FileShare

CS4455 – EPIC
EPIC FileShare Project

Team

• Network Risk Mitigation Corp
  • Dara Heaphy (23369914)
  • Tomas Deane (23363258)
  • Naem Haq (23379243)
  • Tiernan Scully (23365528)
  • Daniel Moody (23370157)

Overview

FileShare is a secure, end-to-end encrypted file-sharing platform with both a Qt desktop client and a JavaScript web client. It emphasises confidentiality, integrity and authenticity, even if the server or network is compromised.

Architecture & Modules

• Backend Server

  • Exposes a RESTful API for authentication, file management and sharing.
  • Implemented in REACT typescript.

• Qt Client (C++)

  • Native desktop application.
  • Demonstrates modern C++ features (OOP, templates, smart pointers, etc.)

• Web Client (JavaScript)

  • Browser-based SPA.
  • Uses Web Crypto API and up-to-date security headers.

Instalation instructions

npm project

1. Prerequisites

   • Node.js (v16 or higher)
   • npm (v7 or higher)

2. Installation

   # Navigate to the web client directory
   cd fileshareweb
   
   # Install dependencies
   npm install

3. Configuration

   • Create a .env file in the fileshareweb directory with the following variables:

     REACT_APP_API_URL=http://localhost:3000
     REACT_APP_WS_URL=ws://localhost:8000
     

4. Running the Development Server

   # Start the development server
   npm run start:https

   The application will be available at http://localhost:3000

5. Building for Production

   # Create a production build
   npm run build

   The build output will be in the build directory

6. Running Tests

   # Run the test suite
   npm test

7. Troubleshooting

   • If you encounter SSL certificate issues, ensure the certificates are properly placed in the ssl directory
   • For dependency issues, try clearing the npm cache:

     npm cache clean --force
     rm -rf node_modules
     npm install

Qt Project

1. Prerequisites

   • Qt 6.9 or higher
   • QMake 3.16 or higher
   • C++ compiler (MSVC, GCC, or Clang)
   • OpenSSL development libraries

2. Installation

   # Navigate to the Qt client directory
   cd fileshareqt
   
   # Create build directory
   mkdir build
   cd build
   
   # Configure the project
   cmake ..
   
   # Build the project
   cmake --build .

3. Configuration

   • SSL certificates should be placed in the ssl directory:
     • client.crt - Client certificate
     • client.key - Client private key
     • ca.crt - CA certificate

4. Running the Application

   # From the build directory
   ./FileShareQt

5. Development with Qt Creator

   • Open fileshareqt.pro in Qt Creator
   • Configure the project with your preferred kit
   • Build and run directly from Qt Creator

6. Troubleshooting

   • If SSL certificate errors occur:
     • Verify certificate paths in the application
     • Ensure certificates are in the correct format
   • For build errors:
     • Check Qt and CMake versions
     • Verify all dependencies are installed
     • Clean build directory and rebuild:

       rm -rf build/*
       cmake ..
       cmake --build .

7. Project Structure

   • controllers/ - Business logic and API communication
   • models/ - Data models and structures
   • views/ - UI components and layouts
   • utils/ - Utility functions and helpers
   • styles/ - Application styling and themes

Cloud Server

1. Prerequisites

   • Python 3.8 or higher
   • pip (Python package manager)
   • OpenSSL for certificate generation
   • MySQL Server (for database)
   • Required Python packages (automatically installed via requirements.txt):
     • Flask and extensions (Web framework)
     • SQLAlchemy (Database ORM)
     • PyMySQL (MySQL connector)
     • cryptography (Cryptographic operations)
     • JWT (Authentication)
     • bcrypt (Password hashing)
     • python-magic (File type detection)

2. Installation

   # Navigate to the cloud server directory
   cd cloud
   
   # Create and activate virtual environment (recommended)
   python -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
   
   # Install dependencies
   pip install -r requirements.txt

3. Configuration

   • SSL certificates should be placed in the ssl directory:
     • server.crt - Server certificate
     • server.key - Server private key
     • ca.crt - CA certificate
   • Database configuration in server.py:

     DATABASE_URL = "postgresql://username:password@localhost:5432/fileshare"

4. Running the Server

   # Start the server
   python server.py

   The server will be available at https://localhost:8000

5. API Endpoints

   • Authentication:
     • POST /auth/login - User login
     • POST /auth/register - User registration
   • Files:
     • GET /files - List files
     • POST /files/upload - Upload file
     • GET /files/download/{file_id} - Download file
     • DELETE /files/{file_id} - Delete file
   • Sharing:
     • POST /files/share - Share file
     • GET /files/shared - List shared files
     • DELETE /files/share/{share_id} - Revoke share

6. Troubleshooting

   • SSL certificate issues:
     • Verify certificate paths and permissions
     • Check certificate validity and expiration
   • Database connection errors:
     • Verify MySQL is running
     • Check database credentials
     • Ensure database exists
   • Port conflicts:
     • Check if port 8000 is available
     • Modify port in server configuration if needed

7. Development

   • Enable debug mode in server.py:

     DEBUG = True

   • Logging configuration:

     LOG_LEVEL = "DEBUG"

8. Security Considerations

   • Keep SSL certificates secure
   • Regularly update dependencies
   • Monitor server logs for suspicious activity
   • Implement rate limiting for API endpoints
   • Use strong password policies