ShareStack

A sleek, minimalistic web application built with Django for secure file uploads, sharing, and previews. Designed with a premium navy-gray-white UI, this app lets users manage files, share them with others via a dropdown, and preview images and PDFs in modals—all containerized with Docker for easy setup and deployment.

Features

• User Authentication: Sign up, log in, and log out securely.
• File Management: Upload, download, and delete files with ease.
• File Sharing: Share files with other users via a dropdown selection.
• File Previews: View images (PNG, JPG, JPEG) and PDFs in modals.
• Responsive UI: Built with Bootstrap 5 and custom CSS for a premium look.

Technologies

• Backend: Django 5.1.7, Python 3.11
• Frontend: Bootstrap 5, Custom CSS (navy-gray-white palette)
• Database: SQLite (default, local use)
• Containerization: Docker, Docker Compose
• File Storage: Local media directory (persistent via Docker volumes)
• Version Control: Git

Prerequisites

• Docker Desktop (Windows/Mac) or Docker Engine (Linux)
• Git (optional, for cloning)

Setup Instructions

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/file-sharing-platform.git
cd file_sharing_platform
cd file_sharing_platform

2. Build the Docker Image

docker compose build

• This pulls Python 3.11-slim and installs dependencies from requirements.txt.

3. Run the Application

docker compose up

• Access the app at http://127.0.0.1:8000.
• The development server runs with live reloading.

4. Initialize the Database

• Open a new terminal in the project directory:

docker compose exec web python manage.py migrate

• Creates the SQLite database (db.sqlite3) with necessary tables.
• Optional: Create an admin user:

docker compose exec web python manage.py createsuperuser

5. Test the App

• Visit http://127.0.0.1:8000 in your browser.
• Sign up, log in, upload files (images/PDFs), share with another user, and preview them in modals.

6. Stop the App

docker compose down

• Stops and removes the container, preserving local files (media/ and db.sqlite3).

Project Structure

file-sharing-platform/
├── core/               # Django app (models, views, templates)
├── media/              # Uploaded files (persistent via Docker volume)
├── Dockerfile          # Docker image configuration
├── docker-compose.yml  # Docker service definition
├── manage.py           # Django management script
├── requirements.txt    # Python dependencies
└── README.md           # This file

Configuration Details

• Media Files: Stored in media/uploads/ with URLs at /media/uploads/....
• Previews: Enabled with X_FRAME_OPTIONS = 'SAMEORIGIN' in settings.py.
• Database: SQLite (db.sqlite3) stored in the project root, synced via Docker volume.

Troubleshooting

• Port Conflict: If 8000 is in use, edit docker-compose.yml to ports: - "8001:8000", then rebuild (docker compose build) and rerun.
• Media Access: Ensure your system allows write permissions to media/. Run chmod -R 777 media/ (Linux/Mac) if needed.
• Preview Errors: Verify X_FRAME_OPTIONS = 'SAMEORIGIN' in settings.py and media URLs in templates (e.g., <iframe src="{{ file.uploaded_file.url }}">).
• Logs: Check container output with docker compose logs for errors.

Deployment

This app is ready for local use or deployment to platforms like:

• Render: Free tier with Docker support (sleeps after inactivity).
• Fly.io: Free tier with persistent storage (always on).
• For production, consider switching to PostgreSQL and a static file server (e.g., AWS S3).

Contributing

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/your-feature).
3. Commit changes (git commit -m "Add your feature").
4. Push to your fork (git push origin feature/your-feature).
5. Open a pull request.

License

MIT License - Free to use, modify, and distribute.

Contact

• Author: [Aravind Vinod]
• GitHub: Roguecolt
• Email: aaaarrvind@gmail.com

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Built as a portfolio project to showcase Django, Docker, and modern web development skills. Enjoy sharing files securely!