# Condenser [](https://circleci.com/gh/steemit/wallet) Condenser is the react.js web interface to the world's first and best blockchain-based social media platform, steemit.com. It uses [STEEM](https://github.com/steemit/steem), a blockchain powered by DPoS Governance and ChainBase DB to store JSON-based content for a plethora of web applications. ## Why would I want to use Condenser (steemit.com front-end)? * Learning how to build blockchain-based web applications using STEEM as a content storage mechanism in react.js * Reviewing the inner workings of the steemit.com social media platform * Assisting with software development for steemit.com ## Installation #### Docker We highly recommend using docker to run condenser in production. This is how we run the live steemit.com site and it is the most supported (and fastest) method of both building and running condenser. We will always have the latest version of condenser (master branch) available on Docker Hub. Configuration settings can be set using environment variables (see configuration section below for more information). If you need to install docker, you can get it at https://get.docker.com To bring up a running container it's as simple as this: ```bash docker run -it -p 8080:8080 steemit/condenser ``` Environment variables can be added like this: ```bash docker run -it --env SDC_DATABASE_URL="mysql://user:pass@hostname/databasename" -p 8080:8080 steemit/condenser ``` If you would like to modify, build, and run condenser using docker, it's as simple as pulling in the github repo and issuing one command to build it, like this: ```bash git clone https://github.com/steemit/condenser cd condenser docker build -t="myname/condenser:mybranch" . docker run -it -p 8080:8080 myname/condenser:mybranch ``` ## Building from source without docker (the 'traditional' way): (better if you're planning to do condenser development) #### Clone the repository and make a tmp folder ```bash git clone https://github.com/steemit/condenser cd condenser mkdir tmp ``` #### Install dependencies Install at least Node v8.7 if you don't already have it. We recommend using `nvm` to do this as it's both the simplest way to install and manage installed version(s) of node. If you need `nvm`, you can get it at [https://github.com/creationix/nvm](https://github.com/creationix/nvm). Condenser is known to successfully build using node 8.7, npm 5.4.2, and yarn 1.3.2. Using nvm, you would install like this: ```bash nvm install v8.7 ``` We use the yarn package manager instead of the default `npm`. There are multiple reasons for this, one being that we have `steem-js` built from source pulling the github repo as part of the build process and yarn supports this. This way the library that handles keys can be loaded by commit hash instead of a version name and cryptographically verified to be exactly what we expect it to be. Yarn can be installed with `npm`, but afterwards you will not need to use `npm` further. ```bash npm install -g yarn yarn global add babel-cli yarn install --frozen-lockfile yarn run build ``` To run condenser in production mode, run: ```bash yarn run production ``` When launching condenser in production mode it will automatically use 1 process per available core. You will be able to access the front-end at http://localhost:8080 by default. To run condenser in development mode, run: ```bash yarn run start ``` It will take quite a bit longer to start in this mode (~60s) as it needs to build and start the webpack-dev-server. By default you will be connected to steemit.com's public steem node at `wss://steemd.steeemit.com`. This is actually on the real blockchain and you would use your regular account name and credentials to login - there is not an official separate testnet at this time. If you intend to run a full-fledged site relying on your own, we recommend looking into running a copy of `steemd` locally instead [https://github.com/steemit/steem](https://github.com/steemit/steem). #### Debugging SSR code `yarn debug` will build a development version of the codebase and then start the local server with `--inspect-brk` so that you can connect a debugging client. You can use Chromium to connect by finding the remote client at `chrome://inspect/#devices`. #### Configuration The intention is to configure condenser using environment variables. You can see the names of all of the available configuration environment variables in `config/custom-environment-variables.json`. Default values are stored in `config/defaults.json`. Environment variables using an example like this: ```bash export SDC_CLIENT_STEEMD_URL="wss://steemd.steemit.com" export SDC_SERVER_STEEMD_URL="wss://steemd.steemit.com" ``` Keep in mind environment variables only exist in your active session, so if you wish to save them for later use you can put them all in a file and `source` them in. If you'd like to statically configure condenser without variables you can edit the settings directly in `config/production.json`. If you're running in development mode, copy `config/production.json` to `config/dev.json` with `cp config/production.json config/dev.json` and adjust settings in `dev.json`. If you're intending to run condenser in a production environment one configuration option that you will definitely want to edit is `server_session_secret` which can be set by the environment variable `SDC_SESSION_SECRETKEY`. To generate a new value for this setting, you can do this: ```bash node > crypto.randomBytes(32).toString('base64') > .exit ``` ## Install mysql server If you've followed the instructions up until this point you will already have a running condenser installation which is entirely acceptable for development purposes. It is *not required to run a SQL server for development*. If you're running a full-fledged site however, you will want to set one up. Once set up, you can set the mysql server configuration option for condenser using the environment variable `SDC_DATABASE_URL`, or alternatively by editing it in `config/production.json`. You will use the format `mysql://user:pass@hostname/databasename`. Example: ```bash export SDC_DATABASE_URL="mysql://root:[email protected]/steemit_dev" ``` Here are instructions for setting up a mysql server and running the necessary migrations by operating system: OS X: ```bash brew update brew doctor brew upgrade brew install mysql mysql.server restart ``` Debian based Linux: ```bash sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install mysql-server ``` On Ubuntu 16.04+ you may be unable to connect to mysql without root access, if so update the mysql root user as follows: ``` sudo mysql -u root DROP USER 'root'@'localhost'; CREATE USER 'root'@'%' IDENTIFIED BY ''; GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON *.* TO 'root'@'%'; FLUSH PRIVILEGES; ``` Now launch mysql client and create steemit_dev database: ```bash mysql -u root > create database steemit_dev; > quit ``` ### Database migrations This is a required step in order for the database to be 'ready' for condenser's use. Edit the file `src/db/config/config.json` using your favorite command line text editor being sure that the username, password, host, and database name are set correctly and match your newly configured mysql setup. Run `sequelize db:migrate` in `src/db` directory, like this: ```bash cd src/db yarn exec sequelize db:migrate ``` ## Style Guides For Submitting Pull Requests ### File naming and location - Prefer CamelCase js and jsx file names - Prefer lower case one word directory names - Keep stylesheet files close to components - Component's stylesheet file name should match component name #### Js & Jsx We use [prettier](https://github.com/prettier/prettier) to autofromat the code, with [this configuration](.prettierrc). Run `yarn run fmt` to format everything in `src/`, or `yarn exec -- prettier --config .prettierrc --write src/whatever/file.js` for a specific file. #### CSS & SCSS If a component requires a css rule, please use its uppercase name for the class, e.g. "Header" class for the header's root div. We adhere to BEM methodology with exception for Foundation classes, here is an example for the Header component: ```html