Flask Application with SSL and nginx Proxy

Overview

This project implements a Flask web application with SSL support and an nginx reverse proxy. The application allows users to submit messages which are stored in a JSON file and displayed on the home page. This project is divided into 6 tasks, where each task has its own functionalities as given in the project statement. The overview of the setup is given below:

Features

• Flask Web Application: Handles user messages and stores them in a JSON file.
• SSL/TLS Encryption: Ensures secure communication.
• nginx Reverse Proxy: Forwards requests to the Flask application.

Requirements

• Python 3.x
• Flask library
• nginx reverse proxy

Installation

Python and Flask

1. Clone the Repository

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/your_flask_app.git
   cd your_flask_app

2. Create and Activate a Virtual Environment

   python3 -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate

3. Install Dependencies

   pip install -r requirements.txt

nginx

1. Install nginx

   sudo apt-get update
   sudo apt-get install nginx

2. Configure nginx

   Create a configuration file for your Flask app:

   sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/your_flask_app

   Add the following content:

   server {
       listen 80;
       server_name yourdomain.com;
   
       location / {
           proxy_pass https://IP_ADRESS;
           proxy_set_header Host $host;
           proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
           proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
           proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
       }
   }

3. Enable the Site

   Create a symbolic link to enable the site:

   sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/your_flask_app /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/

4. Test nginx Configuration

   sudo nginx -t

5. Restart nginx

   sudo systemctl restart nginx

Running the Flask Application

1. Start the Flask App

   python app.py

   Ensure the Flask application is set to run with SSL:

   if __name__ == '__main__':
       app.run(host="0.0.0.0", port=5000, debug=True, ssl_context=('certB.pem', 'keyB.pem'))

   Create the certificates with the following command:

   openssl req -x509 -newkey rsa:4096 -keyout key.pem -out cert.pem -days 365

File Structure

This is a general file structure, generally file structure is varied upon different tasks.

your_flask_app/
│
├── app.py
├── user_data.json
├── requirements.txt
├── templates/
│   └── index.html
└── README.md