pataka

Pātaka

An application designed to be run as an always online peer. Ideally this peer is set up with a static, public IP address, (or port forwarding from one).

This peer is not able to decrypt any messages (or file) that are private to groups, but will replicate these messages (and files) to ensure they are accessible even when the creator is offline, or so there is a backup.

Config

You can modify the config that the pataka is running by editing :

• Mac ~/Library/Application Support/ahau-pataka/config
• Windows ~/AppData/Local/ahau-pataka/config
• Linux: ~/.local/share/ahau-pataka/config

This file is expected to be valid JSON

{
  "port": 8088,
  "pataka": {
    "host": "pataka.ahau.io",
    "log": false,
    "webRegistration": {
      "port": 8000,
      "tribes": [
        "%2Sn8sdDl5+cJqrxo2JdVACReYudCbYQAkB0sRHEZARU=.cloaked"
      ]
    },
    "allowedOrigins": [
      "http://register.ahau.io",
      "http://125.52.12.74",
      "http://localhost:8000"
    ]
  },
  "graphql": {
    "port": 18088
  }
}

example config which for a single pataka set up to be a relay AND web registration server

• config.pataka.host String - the host your pataka invites will be set to connect via
• config.pataka.webRegistration Object - used for turning on a web registration form
  • port Number - the port to serve on
  • tribes Array - if present, limit the registration forms displayed to only those for tribes with ids listed
  • requires the address to be added to config.pataka.allowedOrigins (see below)
  • IMPORTANT: To run a dev pataka with a web registration form, see Web Registration Form (development)
• config.pataka.allowedOrigins Array - opens the graphql API of the pataka up.
  • Needed if webRegistration is wanted.

Note you will have to set up port forwarding for:

• pataka invites (port 8088 by default)
  • recommend map port 8088 => 8088 (default ssb port)
• web registration page
  • recommend map port 80 => 8000 (default web registration port)
• graphql (port 18088 by default)
  • recommend map port 18088 => 18088 (default graphql port)
  • note that the UI assumes this default port, so changing this will likely break UI
• blobs (port 28088 by default)
  • blobs is used for serving profile images
  • recommend map port 28088 => 28088 (default blobs port)
  • note that the UI assumes this default port, so changing this will likely break UI

Development

Setup:

$ npm i

Then in two different terminals:

• start the webpack dev server

$ cd ui && npm run dev

• once that is started, start scuttlebutt + electron

$ npm run dev

Publishing

Requirements

You need to make sure you have electron-builder.env with the following env set:

• all platforms

  • GH_TOKEN - required for publishing to github (including artefacts required for auto-updating)
    • each developer with publishing rights to github.com/protozoa-nz/pataka needs to make their own token, make one here, selecting "repo" permissions

• MacOS

  • APPLE_ID - email address of apple account with code signing license
  • APPLE_ID_PASS - password

• Windows

  • CSC_LINK=build/win/csc.pfx - location of the code signing cert. We have ours commited to repo here
  • CSC_KEY_PASSWORD - password to go with that cert

RESOURCES:

• See : https://www.electron.build/code-signing for useful links

Making release

Steps:

• tag a new release

  $ npm verion minor                # choose major|minor|patch
  

• push the tag up to repos

  $ git push origin master --tags
  $ git push github master --tags   # the protozoa-nz/pataka repo
  

• run release process

  $ npm run release
  

• test the application runs
  • find copy
    • releases folder
    • https://www.github.com/protozoa-nz/pataka/releases
  • open pataka, then after a minute close an re-open
    • auto-updater should have updated to latest version!

NOTES:

• you have a 2 hour window when the release process will work for a particular tag, so make sure to coordinate releases across platforms with other devs
• if you publish a broken release, the auto-updater will roll this broken release to all users and may break auto-updating!
  • smoke-testing the application (step 4) is vital
  • fix it quick!
  • you can run the same release multiple times and it will over-write files on github
• CHECK THE INSTALLER SIZE
  • we've seen weird thing where installers are turning out at 300-800MB (they should be 100-150MB)
  • factors that could be influencing:
    • electron version?
    • polluted build folders?
      • rm -rf dist seems to help sometimes, not sure why
      • rm -rf releases because paranoid?

Changes from Ahau desktop, ui and server

The setup was largely forked from Ahau (whakapapa-ora repo), with some changes:

Unique parts

UI:

• ui/src/App.vue
• ui/src/views/Dashboard.vue
• ui/src/views/PortForwarding.vue
• ui/src/components/Appbar.vue
• ui/src/components/Meter.vue

Tweaked parts

Installers:

• build/electron-builder.config.js: changed appId and productName; included '!ui/*' and '!server/*' to files

Ahoy:

• index.js: uses ahau-pataka-server instead of ahau-server
• ssb.config.js: uses different ssb port and folders

UI:

• ui/package.json: ui runs on port 8081
• ui/public/index.html: changed title and removed cordova parts
• ui/src/plugins/vue-apollo.js: GraphQL server runs on 4001 and different AUTH_TOKEN
• ui/src/views/Login.vue: removed Cordova logic
• ui/src/components/Avatar.vue: changed path of imported components; removed gender logic
• ui/src/components/AvatarEditDialog.vue: changed path of imported components
• ui/src/components/Dialog.vue: changed path of imported components; removed all logic related to gender and dates
• ui/src/components/DialogTitleBanner.vue: changed path of imported assets
• ui/src/components/ImagePicker.vue: changed path of imported components
• ui/src/components/NewNodeDialog.vue: changed paths of imported components; only use a name, description and avatar; removed all relationship related logic
• ui/src/components/ProfileForm.vue: removed all relationship related logic; left only name, description and avatar fields;

Server:

• server/package.json: uses different ssb-graphql plugins
• server/index.js: uses different ssb-graphql plugins, runs on port 4001, removed Cordova parts and mocking

Copied parts

Installers:

• build/mac, build/win and build/build-icons.js

UI:

• .storybook, .eslintrc.js, apollo.config.js, babel.config.js, postcss.config.js, vue.config.js, vuetify.config.js
• plugins/vuetify.js
• assets