ClearFlask is an open-source platform for creating and hosting discussions. In this tutorial, we will learn how to install ClearFlask on Debian Latest.
Step 1: Update and Upgrade Debian
Before we start installing anything, it is important to update and upgrade the Debian operating system to make sure we are working with the latest packages and software.
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
Step 2: Install Required Dependencies
ClearFlask requires a few dependencies to be installed on the server. We can install them using the following command.
sudo apt install python3 python3-pip python3-wheel python3-dev redis-server postgresql postgresql-contrib libpq-dev build-essential libssl-dev libffi-dev python3-setuptools
Step 3: Install ClearFlask
Once the dependencies are installed, we can proceed to install ClearFlask. Firstly, install the virtual environment.
pip3 install virtualenv
Now, we create a new virtual environment for the project.
virtualenv clearflask_env
Activate the environment using the following command.
source clearflask_env/bin/activate
To install ClearFlask, run the following command.
pip3 install clearflask
Step 4: Prepare the Database
We need to create a new PostgreSQL database and user for ClearFlask. Run the following commands to create a new user and database.
sudo -u postgres createuser -P clearflask
sudo -u postgres createdb -O clearflask clearflask
Now, we can initialize the database by running the following command.
python3 -m clearflask db init
Step 5: Configure ClearFlask
Create a new directory for storing the configuration files.
mkdir clearflask_config
cd clearflask_config
Create a new file called config.py and edit it with your favorite text editor. Insert the following code into the file.
from clearflask.default_config import *
SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI = 'postgresql://clearflask:[PASSWORD]@localhost/clearflask'
Replace the [PASSWORD] placeholder with the password you have set when creating the user.
Step 6: Run ClearFlask
We can now start the ClearFlask server.
export CLEARFLASK_CONFIG_PATH=/path/to/config.py
python3 -m clearflask runserver
Replace the /path/to/config.py with the full path to the config.py file you have created in Step 5.
ClearFlask is now running on your Debian server. You can access it by opening a web browser and navigating to http://localhost:5000.
If you want to self-host in an easy, hands free way, need an external IP address, or simply want your data in your own hands, give IPv6.rs a try!
Alternatively, for the best virtual desktop, try Shells!
