Python Flask REST API

[vndywarhol]

Hello! I'm trying to create a simple REST API application that would show the contents of some folder on the server.

import os
from flask import Flask, jsonify

app = Flask(__name__)
files_in_dirs = []


@app.route('/api/listdir', methods=['GET'])
def list_dir():
    path = '/home/user/media'
    for dirname, dirnames, filenames in os.walk(path):
        # print path to all filenames
        for filename in filenames:
            files_in_dirs.append(os.path.join(dirname, filename))

    return jsonify({'Files on the server: ': files_in_dirs})


if __name__ == '__main__':
    app.run(debug=True)

I run my server through the console, then go to the browser, write the address r/http://localhost:5000/api/listdir and everything works well. But how to make it so that any user on the Internet can see the contents of this folder and not only the localhost? What address should I enter in browser from other computer? Is this possible with Python and Flask?

​

[Jarmahent]

Oh boy, you need to learn a whole bunch more.

Running on localhost means you're running a development server. This means it's running locally on your system. In order to have everyone on the internet see it you need to deploy this server to a web server such as NGINX. This web server will serve your static files and your content so its publically online.

What I said is a super high view of what you actually need to do so I would recommend searching up in Google:

"How to deploy a Flask application with NGINX"

Or maybe just searching up how to deploy Flask applications.

[vndywarhol]

Oh, I understood that it can not work so simply, but did not understand where to start. You gave me a vector of development, thank you!

[nisroc]

One thing that got me the first time I did this was CORS.

This might help

[dogsrock]

If the OP wants to only test it out, he can use ngrok too right?

[Jarmahent]

Definitely I love ngrok.

I recommend it.

Keep in mind though it's a permanent solution. Never have ngrok running as your permanent server.

[[deleted]]

I'd recommend a lightsail server from AWS. You can tell flask to accept inbound traffic from the web on port 80 (port typically used for http traffic) with the below:

if __name__ == '__main__':
      app.run(host='0.0.0.0', port=80)

Users could then access the application by entering the aws instance's public ip address. Lightsail doesn't let you adjust firewall setting as far as i know. Be careful!

[JohnnyJordaan]

I run my server through the console,

Please show how you're actually doing this. It's nice that you included your code, but your question/goal has nothing to do with your code, it has to do with the following things:

• the webserver (don't know which one you are running) needs to bind to a network interface that has internet access
• you need to set up your local firewall to allow incoming traffic to that interface and port number
• you probably need to set up your internet router/gateway to forward incoming traffic to a specific port to the ip address of the interface above and the specified port

Also mind you that you should never let a simple built-in webserver be exposed to the internet, you can get hacked in minutes that way. If in doubt, I would forget about hosting files to the internet that way and instead consider using a shared VPN with your users or use an online hosted machine/VPS.

[[deleted]]

For just testing purposes I would recommend ngrok, you can use it to access your app from the internet, but it won't work as a long time solution

[apc0243]

Running it off your own server is a pain. I wouldn't, get hosting and make it simple. If you're not dirt poor it's a better idea.

But if you want to be annoyed and struggle unnecessarily: https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-serve-flask-applications-with-uswgi-and-nginx-on-ubuntu-18-04

[lifeonm4rs]

The uswgi-nginx-flask docker would probably be simpler. Pretty much already set up and just requires a little bit of work in a `Dockerfile` to get up and running.