---
title: "Hosting 'FossilSimShiny' on a Web Server"
author: "Titouan Chambe"
date: "`r Sys.Date()`"
output: rmarkdown::html_vignette
vignette: >
%\VignetteIndexEntry{Hosting FossilSimShiny on a Web Server}
%\VignetteEngine{knitr::rmarkdown}
%\VignetteEncoding{UTF-8}
---
```{r, include = FALSE}
knitr::opts_chunk$set(
collapse = TRUE,
comment = "#>",
fig.width = 5, fig.height = 5
)
```
This vignette provides information on how to host the `FossilShinyApp` on a web server.\
\
Specifically, while we'll only look at serving the app on `Debian 11`, this guide can easily be adapted for any `Linux` based web server and for any app for that matter.\
## Contents
* [Preface]
* [Dependencies]
* [R]
* [Dependencies for building a Shiny server from source]
* [R packages we need]
* [Installing Shiny Server]
* [Putting the app on the server]
* [Firewall tweaks]
* [Starting Shiny Server]
## Preface
This guide will assume you know basic `bash` commands and have already setup a `ssh` connection to your web server.
## Dependencies
Let's start by installing all the dependencies we'll need to compile and run our shiny web server.
Connect via `ssh` to your web server and install the following packages.
### R
Some dependencies used by `FossilSim` require a rather recent version of `R`. At the time of making this, on `debian bullseye`, you need a newer version of R rather than the one supplied by the advanced packaging tool `apt`.\
\
This means we'll need to add a `PPA` in order to get a more recent version of `R` as to fully support the `FossilSim` package, which we obviously need.\
\
First open the file at `/etc/apt/sources.list` to add the `R` `PPA` to your sources list:
\
```{bash, eval = FALSE}
nano /etc/apt/sources.list
```
Add the line `deb http://cloud.r-project.org/bin/linux/debian bullseye-cran40/` as shown below to add the `PPA`.\
\
If you are using a different `distro`, you can use https://CRAN.R-project.org/bin/linux/ to find the right `PPA`.\
\
Your source file should look like this:
```{bash, eval = FALSE}
# deb http://mirrors.online.net/debian bullseye main
deb http://mirrors.online.net/debian bullseye main non-free contrib
deb-src http://mirrors.online.net/debian bullseye main non-free contrib
deb http://security.debian.org/debian-security bullseye-security main contrib n>
deb-src http://security.debian.org/debian-security bullseye-security main contr>
# R 4.2.0
deb http://cloud.r-project.org/bin/linux/debian bullseye-cran40/
```
Then press `CTRL+X` to quit and `Y` to save.\
\
Finally, you can install `R`.
```{bash, eval = FALSE}
apt-get update
apt-get install r-base r-base-dev
```
You can verify your `R` version by using the `R` command.
```{bash, eval = FALSE}
$ R
R version 4.2.0 (2022-04-22) -- "Vigorous Calisthenics"
```
### Dependencies for building a Shiny server from source
These are the dependencies you'll need to build shiny server. Depending on your distribution they may already be pre-installed.\
\
* `Python 3.6+`, pre-installed on `Debian 11`.
Use `which python3` to verify it is installed. You should get something like `/usr/bin/python3` if it's correctly installed.
* `cmake`
Use `sudo apt-get install cmake`.
* `gcc`
Should be pre-installed.</br>
*Author's note: we need *`gcc 4.8`*or newer which means you cannot use this guide with a*`Debian 9<`*server.*
* `g++`
Should be pre-installed.
* `git`
Use `sudo apt-get install git`.
### R packages we need
Any `R` packages used by the app needs to be installed for all users.
This means we need to install both the shiny package and the `FossilSim` package for all users.
```{bash, eval = FALSE}
sudo su - -c "R -e \"install.packages('shiny', repos='https://cran.rstudio.com/')\""
sudo su - -c "R -e \"install.packages('FossilSim')\""
```
## Installing Shiny Server
**Note:** most of this part is referenced from <a href="https://github.com/rstudio/shiny-server/wiki/Building-Shiny-Server-from-Source">here</a>.\
\
Once all of the prerequisites have been satisfied, you can use the following commands to download and install Shiny Server.
```{bash, eval = FALSE}
# Clone the repository from GitHub
git clone https://github.com/rstudio/shiny-server.git
# Get into a temporary directory in which we'll build the project
cd shiny-server
mkdir tmp
cd tmp
# Install our private copy of Node.js
../external/node/install-node.sh
# Add the bin directory to the path so we can reference node
DIR=`pwd`
PATH=$DIR/../bin:$PATH
# Use cmake to prepare the make step. Modify the "--DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX"
# if you wish the install the software at a different location.
cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr/local ../
# Get an error here? Check the "How do I set the cmake Python version?" question below
# Compile native code and install npm dependencies
make
mkdir ../build
(cd .. && ./bin/npm install)
# Install the software at the predefined location
sudo make install
# Install default config file
sudo mkdir -p /etc/shiny-server
sudo cp ../config/default.config /etc/shiny-server/shiny-server.conf
# Place a shortcut to the shiny-server executable in /usr/bin
sudo ln -s /usr/local/shiny-server/bin/shiny-server /usr/bin/shiny-server
# Create shiny user. On some systems, you may need to specify the full path to 'useradd'
sudo useradd -r -m shiny
# Create log, config, and application directories
sudo mkdir -p /var/log/shiny-server
sudo mkdir -p /srv/shiny-server
sudo mkdir -p /var/lib/shiny-server
sudo chown shiny /var/log/shiny-server
sudo mkdir -p /etc/shiny-server
# I added this command
sudo chown shiny:shiny /var/lib/shiny-server/
```
## Putting the app on the server
The `/srv/shiny-server` directory is where we house our apps.</br>
I recommend creating a new directory: `/srv/shiny-server/FossilSimShinyApp/`.
Then, you can grab the `app.R` file, the `/www/` folder and the `/R/` folder from <a href = "https://github.com/fossilsim/FossilSimShiny/tree/master/inst/shinyApp">here</a> and copy them to `/srv/shiny-server/FossilSimShinyApp/`.
## Firewall tweaks
By default, Shiny Server is set to use port **3838**.</br> *Author's note: I have no idea why they chose this port.*\
\
You'll need to open the port.\
\
If you are using uncomplicated firewall, you can run the command: `sudo ufw allow 3838`
Furthermore you can change the port used in `/etc/shiny-server/shiny-server.conf`.
## Starting Shiny Server
As you probably noticed, during the installation, we created a new user called shiny.
We'll use this user to start and stop our shiny operations.
Let's start our shiny server. First, log in as shiny.
```{bash, eval = FALSE}
su shiny
```
If you've followed everything correctly, you should be able to start the shiny server by typing:
```{bash, eval = FALSE}
shiny-server
```
```{bash, eval = FALSE}
[2022-05-10T13:56:44.320] [INFO] shiny-server - Shiny Server v1.5.19.0 (Node.js v16.14.0)
[2022-05-10T13:56:44.324] [INFO] shiny-server - Using config file "/etc/shiny-server/shiny-server.conf"
[2022-05-10T13:56:44.435] [INFO] shiny-server - Starting listener on http://[::]:3838
```
You should then be able to access your app using any web browser and going to the following web address:
```{bash, eval = FALSE}
http:// your ip address :3838/FossilSimShiny/
```
## Further Reading
* <a href="https://docs.posit.co/shiny-server/">Administrative guide to shiny server</a>
\
\