How to Install Snippet Box on Linux Mint?

Snippet Box is an open-source web application that allows you to store and manage code snippets. It is easy to install on Linux Mint, and this tutorial will guide you through the process.

Prerequisites

Before we start the installation process, you need to have the following prerequisites:

  • Linux Mint Operating System Installed
  • A web server (Apache, Nginx, or Caddy)
  • MySQL Database

Step 1: Install Go

Go is required to build and run Snippet Box. If you don't have it, you can install it by running the following command: 

sudo apt-get install golang-go

Step 2: Clone the Repository

Next, you need to clone the Snippet Box repository from GitHub. This can be done using the following command: 

git clone https://github.com/pawelmalak/snippet-box.git ~/snippet-box

Step 3: Build the Application

Once the repository is cloned, navigate to the directory where the project is stored and run the following command: 

cd ~/snippet-box
go build .

Step 4: Create the Database

Now, it's time to create a database. For this, you need to log in to MySQL using the following command: 

mysql -u root -p

After successfully logging in, you need to create a new database using the following command: 

CREATE DATABASE snippetbox;

Step 5: Configure the Application

Before you can run the application, you need to configure it. You can do this by copying the example.env file to .env and modifying it using the following command: 

cp example.env .env
nano .env

In the .env file, set the following environment variables:

  • SNIPPETBOX_DB_USERNAME - Your MySQL username
  • SNIPPETBOX_DB_PASSWORD - Your MySQL password
  • SNIPPETBOX_DB_NAME - The name of the database you created

Step 6: Run the Application

Finally, you can run the application using the following command: 

./snippet-box

The application will be running at http://localhost:4000.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Snippet Box on your Linux Mint system.