Server Installation

Prerequisite

Before installing Plant-it, make sure you have the following prerequisites:

• docker version 3 or above
• docker-compose

Quickstart

Installing Plant-it is pretty straight forward, in order to do so follow these steps:

• Create a folder where you want to place all Plant-it related files.

• Inside that folder, create a file named docker-compose.yml with this content:

  name: plant-it
  services:
    server:
      image: msdeluise/plant-it-server:latest
      env_file: server.env
      depends_on:
        - db
        - cache
      restart: unless-stopped
      volumes:
        - "./upload-dir:/upload-dir"
        - "./certs:/certificates"
      ports:
        - "8080:8080"
        - "3000:3000"
  
    db:
      image: mysql:8.0
      restart: always
      env_file: server.env
      volumes:
        - "./db:/var/lib/mysql"
  
    cache:
      image: redis:7.2.1
      restart: always
  

• Inside that folder, create a file named server.env with this content:

  #
  # DB
  #
  MYSQL_HOST=db
  MYSQL_PORT=3306
  MYSQL_USERNAME=root
  MYSQL_PSW=root
  MYSQL_DATABASE=bootdb
  MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=root
  
  #
  # JWT
  #
  JWT_SECRET=putTheSecretHere
  JWT_EXP=1
  
  #
  # Server config
  #
  USERS_LIMIT=-1
  UPLOAD_DIR=/upload-dir
  API_PORT=8080
  FLORACODEX_KEY=
  LOG_LEVEL=DEBUG
  ALLOWED_ORIGINS=*
  
  #
  # Cache
  #
  CACHE_TTL=86400
  CACHE_HOST=cache
  CACHE_PORT=6379
  

• Run the docker compose file (docker compose -f docker-compose.yml up -d), then the service will be available at localhost:3000, while the REST API will be available at localhost:8080/api (localhost:8080/api/swagger-ui/index.html for the documentation of them).

Configuration

The server.env file is used to pass configurations to the server. An example of properties and descriptions is the following:

#
# DB
#
MYSQL_HOST=db
MYSQL_PORT=3306
MYSQL_USERNAME=root
MYSQL_PSW=root
MYSQL_DATABASE=bootdb
MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=root

#
# JWT
#
JWT_SECRET=putTheSecretHere
JWT_EXP=1

#
# Server config
#
USERS_LIMIT=-1 # less then 0 means no limit
UPLOAD_DIR=/upload-dir # path to the directory used to store uploaded images, if on docker deployment leave as it is and change the volume binding in the docker-compose file if needed
API_PORT=8080
FLORACODEX_URL=https://api.floracodex.com
FLORACODEX_KEY=
ALLOWED_ORIGINS=* # CORS allowed origins (comma separated list)
LOG_LEVEL=DEBUG # could be: DEBUG, INFO, WARN, ERROR
CONTACT_MAIL=foo@bar.com # address used as "contact" for template email
REMINDER_NOTIFY_CHECK=0 30 7 * * * # 6-values crontab expression to set the check time for reminders
MAX_REQUESTS_PER_MINUTE=100 # rate limiting of the upcoming requests

#
# Notification
#
NTFY_ENABLED=true # if "false" ntfy service won't be available as notification dispatcher
GOTIFY_ENABLED=true # if "false" ntfy service won't be available as notification dispatcher

#
# Cache
#
CACHE_TYPE=redis # Cache type. By default, it's "redis" but can also be "none"
CACHE_TTL=86400
CACHE_HOST=cache
CACHE_PORT=6379
CACHE_PASSWORD=
CACHE_USERNAME=

#
# SMTP
#
SMTP_HOST=
SMTP_PORT=
SMTP_EMAIL=
SMTP_PASSWORD=
SMTP_AUTH=
SMTP_START_TTL=

Integration with Trefle Service [NOT WORKING ANYMORE]

Trefle Service Inactivity

The Trefle service, which Plant-it relied on for plant data, appears to be inactive. There have been no updates to their database, and their repository shows no recent activity, with several open issues dating back years. While the dataset was accessible until recently, it is no longer available.

