Installation

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Prerequisites
Required Software
TRON Network Access
Installation Steps
Generate Secure Secrets
Configuration Reference
Environment Variables
TRON Network Endpoints
Project Structure
Database Setup
Collections Created
Initial Admin Account
Security Configuration
Built-in Security
Production Checklist
Troubleshooting
Verify Installation
Next Steps

This guide walks you through installing and configuring the Crypto Shop Backend from scratch.

Prerequisites

Before installing, ensure your system meets these requirements:

Required Software

Node.js

Version 16 or higherDownload from nodejs.orgVerify installation:

node --version
# Should output v16.0.0 or higher

MongoDB

Version 5.0 or higherInstall locally or use MongoDB AtlasVerify installation:

mongosh --version

npm

Comes with Node.jsVerify installation:

npm --version

Git

For cloning the repositoryVerify installation:

git --version

TRON Network Access

You’ll need access to the TRON blockchain:

Development/Testing: TRON Nile Testnet (free)
Production: TRON Mainnet

The Nile testnet is recommended for development. It provides free testnet TRX and mirrors mainnet functionality.

Installation Steps

Clone the Repository

Clone the Crypto Shop Backend repository:

git clone <your-repository-url>
cd crypto-shop-backend

Alternatively, download and extract the ZIP file from your repository.

Install Dependencies

Install all required npm packages:

npm install

This installs:

Express - Web framework
Mongoose - MongoDB ODM
TronWeb - TRON blockchain integration
Socket.io - Real-time notifications
JWT - Authentication tokens
bcryptjs - Password hashing
And more (see package.json for complete list)

Installation typically takes 1-3 minutes depending on your internet connection.

Set Up MongoDB

Choose one of the following options:

Local MongoDB
MongoDB Atlas

Start MongoDB locally:macOS (Homebrew):

brew services start mongodb-community

Linux (systemd):

sudo systemctl start mongod

Windows:

net start MongoDB

Verify it’s running:

mongosh
# Should connect successfully

Create a free account at MongoDB Atlas
Create a new cluster (free tier available)
Add your IP address to the whitelist
Create a database user

Get your connection string:

mongodb+srv://username:[email protected]/crypto-shop

Replace username, password, and cluster with your actual credentials.

Configure Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the project root:

cp .env.example .env

Edit .env with your configuration:

.env

# MongoDB Connection
MONGODB_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/crypto-shop
# For Atlas: mongodb+srv://user:[email protected]/crypto-shop

# Server Configuration
NODE_ENV=development
PORT=3000

# TRON Network
# Testnet (development):
TRON_NETWORK=https://nile.trongrid.io
# Mainnet (production):
# TRON_NETWORK=https://api.trongrid.io

# JWT Secrets
# Generate with: node -e "console.log(require('crypto').randomBytes(32).toString('hex'))"
ACCESS_TOKEN_SECRET=your_access_token_secret_min_32_characters
REFRESH_TOKEN_SECRET=your_refresh_token_secret_min_32_characters

# CORS Configuration
CLIENT_URL=http://localhost:3000

Generate Secure Secrets

Generate cryptographically secure secrets for JWT:

# Generate ACCESS_TOKEN_SECRET
node -e "console.log(require('crypto').randomBytes(32).toString('hex'))"

# Generate REFRESH_TOKEN_SECRET
node -e "console.log(require('crypto').randomBytes(32).toString('hex'))"

Never commit your .env file to version control! It contains sensitive secrets. The .env file is already in .gitignore.

Start the Server

Run the development server with auto-reload:

npm run dev

Or start in production mode:

npm start

You should see:

🚀 Server running on port 3000
MongoDB connected successfully
Transaction listener started

Verify Installation

Test that everything is working:1. Health Check

curl http://localhost:3000/api/health

Expected: {"status":"OK"}2. API DocumentationOpen in your browser:

http://localhost:3000/api/docs

You should see the Swagger UI interface.3. Database ConnectionCheck server logs for:

MongoDB connected successfully

Configuration Reference

Environment Variables

Complete reference of all supported environment variables:

Variable	Required	Default	Description
`MONGODB_URI`	Yes	-	MongoDB connection string
`NODE_ENV`	No	`development`	Environment: `development`, `production`
`PORT`	No	`3000`	Server port
`TRON_NETWORK`	Yes	-	TRON RPC endpoint URL
`ACCESS_TOKEN_SECRET`	Yes	-	JWT access token secret (min 32 chars)
`REFRESH_TOKEN_SECRET`	Yes	-	JWT refresh token secret (min 32 chars)
`CLIENT_URL`	Yes	-	Frontend URL for CORS
`MERCHANT_WALLET_ADDRESS`	No	-	Fallback merchant wallet (optional)

TRON Network Endpoints

TRON_NETWORK=https://nile.trongrid.io

Always use testnet endpoints for development. Mainnet transactions use real TRX with actual value.

