Local Cloud

Local Cloud is a microservice-based system designed to allow users within the same Local Area Network (LAN) to download videos via shared URLs and watch them through a locally hosted web application.

The system efficiently handles video downloads, stores the data, and renders them on a user-friendly front-end.

Quick Start

Using Docker Compose (Recommended)

1. Clone and configure:

   git clone <repo>
   cd LocalCloud

2. Ensure config.json is set up with Docker service names as hostnames (see config.json example below).

3. Start all services:

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

4. Access the application:

   • Frontend: http://localhost:3034
   • Backend API: http://localhost:3033/api
   • MySQL will be ready after initial setup

Example config.json for Docker:

{
  "video-storage-path": "/videos/",
  "mysql-conn": "admin:1010@tcp(mysql:3306)",
  "mysql-db-name": "localcloud",
  "mysql-table-name": "localcloud",
  "downloader-socket": "downloader-server:3031",
  "message-queue-socket": "message-queue:3032",
  "webserver-backend-socket": "web-backend:3033",
  "webserver-frontend-port": "3034"
}

Manual Setup (Local Development)

If you prefer not to use Docker, you can run services locally:

Dependencies:

• Go 1.26.0+
• Node.js + npm or bun
• MySQL 9.6.0+
• yt-dlp: pip install yt-dlp
• ffmpeg: Install via your package manager

Alternatively, use Nix:

nix flake develop

Then run each service (in separate terminals):

cd downloader-server && go run .
cd message-queue && go run .
cd web-app/backend && go run .
cd web-app/frontend && npm install && npm run dev

Configure frontend: Ensure .env in web-app/frontend/ matches your backend URL:

VITE_API_BASE=http://localhost:3033

Previews

Home Page Download Page

Key Features

Web Server

• Content Display: Shows a list of videos stored in the database with the following metadata:
  • File name
  • File path (MP4)
  • Automatically generated thumbnail
• URL Submission: Users can submit video URLs through an input field on the interface.

Downloader Server (Microservice)

• Download Management: Handles video download requests, saves the video files, and generates related metadata.
• Database Updates: After completing a download:
  • Saves the video file to the dedicated folder.
  • Generates and stores a thumbnail.
  • Updates the database with file path and metadata.
• TCP/IP Communication: Maintains efficient communication with the Web Server and the Message Queue.

Message Queue

• Inter-Service Communication: Acts as an intermediary for asynchronous communication between the Web Server and the Downloader Server.
• Request Management: Ensures that multiple download requests are processed efficiently and sequentially.

Database

• Metadata Storage: Stores relevant information about downloaded videos, including:
  • File path (MP4)
  • File name
  • Thumbnail path
• Synchronization: Ensures the front-end remains up-to-date with the downloaded videos.

Videos Folder

• Local Storage: All downloaded video files are saved in a designated directory accessible by the Downloader Server.

System Architecture

Below is an overview of the Local Cloud system architecture:

Workflow

1. Users access the Web Server through a browser and submit a video URL.
2. The Backend of the Web Server sends the URL to the Message Queue over a TCP/IP connection.
3. The Downloader Server listens for messages from the queue and processes the video request.
4. Once downloaded, the Downloader Server generates a thumbnail, stores the video file in the Videos Folder, and updates the Database.
5. The Web Server queries the database to fetch video metadata and displays the available videos on the front-end.

Technologies Used

• Backend:
  • Go (Golang) for the Web Server, Message Queue and Downloader Server.
  • TCP/IP for inter-service communication.
• Frontend:
  • React + Vite + Tailwind CSS for the user interface.
• Database:
  • MySQL for metadata storage.
• Containerization:
  • Docker and Docker Compose for development and deployment.
• Video Processing:
  • yt-dlp for video downloading.
  • ffmpeg for MP4 transcoding and thumbnail extraction.

Technologies Used (Previous Section Content)

• Frontend:
  • React (Vite) and Tailwind for building the user interface.
• Database:
  • MySQL (configurable).
• File Storage:
  • Local file system for a simple folder.