How to Install Wirow on Debian

Wirow is an open-source software that allows users to easily access a public Wi-Fi network through a simple smartphone app. In this tutorial, we will guide you through the process of installing Wirow server on a Debian operating system.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have the following prerequisites:

  • Debian (latest version) installed on your machine
  • Root or sudo access to install packages

Step 1: Install Nginx and Dependencies

The first step is to install Nginx and the required dependencies. Run the following command on your terminal:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install nginx build-essential libssl-dev libffi-dev python3-dev python3-pip python3-venv python3-wheel python3-cffi python3-cryptography curl git

Step 2: Clone the Wirow Repository

Next, clone the Wirow repository using the git command. Move to the directory where you want to download the repository and enter the following:

git clone https://github.com/wirow-io/wirow-server.git

This will download the Wirow repository to your local machine.

Step 3: Create Virtual Environment and Install Dependencies

Once you have downloaded the repository, navigate to the downloaded directory and create a virtual environment. To do so, enter the following commands:

cd wirow-server
python3 -m venv venv

Activate the virtual environment using the following command:

source venv/bin/activate

Now, install the dependencies by executing the following command:

pip install -r requirements.txt

Step 4: Configure Wirow Server

To configure the Wirow server, copy the sample configuration file to an actual configuration file. Execute the following command:

cp wirow/config.sample.py wirow/config.py

Open the newly created configuration file and add your own settings. You can modify the following fields:

  • DEBUG: Set to True to enable debug mode.
  • SECRET_KEY: Set to a secret key for your Wirow server.
  • SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI: Connection string pointing to your PostgreSQL database.
  • SQLALCHEMY_TRACK_MODIFICATIONS: Set to False.
  • MAIL_SERVER, MAIL_PORT, MAIL_USE_TLS, MAIL_USE_SSL, MAIL_USERNAME, MAIL_PASSWORD: Email server configuration settings.
  • MAIL_DEFAULT_SENDER: Email address of the sender.
  • WIROW_APP_URL: URL of your Wirow app.

Step 5: Create PostgreSQL Database

Create a new PostgreSQL database by running the following command:

sudo su postgres
psql

Next, create a new database and a new user. The following commands assume that the database name is wirow_db and the user name is wirow_user:

CREATE DATABASE wirow_db;
CREATE USER wirow_user WITH PASSWORD 'password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE wirow_db TO wirow_user;

Step 6: Run Database Migrations

Once you have created the database, you can run the database migrations. Run the following command:

flask db upgrade

This will create the necessary tables in your PostgreSQL database.

Step 7: Start Nginx and Wirow Server

Finally, start Nginx using the following command:

sudo service nginx start

Next, start the Wirow server using the following command:

gunicorn wirow.app:app

Your Wirow server is now running and ready to be used.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we have shown you how to install Wirow on a Debian operating system. You can now use the server to connect to public Wi-Fi networks through the Wirow app.