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Prerequisites

Before installing DefDrive locally, ensure you have the following installed:
  • Go 1.24.1 or higher - Download Go
  • PostgreSQL - A running PostgreSQL database instance
  • Git - For cloning the repository

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Installation Steps

1

Clone the Repository

Clone the DefDrive repository from GitHub:
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/defdrive.git
cd defdrive
2

Install Dependencies

Install all required Go dependencies using:
go mod tidy
This will download and install all packages specified in go.mod, including:
  • Gin web framework
  • GORM (PostgreSQL driver)
  • JWT authentication
  • godotenv for environment variables
3

Configure Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the root directory:
cp .env.example .env
Edit the .env file with your configuration. See the Environment Variables page for detailed information about each variable.
Make sure to set a strong JWT_SECRET and configure your DATABASE_URL with valid PostgreSQL credentials.
4

Set Up PostgreSQL Database

Ensure PostgreSQL is running and create a database:
CREATE DATABASE defdrive;
The application will automatically create the required tables on first run using GORM’s AutoMigrate feature.
5

Run the Server

Start the DefDrive server:
go run main.go
The server will start on the port specified in your .env file (default: 8080).

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Verify Installation

Once the server is running, you should see output similar to: 
Connecting to database using DATABASE_URL
Database initialized successfully
Server starting on port 8080
Test the server by accessing: 
curl http://localhost:8080/api/health

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Database Connection

DefDrive includes automatic retry logic for database connections. If the initial connection fails, it will retry up to 5 times with a 5-second delay between attempts.
The application connects to PostgreSQL using the DATABASE_URL environment variable in the format: 
postgres://username:password@host:port/database

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Data Storage

By default, uploaded files are stored in the directory specified by the DATA_PATH environment variable (default: ./data). Make sure this directory exists and has proper write permissions: 
mkdir -p ./data
chmod 755 ./data

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Development Mode

For development, you can use go run for hot reloading, or consider using tools like:
  • air - Live reload for Go apps
  • reflex - Run commands when files change

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Troubleshooting

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Database Connection Issues

If you encounter database connection errors:
  1. Verify PostgreSQL is running: 
    pg_isready
  2. Check your DATABASE_URL format
  3. Ensure the database exists
  4. Verify network connectivity to the database host

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Port Already in Use

If port 8080 is already in use, change the PORT environment variable in your .env file: 
PORT=3000

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Next Steps

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