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Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following installed on your system:
  • .NET 10.0 SDK - Required for building and running the application
  • SQLite - Lightweight database for local development
  • Git - For cloning the repository

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Verify .NET Installation

Check your .NET SDK version: 
dotnet --version
You should see version 10.0.x or higher.

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Installation Steps

1

Clone the repository

Clone the Social Media Activity Feed API repository:
git clone <repository-url>
cd Social-Media-Activity-Feed
2

Restore dependencies

Install all required NuGet packages:
dotnet restore

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Dependencies

The project includes the following key packages (from Social-Media-Activity-Feed.csproj): 
<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.AspNetCore.Authentication.JwtBearer" Version="10.0.1" />
<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore" Version="10.0.1" />
<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Design" Version="10.0.1" />
<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Sqlite" Version="10.0.1" />
<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Tools" Version="10.0.1" />
Key dependencies:
  • Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Sqlite - Database provider for SQLite
  • Microsoft.AspNetCore.Authentication.JwtBearer - JWT authentication middleware
  • Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Tools - EF Core command-line tools for migrations

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Configuration

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JWT Settings

Configure JWT authentication using .NET user secrets for secure credential storage: 
dotnet user-secrets init
dotnet user-secrets set "Jwt:Issuer" "YourIssuerName"
dotnet user-secrets set "Jwt:Key" "YourSecureSecretKeyHere"
User secrets are stored outside your project directory and are never committed to source control. This is the recommended approach for local development.
JWT Configuration Requirements:
  • Jwt:Issuer - The issuer name for token validation (e.g., “SocialMediaAPI”)
  • Jwt:Key - A secure secret key for signing tokens (minimum 32 characters recommended)

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Database Connection String

The application is configured to use SQLite with the following connection string (from Program.cs): 
options.UseSqlite("Data Source = social.db")
This creates a SQLite database file named social.db in your project root directory.

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Application Settings

The appsettings.json file contains logging and host configuration: 
{
  "Logging": {
    "LogLevel": {
      "Default": "Information",
      "Microsoft.AspNetCore": "Warning"
    }
  },
  "AllowedHosts": "*"
}
JWT settings are intentionally not stored in appsettings.json for security. Always use user secrets for local development and environment variables or secure vaults for production.

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Database Setup

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Install EF Core Tools

If you haven’t installed Entity Framework Core tools globally: 
dotnet tool install --global dotnet-ef

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Run Migrations

Create and initialize the database: 
dotnet ef database update
This command:
  1. Creates the social.db SQLite database file
  2. Applies all migrations to create the schema
  3. Sets up tables for Users, Follows, Posts, Notifications, and more

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View Available Migrations

To see all available migrations: 
dotnet ef migrations list

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Verification

Verify your installation by running the application: 
dotnet run
Expected output: 
info: Microsoft.Hosting.Lifetime[14]
      Now listening on: http://localhost:5000
info: Microsoft.Hosting.Lifetime[14]
      Now listening on: https://localhost:5001
info: Microsoft.Hosting.Lifetime[0]
      Application started. Press Ctrl+C to shut down.

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Test the API

Check if the API is running: 
curl http://localhost:5000/
Response: 
Hello World!
Use a SQLite browser tool like DB Browser for SQLite to inspect and debug your database during development.

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Troubleshooting

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Missing JWT Configuration

If you see authentication errors, ensure JWT settings are configured: 
dotnet user-secrets list
You should see: 
Jwt:Issuer = YourIssuerName
Jwt:Key = YourSecureSecretKeyHere

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Database Connection Issues

If the database fails to connect:
  1. Ensure the social.db file has write permissions
  2. Run dotnet ef database update to recreate the database
  3. Check for migration errors in the console output

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Port Already in Use

If port 5000 or 5001 is already in use, specify a different port: 
dotnet run --urls "http://localhost:5050;https://localhost:5051"

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Next Steps

Now that you have the API installed:

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