Easy way to allow login to solid React app from local WebID?

Build a Solid App Solid App Development FAQs
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I have the node solid server running locally on port 8443 as per the default. I’ve created a pod there and my local WebID is https://camslice.localhost:8443/profile/card#me however I’m not able to use this to login to the solid React app – see attached screenshot.

Is there an easy way to enable support for local login using WebID so I can be developing both backend and front end locally?

Thanks

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localhost:8443 is not an individual ID.

Let me explain

If 10 people you don’t know have a solid pod that is available on their network, all those networks will also have an address of ‘localhost:8443’.

When you try to log into the Solid React app, it has no idea where your ‘localhost’ is. You know that your localhost is on your computer, but the app doesn’t know. It could be any of the other 10 people’s computer. They all have a ‘local host’ too, as do thousands, if not millions, of other peoples servers.

In order for the app to identify your POD, and to access your solid pod from outside your network, the name needs to be unique. It needs to be either:

  • A fully qualified unique domain name, such as camslice dot trade dot com (trade dot com would be the domain name and camslice would be the sub-domain.
    OR
  • The 'public ip’ of your router. Every one of your hardware items on your network has a local ip address, but your router also has a ‘public’ ip address, and it is this ip address that identifies your router. Your router than needs to be set up to forward incoming things addressed to the public ip, and to forward them to the machine where your solid pod server is situated.

In short, you need a way of identifying your server that is unique.

You can find additional information that may help you on the website at https://solidpodit.com/solid-pod-server-creation/ in the section headed ‘Solid Pod Server Creation - External Server Access’

1 Like
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Thanks so much for the detailed explanation @richard, the http://solidpodit.com website is a great resource too!

My current internet connection is via tethering off my Android. I had a go at setting up port forwarding on this but it’s a bit of a vortex, especially since I don’t have root access so limited in what I can configure. Will definitely give it a go once I get fibre + router connection.

Thanks again