I am currently exploring the best way to move forward and working on a replacement for this service, as mentioned in issue #218.

As a temporary solution, the Flora Codex service has replaced the Trefle service. However, it lacks some features such as:

• Plant care information • Synonyms

Additionally, it has fewer plants compared to Trefle.

This is a temporary patch that will be resolved in the near future.

Integration with FloraCodex

To enhance your application with plant search capabilities, you can integrate with the FloraCodex service. FloraCodex provides a comprehensive API for searching and retrieving plant information. Follow the steps below to configure and use the FloraCodex service in your project:

1. Create an Account on FloraCodex:

   • Visit the FloraCodex website and sign up for an account.
   • Follow the registration process to verify your account.

2. Retrieve the API Key:

   • Once your account is set up, log in to your FloraCodex account.
   • Navigate to the API section to generate or retrieve your API key. This key is necessary for authenticating your requests to the FloraCodex API.

3. Configure the API Key:

   • Open the server.env file in your project.
   • Add the following line to the file, replacing YOUR_FLORACODEX_API_KEY with the actual API key you obtained from FloraCodex: FLORACODEX_KEY=YOUR_FLORACODEX_API_KEY

4. Save and Restart Your Server:

   • Save the changes made to the server.env file.
   • Restart your server to apply the new configuration.

By following these steps, you enable your application to use the FloraCodex service for searching and retrieving information about existing plants. Ensure that your API key is kept secure and not exposed publicly to avoid unauthorized access.

Deployment Without Cache

If you need to deploy the application without using a cache, you can disable the cache by setting the CACHE_TYPE environment variable to none. This prevents the application from attempting to connect to a cache service.

Then, to remove the cache service from your deployment, update your docker-compose.yaml file as follows:

name: plant-it
services:
  server:
    image: msdeluise/plant-it-server:latest
    env_file: server.env
    depends_on:
      - db
    restart: unless-stopped
    volumes:
      - "./upload-dir:/upload-dir"
      - "./certs:/certificates"
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"
      - "3000:3000"

  db:
    image: mysql:8.0
    restart: always
    env_file: server.env
    volumes:
      - "./db:/var/lib/mysql"

Deployment Without Docker

If you prefer to install and run the server without using Docker, ensure that you have Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 21 installed on your system. Follow these steps to set up the server:

1. Download the Server JAR File:

   • Obtain the server.jar file from the latest release of the project on GitHub.

2. Set Environment Variables:

   • You can configure the necessary environment variables in two ways:

     • Option 1: Manually export them in your terminal based on your setup. For example:

       export MYSQL_HOST=localhost && \
       export MYSQL_PORT=3306 && \
       ...
       

       Adjust these variables according to your specific setup.

     • Option 2: Provide a server.properties file that contains all the required properties. You can download a template for this file from the project's repository and adjust it to suit your configuration.

3. Run the Server:

   • If you chose Option 1 (manually setting environment variables), run the server using the following command:

     java -jar server.jar
     

   • If you chose Option 2 (using the server.properties file), run the server with the following command, specifying the location of your configuration file:

     java -jar server.jar --spring.config.location=classpath:/<path-to-server.properties>
     

Frontend Setup Without Docker

For the frontend, if you're using Android, you can use the provided APK available on GitHub releases or F-Droid. However, for iOS, a standalone app is not available. If you choose not to use Docker for the frontend, follow these steps:

1. Download the Frontend Files:

   • Download the client.tar.gz file from the latest release of the project on GitHub.

2. Uncompress the Files:

   • Extract the contents of the client.tar.gz file:

     tar -xzf client.tar.gz
     

3. Serve the Files:

   • You can serve the frontend files locally using a simple HTTP server. For example, using Python:

     python3 -m http.server 3000
     

   • Alternatively, you can serve the files using a web server like Nginx.

By following these instructions, you can deploy both the server and frontend components without relying on Docker. This setup provides flexibility if Docker is not available or desirable in your environment.

