ctbrec/client/src/main/resources/html/docs/RunningTheServer.md

How To Run The Server

!!! First things first !!! If you expose the server to the internet, I highly recommend enabling authentication and secure communication via TLS. Otherwise the whole world has access to your CTB Recorder server.

The archive you downloaded contains a server.bat or server.sh, which can be used to start the server. On the first start, the server uses a default configuration. Once you terminate the server by pressing ctrl + c, the config is stored in your user home.

On Windows that is C:\Users\{your user name}\AppData\Roaming\ctbrec\server.json

On Linux it is ~/.config/ctbrec/server.json

On macOS it is /Users/{your user name}/Library/Preferences/ctbrec

You can open this file in a text editor and change it to your likings. You probably only want to change httpPort and recordingsDir. Most of the other stuff is irrelevant since the server and CTB Recorder use the same config file format. When the server is running, you can connect to it with CTB Recorder by changing the setting "Record location" to "Remote".

Web Interface

You can enable the server's web interface in the configuration server.json. Just set webinterface to true and set values for webinterfaceUsername and webinterfacePassword.

SSL / TLS

Since version 2.2.0 CTB Recorder supports SSL / TLS. To switch it on/off you have to change the server and client configuration. On the server side open the server.json and set transportLayerSecurity to true. The server will then open an additional port, which can be configured with httpSecurePort. On the client side open CTB Recorder and on the Settings tab change the port to the value of httpSecurePort. Then tick Use Secure Communication (TLS). Afterwards restart CTB Recorder and you should be able to connect to the server.

By default, CTB Recorder uses a self-signed certificate. If you also use the webinterface, your browser will complain about that, but you can just ignore the warning and add the certificate to your trusted certificates.

Custom certificate

You can also use your own certificate, if you want to. Follow these steps to create a keystore, which can be used by the server:

• cd <your_ctbrec_directory>
• openssl pkcs12 -export -in <certificate>.pem -inkey <private_key>.pem -out <some_name>.p12 -chain -name <some_name> -CAfile <ca_certificate>.crt -caname root
• keytool -v -importkeystore -srckeystore <some_name>.org.p12 -srcstoretype PKCS12 -destkeystore <some_name>.ks -deststoretype PKCS12 (keytool is part of the Java distribution, so you should be able to find it in the bin directory of your Java installation. If not, download the current JDK from jdk.java.net). You will be asked to enter a password during the process. Enter the same password everytime and note that down.
• Open the server.sh / server.bat
• add -Dkeystore.file=<some_name>.ks -Dkeystore.password=<your_password> directly after $JAVA / java

Running behind Apache / NGINX

You can also run the CTB Recorder server behind Apache or NGINX. I only tested it with Apache and mod_proxy:

• disable transportLayerSecurity in the server.json, TLS should be handled by Apache

• set servletContext to /ctbrec

• in your Apache config add:

  ProxyPass /ctbrec http://localhost:8080/ctbrec

  ProxyPassReverse /ctbrec http://localhost:8080/ctbrec

• CTB Recorder will then be available under https://your.server.name/ctbrec, the webinterface (if enabled) under https://your.server.name/ctbrec/static/index.html

• in the CTB Recorder app on the Settings tab enter your.server.name for the Server, 443 for the port, /ctbrec for the path.

• tick Use Secure Communication (TLS)