trackers/README.org

Trackers

• About
• Dependencies
• General setup
  • Structure of the .org files
  • Setting the variables
• Tracking games with a backloggery clone
  • Setup
    • Fonts
    • Setting the variables
  • Testing
• Tracking places visited using Leaflet
  • Setup
    • Setting the variables
  • Testing
• Displaying a record collection (taking data from Discogs)
  • Setup
    • Setting the variables
  • Testing
• First run (or if adding any new trackers)
• Building

About

The scripts in this repository build static webpages based on information from two sources:

• a structured set of .org files;
• APIs of selected third-party websites (so far: Discogs).

These pages can be used as a replacement for third-party services e.g. Backloggery.

Dependencies

• orgparse (install via pip)
• python3
• rclone (for syncing to the server)
• geopy if you are tracking places visited (install via pip)
• python3-discogs-client if you are displaying a record collection (install via pip)

General setup

Structure of the .org files

See demo.org for an example.

Setting the variables

Copy variables-template.py to variables.py and edit:

• orgpath: absolute path to the root directory in which .org files are stored, including trailing slash
• localpath: absolute path to this directory, including trailing slash
• domain: https://yourdomain.tld without trailing slash
• rclonesiteroot: path rclone uses to access your webserver

Tracking games with a backloggery clone

Setup

Fonts

Upload the fonts Lato, Titillium Web, and Material Icons to the directory /fonts on your server (I recommend google-webfonts-helper). Check the filenames are consistent with those in gamebuild/backloggery.css. Alternatively, you can load the fonts remotely and adjust the page head HTML generated by gameskel.py.

Setting the variables

In variables.py, edit:

• trackgames: set to True
• gameserverpath: path to directory on the server where files will be uploaded, including trailing slash
• endlessgames: a list of “endless” games in the format title (console)
• description: content for the “about” section (can include HTML tags)
• gamestartyear: year from which to begin tracking (an integer)
• gamehue: theme colour expressed as a hue from 0 to 360
• consoles: add or remove consoles following the format provided (.png images must be added to the build directory with a filename corresponding with the value of "img" for each console)

Testing

• Run python3 generategames.py local to build in gamebuild.

Tracking places visited using Leaflet

Setup

Upload a CSS file to the server if necessary. Most CSS is set by Leaflet.

Setting the variables

In variables.py, edit:

• trackplaces: set to True
• placeserverpath: path to directory on the server where files will be uploaded, including trailing slash
• placestartyear: year from which to begin tracking (an integer)
• placecss: location of the CSS file you wish to apply, relative to the site root

Testing

• Run python3 generateplaces.py local to build in placebuild. (This may take some time.)
• Check whether places are displayed accurately in the output file. If not, add regions/countries to disambiguate any incorrectly displayed places to the disambig dictionary in variables.py (see examples).

Displaying a record collection (taking data from Discogs)

Setup

• Upload a CSS file to the server for styling fonts etc; most CSS is set inline.
• Get a Discogs API token here.

Setting the variables

In variables.py, edit:

• trackrecords: set to True
• recordserverpath: path to directory on the server where files will be uploaded, including trailing slash
• recordcss: location of the CSS file you wish to apply, relative to the site root
• discogstoken: the API token you generated
• discogsuser: your Discogs username

Testing

• Run python3 generaterecords.py local to build in recordbuild.

First run (or if adding any new trackers)

• Run python3 init.py and then chmod +x build.sh.
• Create directories on the server corresponding to any *serverpath variables you have set.

Building

• Run ./build.sh to build and upload to the server.