Configuration Guide

This guide explains all configuration options, default settings, and customization methods for UniLost.

Environment Variables

PORT

Server port number.

Default: 3000
Example: export PORT=8080
Usage: Set the port where the server will listen for connections

SESSION_SECRET

Secret key for session encryption. Required for production environments.

Default: demo-lost-and-found-secret (development only)
Example: export SESSION_SECRET="your-random-secret-key-here"
Usage: Used to sign and encrypt session cookies
Security: Use a strong, random string in production (minimum 32 characters)

DATABASE_URL

PostgreSQL connection string. If not set, SQLite will be used.

Default: Not set (uses SQLite)
Format: postgresql://user:password@host:port/database
Example: export DATABASE_URL="postgresql://postgres:mypassword@localhost:5432/unilost"
SSL: Automatically enabled for non-localhost connections

NODE_ENV

Node.js environment mode.

Default: Not set (development mode)
Options: production, development
Example: export NODE_ENV=production
Effects: * Production: Disables debug logging, enables optimizations * Development: Enables debug logging

Setting Environment Variables

Linux/macOS

Temporary (Current Session):

export PORT=3000
export SESSION_SECRET="your-secret"
export DATABASE_URL="postgresql://user:pass@host:5432/db"

Permanent (Add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc):

echo 'export PORT=3000' >> ~/.bashrc
echo 'export SESSION_SECRET="your-secret"' >> ~/.bashrc
echo 'export DATABASE_URL="postgresql://user:pass@host:5432/db"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Using .env file (with dotenv package):

Create a .env file in the project root:

PORT=3000
SESSION_SECRET=your-secret-key
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://user:pass@host:5432/db
NODE_ENV=production

Windows

Command Prompt:

set PORT=3000
set SESSION_SECRET=your-secret
set DATABASE_URL=postgresql://user:pass@host:5432/db

PowerShell:

$env:PORT=3000
$env:SESSION_SECRET="your-secret"
$env:DATABASE_URL="postgresql://user:pass@host:5432/db"

Database Configuration

SQLite Configuration

SQLite is used by default when DATABASE_URL is not set.

Database File: unilost.db (created in project root)
No Configuration Required: Works out of the box
Limitations: * Single file database * Not suitable for production with high concurrency * Ephemeral on Render free plan

PostgreSQL Configuration

For production deployment, use PostgreSQL.

Connection String Format:

postgresql://[user]:[password]@[host]:[port]/[database]?[options]

Components:

user: Database username
password: Database password
host: Database hostname or IP address
port: Database port (default: 5432)
database: Database name
options: Additional connection options

Example Connection Strings:

# Local PostgreSQL
postgresql://postgres:mypassword@localhost:5432/unilost

# Remote PostgreSQL (with SSL)
postgresql://user:pass@db.example.com:5432/unilost?sslmode=require

# Neon PostgreSQL
postgresql://user:pass@ep-xxx.us-east-2.aws.neon.tech/neondb?sslmode=require

SSL Configuration:

SSL is automatically enabled for non-localhost connections. To disable SSL:

postgresql://user:pass@host:5432/db?sslmode=disable

Session Configuration

Session settings are configured in server.js:

Cookie Name: sid
HttpOnly: true (prevents JavaScript access)
SameSite: lax (CSRF protection)
Max Age: 6 hours (21600000 milliseconds)
Secure: Automatically set in production (HTTPS only)

To modify session settings, edit server.js:

app.use(session({
  name: 'sid',
  secret: process.env.SESSION_SECRET || 'demo-secret',
  resave: false,
  saveUninitialized: false,
  cookie: {
    httpOnly: true,
    sameSite: 'lax',
    maxAge: 1000 * 60 * 60 * 6, // 6 hours
    secure: process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production' // HTTPS only in production
  },
}));

Map Configuration

Map bounds are configured in unilost.html:

South Korea Bounds: * South: 33.1 * North: 38.6 * West: 124.6 * East: 131.9

To modify map bounds, edit unilost.html:

const koreaBounds = [[33.1, 124.6], [38.6, 131.9]];
mapRegister = L.map('mapRegister', {
  maxBounds: koreaBounds,
  maxBoundsViscosity: 1.0,
  minZoom: 7
});

Default Users

Default users are created automatically on first database initialization:

Student Accounts: * Usernames: student1 ~ student10 * Password: 1234 * Admin: false

Administrator Accounts: * Usernames: admin1 ~ admin10 * Password: admin123 * Admin: true

To modify default users, edit db.js:

// Create student accounts (student1 ~ student10)
for (let i = 1; i <= 10; i++) {
  await client.query(
    'INSERT INTO users (id, name, pw_hash, is_admin) VALUES ($1, $2, $3, $4)',
    [`student${i}`, `Student ${i}`, bcrypt.hashSync('1234', 10), false]
  );
}

Production Configuration Checklist

Before deploying to production:

[ ] Set SESSION_SECRET to a strong, random value
[ ] Set NODE_ENV=production
[ ] Configure DATABASE_URL for PostgreSQL
[ ] Verify SSL is enabled for database connections
[ ] Review and update default user passwords
[ ] Configure reverse proxy (nginx, etc.) if needed
[ ] Set up HTTPS/SSL certificates
[ ] Configure firewall rules
[ ] Set up database backups
[ ] Configure logging and monitoring

Render Deployment Configuration

The render.yaml file contains deployment settings:

services:
  - type: web
    name: unilost
    env: node
    buildCommand: npm install
    startCommand: node server.js
    envVars:
      - key: NODE_ENV
        value: production
      - key: SESSION_SECRET
        generateValue: true

For more deployment information, see Getting Started and Maintenance and Troubleshooting.