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https://github.com/compdemocracy/polis

:milky_way: Open Source AI for large scale open ended feedback
https://github.com/compdemocracy/polis

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:milky_way: Open Source AI for large scale open ended feedback

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README 

        
# Polis



Polis is an AI powered sentiment gathering platform. More organic than surveys and less effort than focus groups, Polis meets the basic human need to be understood, at scale.



For a detailed methods paper, see [Polis: Scaling Deliberation by Mapping High Dimensional Opinion Spaces][methods-paper].



   [methods-paper]: https://www.e-revistes.uji.es/index.php/recerca/article/view/5516/6558



[![Docker Image Builds](https://github.com/compdemocracy/polis/workflows/Docker%20image%20builds/badge.svg)][docker-image-builds]

[![E2E Tests](https://github.com/compdemocracy/polis/workflows/E2E%20Tests/badge.svg)][e2e-tests]



   [docker-image-builds]: https://hub.docker.com/u/compdem

   [e2e-tests]: https://github.com/compdemocracy/polis/actions?query=workflow%3A%22E2E+Tests%22



---



## 🎈 đŸĒ Start here! đŸĒ 🎈



If you're interested in using or contributing to Polis, please see the following:



- [📚 **knowledge base**][knowledge-base]: for a comprehensive wiki to help you understand and use the system

- [🌐 **main deployment**](https://pol.is): the main deployment of Polis is at , and is

  free to use for nonprofits and government

- [đŸ’Ŧ **discussions**][discussions]: for questions (QA) and discussion

- [✔ī¸ **issues**][issues]: for well-defined technical issues

- [🏗ī¸ **project board**][board]: somewhat incomplete, but still useful; We stopped around the time that Projects Beta came out, and we have a [Projects Beta Board][beta-board] that we'll eventually be migrating to

- [✉ī¸ reach out][hello]: if you are applying Polis in a high-impact context, and need more help than you're able to get through the public channels above



   [knowledge-base]: https://compdemocracy.org/Welcome

   [issues]: https://github.com/compdemocracy/polis/issues

   [board]: https://github.com/compdemocracy/polis/projects/1

   [beta-board]: https://github.com/compdemocracy/polis/projects/1

   [discussions]: https://github.com/compdemocracy/polis/discussions

   [hello]: mailto:[email protected]



If you're trying to set up a Polis deployment or development environment, then please read the rest of this document 👇 âŦ‡ī¸ 👇



---



## ⚡ Running Polis



Polis comes with Docker infrastructure for running a complete system, whether for a [production deployment](#-production-deployment) or a [development environment](#-development-tooling) (details for each can be found in later sections of this document).

As a consequence, the only prerequisite to running Polis is that you install a recent `docker` (and Docker Desktop if you are on Mac or Windows).



If you aren't able to use Docker for some reason, the various Dockerfiles found in subdirectories (`math`, `server`, `*-client`) of this repository _can_ be used as a reference for how you'd set up a system manually.

If you're interested in doing the legwork to support alternative infrastructure, please [let us know in an issue](https://github.com/compdemocracy.org/issues).



### Quick Start



```sh

cp example.env .env

make start

```



That should run docker compose with the development overlay (see below) and default configuration values.



Visit `localhost:80/createuser` and get started.



### Docker & Docker Compose



Newer versions of `docker` have `docker compose` built in as a subcommand.

If you are using an older version (and don't want to upgrade), you'll need to separately install `docker-compose`, and use that instead in the instructions that follow.

Note however that the newer `docker compose` command is required to [take advantage of Docker Swarm](/docs/scaling#docker-compose-over-docker-swarm) as a scaling option.



Many convenient commands are found in the Makefile. Run `make help` for a list of available commands.



### Building and running the containers



First clone the repository, then navigate via command line to the root directory and run the following command to build and run the docker containers.



Copy the example.env file and modify as needed (although it should just work as is for development and testing purposes).



```sh

cp example.env .env

```



```sh

docker compose up --build

```



If you get a permission error, try running this command with `sudo`.

If this fixes the problem, sudo will be necessary for all other commands as well.

To avoid having to use `sudo` in the future (on a Linux or Windows machine with WSL), [you can follow setup instructions here.](https://docs.docker.com/engine/install/linux-postinstall/)



Once you've built the docker images, you can run without `--build`, which may be faster. Run



```sh

docker compose up

```



or simply



```sh

make start

```



Any time you want to _rebuild_ the images, just reaffix `--build` when you run. Another way to

easily rebuild and start your containers is with `make start-rebuild`.



