How to Install Firefox Account Server on POP! OS Latest

Firefox Account Server is a secure and reliable way to authenticate users across multiple devices. In this tutorial, we will explain step by step how to install it on the latest version of POP! OS.

Prerequisites

A clean installation of the latest version of POP! OS.
A user account with sudo privileges.

Step 1: Update the system

Before installing the Firefox Account Server, make sure your system is up to date by running the following command:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install the required packages

The Firefox Account Server requires some dependencies that must be installed prior to the installation process. Run the following command to install them:

sudo apt install -y git python3-pip python3-venv build-essential libssl-dev libffi-dev python3-dev libmysqlclient-dev

Step 3: Create a new user

Create a new user to run the Firefox Account Server by running the following command:

sudo adduser fxa

Set a strong password, and press enter to accept the rest of the default settings.

Step 4: Switch to the new user

Switch to the new user account by running the following command:

su - fxa

Step 5: Clone the Firefox Account Server source code

Clone the Firefox Account Server source code by running the following command:

git clone https://github.com/mozilla/fxa-auth-server.git fxa-auth-server

Step 6: Set up a virtual environment

Set up a virtual environment to install the Python dependencies using the following commands:

cd fxa-auth-server
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate

Step 7: Install the Python dependencies

Install the Python dependencies required by the Firefox Account Server by running the following command:

pip install --requirement requirements/default.txt

Step 8: Configure the server

Copy the sample configuration file by running the following command:

cp ./etc/dev.secret.json.dist ./etc/dev.secret.json

Edit the configuration file with your preferred text editor to update the required configurations, such as the database settings, hostname, and SSL settings.

Step 9: Run the server

Run the Firefox Account Server by running the following command:

export NODE_ENV=development
python ./bin/fxa-auth-server

Step 10: Test the server

Open your web browser and navigate to the following URL:

https://localhost:3030/v1/account/create

If everything works correctly, you should see a form to create a new account.

Congratulations, you have successfully installed the Firefox Account Server on POP! OS Latest!

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we have explained how to install the Firefox Account Server on POP! OS Latest. The process involves installing the required dependencies, cloning the source code, setting up a virtual environment, configuring the server, and running the server.