Reboot or `sudo service pf start`.

### Testing the system

Make sure the following steps have been done:

* installed python3, pip and npm

* git-cloned the aprendizations from the main repository

* installed javascript libraries with npm

* installed aprendizations with pip
* initialized database with at least 1 user
* generate and copy certificates to the appropriate place
* (optional) configure the firewall to do port forwarding
* run `aprendizations demo.yaml --check`

## Keeping aprendizations updated

To update aprendizations to the latest version do:

```sh
cd aprendizations
git pull                # get latest version
npm update              # update javascript libraries
pip install -U .        # updates installed version
```

## Troubleshooting

To help with troubleshooting, use the option `--debug` when running the server.
This will increase logs in the terminal and will present the python exception

errors in the browser.

Logging levels can be adjusted in `~/.config/aprendizations/logger.yaml` and

`~/.config/aprendizations/logger-debug.yaml`.

If these files do not yet exist, there are examples in `aprendizations/config`

that can be copied to `~/.config/aprendizations`.

### UnicodeEncodeError

The server should not generate this error, but when using external scripts to

generate questions or to correct, these scripts can print unicode strings to

stdout. If the terminal does not support unicode, python will generate an

exception.

* FreeBSD fix: edit `~/.login_conf` to use UTF-8, for example:

```sh
me:\

    :charset=UTF-8:\

    :lang=en_US.UTF-8:

```

* Debian fix: check `locale`...