Change ports binding

Backend

If you don't want to use the default port 8080, you can do the following:

• change the port binding in the docker-compose.yml file, e.g. 9090:8080 to setup the port 9090 for the backend service,

Frontend

If you don't want to use the default port 3000, you can do the following:

• change the port binding in the docker-compose.yml file, e.g. 4040:3000 to setup the port 4040 for the frontend service

Complete example

Let's say that you want to run Plant-it on a server with IP http://192.168.1.103 and want to have:

• the backend on port 8089,
• the frontend on port 3009.

Then this will be you configuration for the docker-compose.yml file:

name: plant-it
services:
  server:
    image: msdeluise/plant-it-server:latest
    env_file: server.env
    depends_on:
      - db
      - cache
    restart: unless-stopped
    volumes:
      - "./upload-dir:/upload-dir"
      - "./certs:/certificates"
    ports:
      - "8089:8080"
      - "3009:3000"
  db:
    image: mysql:8.0
    restart: always
    env_file: server.env
    volumes:
      - "./db:/var/lib/mysql"
  cache:
    image: redis:7.2.1
    restart: always

And this will be you configuration for the server.env file:

#
# DB
#
MYSQL_HOST=db
MYSQL_PORT=3306
MYSQL_USERNAME=root
MYSQL_PSW=root
MYSQL_DATABASE=bootdb
MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=root

#
# JWT
#
JWT_SECRET=32characterscomplicatedsecret
JWT_EXP=1

#
# Server config
#
USERS_LIMIT=2
UPLOAD_DIR=/upload-dir
API_PORT=8080
FLORACODEX_KEY=
ALLOWED_ORIGINS=*

#
# Cache
#
CACHE_TTL=86400
CACHE_HOST=cache
CACHE_PORT=6379

Example of traefik deployment

This is an example of deployment using traefik:

version: '3'
services:
  reverse-proxy:
    image: traefik:v3.0
    command: --api.insecure=true --providers.docker
    ports:
      - "80:80"
      - "8080:8080"
    volumes:
      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock

  server:
    image: msdeluise/plant-it-server:latest
    env_file: server.env
    depends_on:
      - db
      - cache
    restart: unless-stopped
    labels:
      - "traefik.enable=true"
      - "traefik.http.routers.app.rule=Host(`plant-it.docker.localhost`)"
      - "traefik.http.routers.app.service=server"
      - "traefik.http.routers.app.entrypoints=http"
      - "traefik.http.services.server.loadbalancer.server.port=3000"

      - "traefik.http.routers.api.rule=Host(`plant-it-api.docker.localhost`)"
      - "traefik.http.routers.api.service=server-api"
      - "traefik.http.routers.api.entrypoints=http"
      - "traefik.http.services.server-api.loadbalancer.server.port=8080"

  db:
    image: mysql:8.0
    restart: always
    env_file: server.env
    volumes:
      - "./db:/var/lib/mysql"
    labels:
      - "traefik.enable=false"

  cache:
    image: redis:7.2.1
    restart: always
    labels:
      - "traefik.enable=false"

Visit http://plant-it.docker.localhost for accessing the app, and http://plant-it-api.docker.localhost/api/swagger-ui/index.html for accessing the Swagger UI. Use http://plant-it-api.docker.localhost as server URL when request in the app setup.

SMTP Configuration for Email Notifications

An SMTP server can be used to send notifications to users, such as password reset emails. To configure the usage of an SMTP server, the following properties need to be set in the server.env file:

• SMTP_HOST: The host of the SMTP server.
• SMTP_PORT: The port of the SMTP server.
• SMTP_EMAIL: The email address used to send notifications.
• SMTP_PASSWORD: The password of the email account used for authentication.
• SMTP_AUTH: This parameter enables or disables authentication for the SMTP server.
• SMTP_START_TLS: This parameter enables or disables the use of STARTTLS for secure communication with the SMTP server.
• CONTACT_MAIL: contact address to use in the email templates if a user want to contact the administrator

Email credentials

Please note that some providers, such as Gmail, may require the use of an application-specific password for authentication.

