hydro-site-final/MEMBERSHIP_SETUP.md

Membership System Setup Guide

Overview

This membership system provides:

• User registration and authentication
• IP-based download limiting (1 free download, unlimited for members)
• Paywall for library downloads, contact form, and testimonials
• Admin panel for membership approval
• Buy Me a Coffee integration ($5 minimum donation)

Prerequisites

1. Python 3.7+ with pip
2. Flask and other dependencies (see requirements.txt)
3. SMTP server access for email notifications (optional but recommended)

Installation

1. Install Python dependencies:

cd /root/hydro-sterile
pip3 install -r requirements.txt

2. Set environment variables:

export ADMIN_PASSWORD="your-very-secure-password-here"
export ADMIN_EMAIL="indiana.holmes8@gmail.com"
export JWT_SECRET="$(openssl rand -hex 32)"
export MEMBERSHIP_PORT=5001

# Optional: SMTP configuration for email notifications
export SMTP_HOST="smtp.gmail.com"
export SMTP_PORT=587
export SMTP_USER="your-email@gmail.com"
export SMTP_PASS="your-app-password"

3. Create a systemd service or run manually:

python3 /root/hydro-sterile/scripts/membership_api.py

Configuration

API Endpoints

The membership API runs on port 5001 by default. Update the API_BASE URL in:

• /root/hydro-sterile/static/js/membership.js (line 4)
• /root/hydro-sterile/layouts/admin/single.html (line 186)

For production, change from http://10.30.20.243:5001 to your production domain.

Admin Panel

Access the admin panel at /admin/ on your Hugo site.

The admin password is set via the ADMIN_PASSWORD environment variable. Use a strong password!

Database

The SQLite database is automatically created at: /root/hydro-sterile/data/members.db

Backup this file regularly!

User Flow

1. User visits paywalled page (library, contact, testimonials)
2. Non-members see paywall message directing to membership page
3. User completes Buy Me a Coffee donation ($5 minimum)
4. User signs up with email/password on membership page
5. System sends email notification to admin
6. Admin logs into admin panel and approves/denies membership
7. Approved user receives confirmation email
8. User can now log in and access all paywalled content

Security Notes

• Admin password should be very strong (20+ characters recommended)
• JWT_SECRET should be a random string (use openssl rand -hex 32)
• Never commit ADMIN_PASSWORD or JWT_SECRET to version control
• Database file should have restricted permissions (600)
• SMTP credentials should use app passwords, not main account password

Email Configuration

For Gmail:

1. Enable 2-factor authentication
2. Generate an app password
3. Use the app password as SMTP_PASS

Troubleshooting

API not starting

• Check port 5001 is not in use: netstat -tuln | grep 5001
• Check Python dependencies: pip3 list | grep -E "flask|bcrypt|jwt"

Database errors

• Ensure /root/hydro-sterile/data/ directory exists and is writable
• Check file permissions: chmod 600 /root/hydro-sterile/data/members.db

Email not sending

• Check SMTP credentials
• Verify SMTP_HOST and SMTP_PORT are correct
• Check firewall allows outbound SMTP connections
• Email sending failures won't break the system, but admin won't get notifications

Frontend not connecting to API

• Check API_BASE URL in membership.js matches your server
• Check CORS settings in membership_api.py
• Check browser console for errors
• Verify API is running: curl http://localhost:5001/api/health

Maintenance

• Regularly backup /root/hydro-sterile/data/members.db
• Monitor API logs for errors
• Review pending memberships regularly
• Clean up old sessions periodically (optional, sessions expire automatically)