PhotosAPI/README.md

<h1 align="center">Photos API</h1>

<p align="center">
<a href="https://git.end-play.xyz/profitroll/PhotosAPILICENSE"><img alt="License: GPL" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/License-GPL-blue"></a>
<a href="https://git.end-play.xyz/profitroll/PhotosAPI"><img alt="Code style: black" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/code%20style-black-000000.svg"></a>
</p>  

Small and simple API server for saving photos and videos.

## Dependencies

* [Python 3.8+](https://www.python.org) (3.9+ recommended)
* [MongoDB](https://www.mongodb.com)
* [exiftool](https://exiftool.org)
* [jpegoptim](https://github.com/tjko/jpegoptim)
* [optipng](https://optipng.sourceforge.net)

## Installation

First you need to have a Python interpreter, MongoDB and optionally git. You can also ignore git and simply download source code, should also work fine. After that you're ready to go.  

> In this README I assume that you're using default python in your
> system and your system's PATH contains it. If your default python
> is `python3` or for example `/home/user/.local/bin/python3.9` - use it instead.

1. Install Mongo:

    Please follow [official installation manual](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/manual/installation) for that.

2. Download Photos API:

    1. `git clone https://git.end-play.xyz/profitroll/PhotosAPI.git` (if you're using git)
    2. `cd PhotosAPI`

3. Create virtual environment [Optional yet recommended]:

    1. Install virtualenv module: `pip install virtualenv`
    2. Create venv: `python -m venv env`
    3. Activate it using `source venv/bin/activate` on Linux, `venv\Scripts\activate.bat` in CMD or `venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1` in PowerShell.

4. Install project's dependencies:  

    `python -m pip install -r requirements.txt`

5. Configure your API:

    1. Copy file `config_example.json` to `config.json`
    2. Open `config.json` using your favorite text editor. For example `nano config.json`
    3. Change `"database"` keys to match your MongoDB setup
    4. Change `"external_address"` to the ip/http address you may get in responses. By default it's `"localhost"`. This is extremely useful when running behind reverse-proxy.  

    After configuring everything listed above your API will be able to boot, however further configuration can be done. You can read about it in [repository's wiki](https://git.end-play.xyz/profitroll/PhotosAPI/wiki/Configuration). There's no need to focus on that now, it makes more sense to configure it afterwards.

6. Start your API:

    You can run your API by the following command:  
    `uvicorn photos_api:app --host 127.0.0.1 --port 8054`  

    Learn more about available uvicorn arguments using `uvicorn --help`

## Using as a service

It's a good practice to use your API as a systemd service on Linux. Here's a quick overview how that can be done.  

1. Create user and move your API

    You don't always need to do so, but that's a cleaner way to deploy a service.  

    1. Create service user `photosapi` using `sudo useradd -r -U photosapi`
    2. Assuming you are still in directory `PhotosAPI`, use `cd ..` to go up a level and then move your API to the distinguished folder. For example, `/opt/`: `sudo mv ./PhotosAPI /opt/`
    3. Make your user and its group own their directory using `sudo chown -R photosapi:photosapi /opt/PhotosAPI`

2. Configure service

    Here's an example service file for PhotosAPI that is using virtual environment:

    ```systemd
    [Unit]
    Description=Photos API
    After=network.target mongod.service
    Wants=network-online.target mongod.service

    [Service]
    Restart=always
    Type=simple
    ExecStart=/bin/bash -c 'source venv/bin/activate && venv/bin/uvicorn photos_api:app --port 8054'
    WorkingDirectory=/opt/PhotosAPI
    User=photosapi
    Group=photosapi

    [Install]
    WantedBy=multi-user.target
    ```  

    1. Create a service by pasting code above into `/etc/systemd/system/photos-api.service`
    2. Enable your service to start on system boot using `sudo systemctl enable photos-api.service`
    3. Start your service now using `sudo systemctl start photos-api.service`
    4. Check if it's running using `sudo systemctl status photos-api.service`
    5. If something goes wrong - check API's logs using `sudo journalctl -u photos-api.service`