Example Gmail Configuration

SMTP_HOST=smtp.gmail.com
SMTP_PORT=587
SMTP_EMAIL=your-email@gmail.com
SMTP_PASSWORD=your-application-password
SMTP_AUTH=true
SMTP_START_TTL=true
CONTACT_MAIL=your-email@gmail.com

Homepage dashboard integration

The project offers a widget for integrates the service with the popular dashboard called homepage. In order to use it, simply place the widget as above in the configuration yml file of the dashboard:

- Plant-it:
    href: <server-app-url>
    description: 🪴 Self-hosted, open source gardening companion app
    icon: plant-it
    widget:
      type: plantit
      url: <server-backend-url>
      key: <you-key>

You can get the API Key following the step in the relative section.

API Key Retrieval

To retrieve an API Key using the REST API, follow these steps:

1. Authenticate and Retrieve JWT Token:

   • Send a POST request to the authentication endpoint to log in.
   • Replace <server-url> with the actual server URL.
   • Example using curl:

   curl -X 'POST' \
   'http://<server-url>/api/authentication/login' \
   -H 'accept: */*' \
   -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
   -d '{
   "username": "user",
   "password": "user"
   }'
   

   • Upon successful authentication, the response will contain a JWT token. This token is required for the next step.

2. Generate API Key:

   • With the JWT token, make an authenticated POST request to the API Key endpoint. You may optionally pass a name parameter for the API key.
   • Example using curl:

   curl -X 'POST' \
   'http://<server-url>/api/api-key/' \
   -H 'accept: */*' \
   -H 'Authorization: Bearer <JWT-token>' \
   -d ''
   

3. Receive API Key:

   • The response from the API Key request will contain your newly generated API Key.

Make sure to store the API Key securely, as it will be used for authenticating your requests to the system.

Kubernetes Deployment

This guide will help you deploy your project using Kubernetes with Minikube. Follow the steps below to set up and access your application.

Prerequisites

• Ensure you have Minikube installed and running.
• Ensure kubectl is installed and configured to communicate with your Minikube cluster.
• (if using Helm) Ensure Helm is installed.

Deployment Steps

Using kubectl

First, download the contents of the deployment/kubernetes directory from the project repository, then:

1. Run Minikube:

   minikube start --driver=docker --mount --mount-string="/tmp/plant-it-data:/mnt/data"
   

2. Deploy the DB Secrets:

   kubectl apply -f secret.yml
   

3. Deploy the DB ConfigMaps:

   kubectl apply -f config.yml
   

4. Deploy the Database:

   kubectl apply -f db.yml
   

5. Deploy the Cache:

   kubectl apply -f cache.yml
   

6. Deploy the Server:

   kubectl apply -f server.yml
   

If you want to change the configuration values, edit the content of config.yml and secret.yml files.

Using Helm

First, download the contents of the deployment/helm directory from the project repository, then:

1. Run Minikube:

   minikube start --driver=docker --mount --mount-string="/tmp/plant-it-data:/mnt/data"
   

2. Create and Modify my-values.yml File: Create a new file called my-values.yml to override the default settings provided in the values.yml file. You can copy the content from values.yml and modify it according to your configuration needs. This ensures your custom values are applied without altering the default configuration.

3. Install the Helm Chart:

   helm install plantit helm --values helm/values.yml -f helm/my-values.yml
   

   This command confirms that the values in helm/values.yml will be used as the base configuration, and any values specified in helm/my-values.yml will override the defaults.

Using TrueCharts

The Plant-it service is also available on TrueCharts, which simplifies the deployment process. You can find the chart for Plant-it here.

Please note that I am not the creator of these charts. For any issues or detailed instructions on how to deploy using TrueCharts, please refer to the official TrueCharts documentation.

Access the Application

Once the deployment is complete, you can access the application and its Swagger UI at the following URLs:

• Application: http://<minikube_ip>:3000
• Swagger UI: http://<minikube_ip>:8080/api/swagger-ui/index.html

Replace <minikube_ip> with the IP address returned by the following command:

minikube ip

⚠ Known Issue - Minikube IP not Accessible

If you encounter issues accessing the NodePort service using MinikubeIP:NodePort, execute the following command to expose the service and obtain a direct URL:

minikube service server-service

Then, open the printed links in your browser to access the application and Swagger UI.