Project Structure

Understand the codebase organization:

crypto-shop-backend/
├── src/
│   ├── api/              # API routes and handlers
│   │   ├── auth/         # Authentication endpoints
│   │   ├── orders/       # Order management
│   │   ├── products/     # Product catalog
│   │   ├── admin/        # Admin dashboard
│   │   ├── transactions/ # Transaction history
│   │   └── index.js      # Main Express app
│   ├── config/           # Configuration files
│   │   ├── database.js   # MongoDB connection
│   │   ├── socket.js     # Socket.io setup
│   │   └── swagger.js    # API documentation
│   ├── middlewares/      # Express middlewares
│   │   └── auth.js       # JWT authentication
│   ├── models/           # Mongoose schemas
│   │   ├── User.js       # User model
│   │   ├── Order.js      # Order model
│   │   ├── Product.js    # Product model
│   │   └── Transaction.js # Transaction model
│   ├── services/         # Business logic
│   │   ├── tron.service.js         # TRON blockchain integration
│   │   └── transactionListener.js  # Payment confirmation
│   ├── utils/            # Helper functions
│   │   └── tokenUtils.js # JWT utilities
│   └── index.js          # Server entry point
├── .env                  # Environment variables (create this)
├── .env.example          # Environment template
├── package.json          # Dependencies
└── README.md            # Project documentation

Database Setup

The application automatically creates collections and indexes on first run. No manual database setup is required.

Collections Created

users - User accounts and wallets
products - Product catalog
orders - Purchase orders
transactions - Blockchain transactions
sessions - Active user sessions (if implemented)

Initial Admin Account

To create an admin account, manually register a user and update their role in MongoDB:

mongosh crypto-shop

db.users.updateOne(
  { email: "[email protected]" },
  { $set: { role: "admin" } }
)

Alternatively, implement a seed script or use the first registered user as admin.

Security Configuration

The backend includes several security features enabled by default:

Built-in Security

Helmet - Sets secure HTTP headers
CORS - Configured cross-origin resource sharing
Rate Limiting - Prevents abuse (100 requests per 15 minutes)
HPP - HTTP Parameter Pollution protection
HttpOnly Cookies - Secure token storage
bcrypt - Password hashing with salt rounds

Production Checklist

Before deploying to production:

Production Security Checklist

Troubleshooting

MongoDB Connection Failed

Error: MongoServerError: Authentication failedSolutions:

Verify MongoDB is running: mongosh
Check MONGODB_URI in .env
For Atlas: verify IP whitelist and credentials
Ensure database user has proper permissions

Port Already in Use

Error: EADDRINUSE: address already in use :::3000Solutions:

Change PORT in .env to a different value

Kill the process using port 3000:

# Find process
lsof -i :3000
# Kill it
kill -9 <PID>

TRON Network Connection Issues

Error: Connection to TRON network failedSolutions:

Verify TRON_NETWORK URL in .env

Test endpoint:

curl https://nile.trongrid.io/wallet/getnowblock

Check your internet connection
Try alternative endpoints (see Configuration Reference)

JWT Secret Too Short

Error: JWT secret must be at least 32 charactersSolution: Generate proper secrets:

node -e "console.log(require('crypto').randomBytes(32).toString('hex'))"

Update .env with the generated values.

Module Not Found Errors

Error: Cannot find module 'express'Solution: Reinstall dependencies:

rm -rf node_modules package-lock.json
npm install

Verify Installation

Run through this checklist to ensure everything is properly installed:

Server Health

curl http://localhost:3000/api/health

✓ Should return {"status":"OK"}

Database Connection

Check server logs for:

MongoDB connected successfully

API Documentation

Visit http://localhost:3000/api/docs✓ Swagger UI should load

Transaction Listener

Check server logs for:

Transaction listener started

Test Registration

curl -X POST http://localhost:3000/api/auth/register \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "email": "[email protected]",
    "username": "testuser",
    "password": "password123",
    "passwordConfirm": "password123"
  }'

✓ Should return user data with wallet address

Next Steps

Quickstart Guide

Follow the quickstart to make your first API calls

API Reference

Explore all available endpoints

Authentication

Learn about JWT and role-based access

Deployment

Deploy to production

Quickstart

System Architecture

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Get Started

Core Concepts

Guides

Security

Prerequisites

Required Software

Node.js

MongoDB

npm

Git

TRON Network Access

Installation Steps

Generate Secure Secrets

Configuration Reference

Environment Variables

TRON Network Endpoints

Project Structure

Database Setup

Collections Created

Initial Admin Account

Security Configuration

Built-in Security

Production Checklist

Troubleshooting

Verify Installation

Next Steps

Quickstart Guide

API Reference

Authentication

Deployment

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get Started

Core Concepts

Guides

Security

​Prerequisites

​Required Software

Node.js

MongoDB

npm

Git

​TRON Network Access

​Installation Steps

​Generate Secure Secrets

​Configuration Reference

​Environment Variables

​TRON Network Endpoints

​Project Structure

​Database Setup

​Collections Created

​Initial Admin Account

​Security Configuration

​Built-in Security

​Production Checklist

​Troubleshooting

​Verify Installation

​Next Steps

Quickstart Guide

API Reference

Authentication

Deployment

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Prerequisites

Required Software

TRON Network Access

Installation Steps

Generate Secure Secrets

Configuration Reference

Environment Variables

TRON Network Endpoints

Project Structure

Database Setup

Collections Created

Initial Admin Account

Security Configuration

Built-in Security

Production Checklist

Troubleshooting

Verify Installation

Next Steps