How to Install Briefkasten on macOS

Briefkasten is a self-hosted file sharing application that allows users to share files with others securely. In this tutorial, we will explain how to install Briefkasten on macOS using the terminal window.

Before you begin the installation process, make sure you have the following dependencies installed:

• Node.js (v14+)
• Git

If you do not have these dependencies installed, you can download them from the following links:

• Node.js: https://nodejs.org/en/download/
• Git: https://git-scm.com/download/mac

Step 1: Clone Briefkasten Repository

1. Open the terminal window on your macOS.
2. Navigate to the directory where you want to save the Briefkasten project files.
3. Type the following command and hit Enter:

git clone https://github.com/ndom91/briefkasten.git

4. Wait for the repository to be cloned. Once the cloning is complete, navigate to the Briefkasten directory using the following command:

cd briefkasten

Step 2: Install Dependencies

1. Once you are inside the Briefkasten directory, type the following command and hit Enter:

npm install

2. Wait for the installation process to finish. This may take some time depending on your internet connection.

Step 3: Configure Briefkasten

1. Once the installation process is complete, navigate to the config directory using the following command:

cd config

2. Make a copy of the config.example.json file and name it config.json using the following command:

cp config.example.json config.json

3. Open the config.json file using a text editor and modify the following fields based on your preferences:

• port: The port on which the server will run.
• ssl: Enable or disable SSL encryption.
• dbPath: The path where the database files will be stored.
• host: The hostname of the server.
• mail: The SMTP settings for sending notification emails.

4. Save the changes and close the file.

Step 4: Start the Server

1. Once the configuration is complete, navigate back to the Briefkasten directory using the following command:

cd ..

2. Type the following command and hit Enter to start the server:

npm run start

3. Wait for the server to start. Once the server has started, you should see the following message in the terminal window:

Briefkasten is running at http://localhost:<port>

4. Open your web browser and navigate to the URL mentioned in the message to access the Briefkasten web interface.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Briefkasten on your macOS. You can now start sharing files with others securely.