# Flask server for my personal site

## Background

This is the default server running at [https://ayo.ayco.io](https://ayco.io). Its main responsibility is serving static files generated with Astro SSG which I maintain in a [separate project](https://ayco.io/sh/ayco.io-astro). The generated files from that project will populate a `dist` directory in here, which will then be served as-is.

Additional features are:

1. attach [/threads](https://ayco.io/sh/threads) flask blueprint behind `/threads` route
1. perf monitoring and error tracking with [sentry.io](https://sentry.io)

> [!IMPORTANT]
> The overall architecture is still experimental. The way I decoupled the dynamic tiny apps here (e.g., [/threads](https://ayco.io/sh/threads), and [ori](https://ayco.io/sh/ori)) is good, but an improvement in this project still needs to be made with regards to managing a common app configuration that the blueprints consume, packaging the software components into modules for better distribution & adoption, and providing various deployment options.

## Development

1. Set up your **Debian** (for other environments, search for counterpart instructions)

   ```bash
   # update repositories
   $ sudo apt update

   # install python stuff
   $ sudo apt install python3-pip python3-dev build-essential libssl-dev libffi-dev python3-setuptools python3-venv
   ```

2. Install dependencies

   ```bash
   # clone the project
   $ git clone git@git.sr.ht:~ayoayco/ayco.io-flask

   # go into the project directory
   $ cd ayco.io-flask

   # create python environment:
   $ python3 -m venv .venv

   # activate python env:
   $ . .venv/bin/activate

   # install dependencies:
   (.venv)$ python -m pip install -r requirements.txt

   # create configuration from example config file
   (.venv)$ cp ./example_config.json ./config.json

   # rejoice!
   ```

3. To start development, run the following:

   ```bash
   (.venv)$ flask --app web.py --debug run
   ```

   > Note: On a Mac, the default port 5000 is used by AirDrop & Handoff; you may have to turn those off

4. Populate a `dist` directory with static files (e.g., `*.html` for pages). Currently I generate static files in a separate [Astro site project](https://ayco.io/sh/ayco.io-astro) -- see instructions on how to set it up separately, run the build script and copy the `dist` here.

5. After development session, deactivate the python env
   ```bash
   (.venv)$ deactivate
   ```

## Deployment

For deployment, the recommended setup is with production server `gunicorn` and reverse proxy `nginx`. See the [DigitalOcean tutorial](https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-serve-flask-applications-with-gunicorn-and-nginx-on-ubuntu-20-04) (their website uses cookies).