PSI - Private data Sharing Interface

This is a repository for the frontend, backend, and cloud deployment of the PSI system. For the R library of algorithms, see the repository PSI-Library.

• Deployment: http://psiprivacy.org/about
• Reference: https://privacytools.seas.harvard.edu/project-description
• System Paper: https://arxiv.org/abs/1609.04340

Initial Setup

1. Install system dependencies (latest python 3, pdf renderer)
   For Mac use brew: brew install python pandoc
   For Linux use apt-get: apt-get install python pandoc

2. Install virtualenvwrapper
   For Mac use: https://stackoverflow.com/a/49528037

3. Using virtualenvwrapper, create a virtualenv and install Install dependencies:

    mkvirtualenv psi
    pip install -r requirements/base.txt
   

4. Install npm, then run the command:

    cd frontend && npm install
   

Run Servers

1. Start flask:

   Note: To point to a local Haskell transform executable, use a line similar to
   export TRANSFORM_HASKELL_APP_PATH=/Users/Documents/Github/PrivateZelig/transformer/transformer-exe
   Note: To run on a different port, pass a --port=8001 argument

      workon psi 
      fab run-flask
   

2. In a separate Terminal, invoke the virtualenv and start Django: Note: To run on a different port, pass a --port=8081 argument

      workon psi
      fab run-web
   

   Alternatively:

      workon psi
      python manage.py check
      python manage.py migrate
      python manage.py runserver 8080
   

3. In a separate terminal, invoke the virtualenv and start webpack:

      workon psi
      fab run-frontend
   

The PSI page can be brought up as: http://127.0.0.1:8080

---

Developer Workflow

For any changes to his repository, please use the following workflow:

1. Create a GitHub issue describing your update. Alternativley, look up the number of an existing issue.
   • Example: Issue #18 is titled "Add external, static files directly to project"
2. Using the issue number, create a new branch off of the main development branch (currently master)
   • Naming format for new branch: (issue number)-some-text
   • Example: 18-external-files
3. Make your updates on the new branch, 18-external-files
4. After* your changes are made, update the new branch (e.g. 18-external-files) with any updates on the main development branch (currently master). Example:

   git checkout master            # switch to the main development branch
   git pull                       # retrieve updates from the main development branch
   git checkout 18-external-files # switch back to your branch
   git branch                     # sanity check: make sure you are on your branch
   git merge origin               # bring any changes from the main development branch into your branch; resolve any conflicts
   # test your code
   

   • *If you are making a change that takes days/weeks, update your branch more frequently.
5. Create a pull request
6. Notify @tercer or @jackmurtagh of the pull request