Auto-Updating Flask Webserver

This project is an auto-updating Flask webserver designed to streamline the deployment and development process. It is compatible with Debian/Ubuntu for production and Windows for development purposes.

Features

• Automatically updates itself with the latest changes from the repository.
• Designed for easy deployment and development.
• Supports a branching workflow for better version control.

Setup Instructions

Prerequisites

1. Ensure you have Python 3.x installed on your system.
2. Install pip (Python package manager) if not already installed.
3. For production, use a Debian/Ubuntu-based system. For development, use Windows.

Repository Setup

1. Fork the Repository
   Start by forking this repository to create your own version for your webserver. This allows you to customize and manage your own updates.

2. Clone the Repository
   Clone your forked repository to your local machine:

   git clone https://github.com/<your-username>/Auto-Updateable-Flask-webserver.git
   cd Auto-Updateable-Flask-webserver

3. Branching Workflow
   Use a two-branch workflow:

   • main: For production-ready code.
   • dev: For development and testing new features.

   Create the dev branch if it doesn't already exist:

   git checkout -b dev

Installation

1. Install Dependencies
   Install the required Python packages:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

2. Environment Configuration
   Configure the .env with your variables. (Note: Remember to add the .env to the .gitignore file)

3. Run the Application
   Start the Flask webserver: run the start.bat in /src/backend/start/start.bat

Deployment

To deploy the auto-updating Flask webserver in a production environment, follow these steps:

1. Use a Debian/Ubuntu Server
   Ensure that you have a production server is running a Debian or Ubuntu-based operating system.

2. Configure systemd for Automatic Startup
   Use the provided autowebserver.service template located in /src/autowebserver.service to configure systemd. This will ensure that the webserver starts automatically on system boot.

   • Copy the service file to the /etc/systemd/system/ directory:

     sudo cp /src/autowebserver.service /etc/systemd/system/

   • Reload the systemd daemon to recognize the new service:

     sudo systemctl daemon-reload

   • Enable and start the service:

     sudo systemctl enable autowebserver
     sudo systemctl start autowebserver

3. Set Up a Reverse Proxy
   Configure a reverse proxy to handle incoming HTTP/HTTPS requests and forward them to the Flask webserver. You can use tools like Nginx or a Cloudflare Tunnel for this purpose.

   • For Nginx, create a configuration file for your domain and set it to forward requests to the Flask server's port (e.g., http://127.0.0.1:5000).
   • For Cloudflare Tunnel, follow their documentation to create a secure tunnel to your server.

4. Configure a GitHub Webhook for Automatic Updates
   Set up a GitHub webhook to trigger the webserver's update mechanism whenever changes are pushed to the repository.

   • Go to your repository on GitHub and navigate to Settings > Webhooks.
   • Click Add webhook and set the following:
     • Payload URL: https://<your_domain>/webhook
     • Content type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
     • Secret: Use a secure secret key and configure it in your .env file.
   • Select the events you want to trigger the webhook (e.g., Push events).
   • Save the webhook configuration.

By following these steps, your Flask webserver will be ready for production deployment with automatic updates and robust request handling.

Files to configure

• src/update.sh
• src/start/start.sh
• .env
• .gitignore

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.