If you have only changed configuration values in .env, you can recreate your containers without

fully rebuilding them with `--force-recreate`. For example:



```sh

docker compose down

docker compose up --force-recreate

```



To see what the environment of your containers is going to look like, run:



```sh

docker compose convert

```



#### Production Mode Shortcuts



The commands in the Makefile can be prefaced with PROD. If so, the "dev overlay" configuration in `docker-compose.dev.yml` will be ignored.

Ports from services other than the HTTP proxy (80/443) will not be exposed. Containers will not mount local directories, watch for changes,

or rebuild themselves. In theory this should be one way to run Polis in a production environment.



You need a `prod.env` file:



`cp example.env prod.env` (and update accordingly).



Then you can run things like:



```sh

make PROD start



make PROD start-rebuild

```



### Testing out your instance



You can now test your setup by visiting `http://localhost:80/home`.



Once the index page loads, you can create an account using the `/createuser` path.

You'll be logged in right away; email validation is not required.



When you're done working, you can end the process using `Ctrl+C`, or typing `docker compose down`

if you are running in "detched mode".



### Updating the system



If you want to update the system, you may need to handle the following:



- [âŦ†ī¸ Run database migrations](docs/migrations.md), if there are new such

- Update docker images by running with `--build` if there have been changes to the Dockerfiles

  - consider using `--no-cache` if you'd like to rebuild from scratch, but note that this will take much longer



---



## 🚀 Production deployment



While the commands above will get a functional Polis system up and running, additional steps must be taken to properly configure, secure and scale the system.

In particular



- [⚙ī¸ Configure the system](docs/configuration.md), esp:

  - the domain name you'll be serving from

  - enable and add API keys for 3rd party services (e.g. automatic comment translation, spam filtering, etc)

- [🔏 Set up SSL/HTTPS](docs/ssl.md), to keep the site secure

- [📈 Scale](docs/scaling.md) for large or many concurrent conversations



### Support



We encourage you to take advantage of the public channels above for support setting up a deployment.

However, if you are deploying in a high impact context and need help, please [reach out to us][hello]



---



## đŸ’ģ Development tooling



Once you've gotten [Polis running (as described above)](#-running-polis), you can enable developer conveniences by running



```bash

docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.dev.yml up

```



(run with `--build` if this is your first time running, or if you need to rebuild containers)



This enables:



- Live code reloading and static type checking of the server code

- A nREPL connection port open for connecting to the running math process

- Ports open for connecting directly to the database container

- Live code reloading for the client repos (in process)

- etc.



This command takes advantage of the `docker-compose.dev.yml` _overlay_ file, which layers the developer conveniences describe above into the base system, as described in the `docker-compose.yml` file.

You can specify these `-f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.dev.yml` arguments for any `docker` command which you need to take advantage of these features (not just `docker compose up`).



You can create your own `docker-compose.x.yml` file as an overlay and add or modify any values you need to differ

from the defaults found in the `docker-compose.yml` file and pass it as the second argument to the `docker compose -f` command above.



### Testing



We use Cypress for automated, end-to-end browser testing for PRs on GitHub (see badge above).

Please see [`e2e/README.md`](/e2e/README.md) for more information on running these tests locally.



### Miscellaneous & troubleshooting



#### Docker Problems



A lot of issues might be resolved by killing all docker containers and/or restarting docker entirely. If that doesn't

work, this will wipe all of your polis containers and volumes (**INCLUDING THE DATABASE VOLUME, so don't use this in prod!**) and completely rebuild them:



`make start-FULL-REBUILD`



see also `make help` for additional commands that might be useful.



#### Git Configuration



Due to past file re-organizations, you may find the following git configuration helpful for looking at history:



```sh

git config --local include.path ../.gitconfig

```



#### Running as a background process



If you would like to run docker compose as a background process, run the `up` commands with the `--detach` flag, and use `docker compose down` to stop.



#### Using Docker Machine as your development environment



If your development machine is having trouble handling all of the docker containers, look into [using Docker Machine](/docs/docker-machine.md).



#### Resolving problems with npm not finding libraries



Sometimes npm/docker get in a weird state, especially with native libs, and fail to recover gracefully.

You may get a message like `Error: Cannot find module .... bcrypt`.



If this happens to you, try

[following the instructions here.](https://github.com/compdemocracy/polis/issues/1391)



#### Issues with Apple Silicon (M1 & M2) chips



You may find it necessary to install some dependencies, namely nodejs and postgres stuff, in a [Rosetta terminal](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211861). Create an issue or reach out if you are having strange build issues on Apple computers.



## Šī¸  License



[AGPLv3 with additional permission under section 7](/LICENSE)