Social Web installation instructions on linux (2024-06-15):

requirements

Windows or Mac PC with a Terminal app
Linux web hosting provider (virtual server w/2GB memory)
About 15 minutes

create virtual linux server

Our test installation uses Linode.com Linux web hosting provider

Details: Ubuntu 22.04.4 LTS (GNU/Linux 5.15.0-94-generic x86_64)

You can use the built-in domain name, it looks like this:

173-255-253-78.ip.linodeusercontent.com

set up a domain name (optional)

use your own domain name (example):

coolposts.net

or use a subdomain (example):

lisa.coolposts.net

To use your domain name, find the Manage DNS Settings for your domain name.

Get the Public IP address for your Linux virtual server, it looks like this:

173.255.253.78

Go to Manage DNS Settings and add an "A" record (see subdomain example below)

| Record Type | Name | IP Address |

| A | lisa | 173.255.253.78 |

install app

(open a Terminal app on a Mac or Windows and connect by typing "ssh root@[your domain name]" and hit [return] key example:)


    ssh root@173-255-253-78.ip.linodeusercontent.com

(add a new user account to the linux server for the app to run under)

(set password for new user account)


    adduser socialweb

(allow new user account to do limited server admin activity)


    usermod -aG sudo socialweb

(commands to enable firewall)


    ufw allow ssh
    ufw allow http
    ufw allow https
    ufw enable

(switch to app user account)


    su socialweb

(two commands to update and install linux server software)

(enter password of new user account)


    sudo apt update
    sudo apt install python3-pip python3-dev build-essential libssl-dev libffi-dev python3-setuptools unzip

(install python virtual environment)


    sudo apt install python3-venv

(download socialweb app to /home/socialweb directory)


    cd $HOME; wget https://socialweb.cloud/swc.zip -P ~/

(unzip files to "mysite" folder in home directory)


    unzip ~/*zip -d ~/

(copy the example config file)


    cp ~/mysite/config.py.example ~/mysite/config.py

(use pico text editor to change the domain name in the config file)


    pico ~/mysite/config.py

(use arrow keys to change domain, host, chainfile and keyfile and then use CONTROL-X to save changes and exit pico)


    MYDOMAIN = '173-255-253-78.ip.linodeusercontent.com'
    HOST = '173.255.253.78'
    CHAINFILE = '/home/socialweb/fullchain.pem'
    KEYFILE = '/home/socialweb/privkey.pem'

(use the following keyboard commands to save your changes in pico and exit)


    [CONTROL]-[X] 
    [Y KEY]
    [RETURN KEY]

(create a python virtual environment for the code to run in)


    python3 -m venv ~/socialwebenv

(enable/activate python virtual environment for installing software packages)


    source ~/socialwebenv/bin/activate

(install software dependencies for app)


    pip install -r ~/mysite/requirements.txt

(use pico text editor to create and edit system service file)


    sudo pico /etc/systemd/system/socialweb.service

(CHANGE THE IP ADDRESS in the data below this, and then copy/paste into pico, and then use CONTROL-X to save changes and exit pico)


After=network.target

[Service]
User=socialweb
Group=socialweb
WorkingDirectory=/home/socialweb/mysite
Environment="PATH=/home/socialweb/socialwebenv/bin"
ExecStart=/usr/bin/authbind --deep /home/socialweb/socialwebenv/bin/gunicorn --reload --worker-class eventlet -w 1 --certfile=/home/socialweb/fullchain.pem --keyfile=/home/socialweb/privkey.pem --bind 173.255.253.78:443 --log-file=/home/socialweb/applog.txt app:app

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

(use the following keyboard commands to save your changes in pico and exit the text editor)


    [CONTROL]-[X] 
    [Y KEY]
    [RETURN KEY]

(reload system files)


    sudo systemctl daemon-reload

(install certbot for getting an SSL certificate)


    sudo apt-get install certbot

(request a certificate from certbot)

(type email address)

(press Y key to agree)

(press N key to decline)

(type or paste domain name, for example: 173-255-253-78.ip.linodeusercontent.com)


    sudo certbot certonly --standalone

(CHANGE THE DOMAIN NAME in these commands to copy SSL certs to /home/socialweb directory and set permissions on files)


    sudo cp /etc/letsencrypt/live/173-255-253-78.ip.linodeusercontent.com/privkey.pem /home/socialweb
    sudo cp /etc/letsencrypt/live/173-255-253-78.ip.linodeusercontent.com/fullchain.pem /home/socialweb
    sudo chown socialweb /home/socialweb/*pem

(allow gunicorn binary to use port privileged 443 port by non-root user account)


    sudo apt-get install authbind
    sudo touch /etc/authbind/byport/80
    sudo touch /etc/authbind/byport/443
    sudo chmod 777 /etc/authbind/byport/80
    sudo chmod 777 /etc/authbind/byport/443

(start app)


    sudo service socialweb start

(re-start app and tail log file)


    sudo service socialweb restart; tail -f $HOME/*.txt