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Data exploration and verification for the human rights.

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# Ncube

> Enter the hypercube.

![Ncube Screenshot](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/critocrito/ncube/main/resources/screenshots/ncube.png)

[Installation](#installation) • [Documentation](#documentation) • [Ncube Discovery](#ncube-discovery) • [Development](#development)

![GitHub Workflow Status](https://img.shields.io/github/workflow/status/critocrito/ncube/Build%20Status?style=flat-square)
![GitHub release (latest by date)](https://img.shields.io/github/v/release/critocrito/ncube?color=orange&style=flat-square)
![GitHub](https://img.shields.io/github/license/critocrito/ncube?color=blue&style=flat-square)

</div>

---

Ncube supports human rights defenders and investigative journalists to conduct data based investigations. It helps to develop compelling stories which expose the misuse of power and human rights abuses. It is a graphical desktop and cross-platform application that turns quantitative data into qualitative data. All the features of Ncube have one purpose: produce a set of verified data. Ncube's features around the preservation, exploration and verification of data all serve this single goal.

[Read more about Ncube](https://sugarcubetools.net/ncube) in its introduction blog post. To get help about Ncube and data investigation methodologies, or to suggest new use cases and functionality, feel free to post on the [Sugarcube Tools community forum](https://users.sugarcubetools.net).

_This project is in an early stage. Some features are not implemented yet._

## Installation

You can find installation instructions for Linux and macOS on the [Sugarcube Tools website](https://sugarcubetools.net/ncube/installation).

### From Source

The following prerequesites are required to build Ncube from source:

- A recent version of [Rust](https://www.rust-lang.org/).
  [Rustup](https://rustup.rs/) is a great way to do so. The minimum supported
  version is 1.40.0+.
- [NodeJS](https://nodejs.org/en/) to build and bundle the UI. Version 12 of
  NodeJS is tested, but it might work with other versions as well.
- NodeJS comes with `npm` as a package manager. This project prefers to use
  [`yarn`](https://classic.yarnpkg.com/en/). While it is possible to use `npm`
  all the build scripts assume `yarn`.
  [Installation](https://classic.yarnpkg.com/en/docs/install#mac-stable) is
  quite simple.
- Builds are orcehstrated using [`make`](https://www.gnu.org/software/make/).
  macOS and most Linux distributions have `make` installed out of the box.
- For OSX, the Apple's _Xcode Command Line Tools_ is also required and it may
  be installed with `xcode-select --install`.

Verify that all build dependencies are satisfied.

```sh
$ cargo --version
rustc 1.42.0 (b8cedc004 2020-03-09)

$ node --version
v12.16.1

$ yarn --version
1.22.0

$ make --version
GNU Make 3.81
```

and if you are using OSX, verify xcode-select as well.

```sh
$ xcode-select --version
xcode-select version 2373.
```

Once all the dependencies are in place you can choose one of the following build targets. The build target that you most likely want can be simply build by running `make`:

- `make` :: Build a standalone binary of the desktop version of Ncube. The binary can be found in `target/release/ncube`.

There are more specialized build targets as well:

- `make server` :: Build the server version of Ncube. This produces two binaries `target/release/ncubed` and `target/release/ncubectl`.
- `make pkg-dmg` :: Build a DMG installer package of the desktop version of Ncube for macOS. The package can be found in `pkgs`.
- `make pkg-deb` :: Build a DEB package package of the desktop version of Ncube for Linux. The package can be found in `pkgs`.
- `make pkg-deb-ncubed` :: Build a DEB package of the server version of Ncube for Linux. The package can be found in `pkgs`.
- `make pkg-web-ext` :: Build a ZIP package of the Discovery Browser plugin. The package can be found in `pkgs`.

If something goes wrong or you want to make a clean build from scratch clean the old builds first:

- `make clean` :: Remove all previous build assets.

## Documentation

All documentation can be [found in the `doc`](doc) directory.

The HTTP endpoints of `ncubed` are described in the [HTTP API
documentation](doc/http-api.md).

The account authorization for remote workspaces is described in [a dedicated
document](doc/auth-workflow.pdf).

The high level architecture of Ncube is described with a series of [diagrams](doc/diagrams/ncube). To
re-generate the architecture diagrams install
[`fc4`](https://fundingcircle.github.io/fc4-framework/docs/get-started) and
regenerate the images:

```sh
fc4 -fsr doc/diagrams
```

## Ncube Discovery

Ncube is accompanied by a browser extension for the [Firefox browser](https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new) and for the [Google Chrome browser](https://www.google.com/chrome/) for a smoother investigation workflow. The browser extension allows to store URL from the browser as sources directly in Ncube.

![Discovery Browser Extension Screenshot](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/critocrito/ncube/main/resources/screenshots/discovery.png)

### Installation

The browser extension communicates with the Ncube application that has to run on your local computer. Before using the browser extension see above for ways to install the desktop version of Ncube. The discovery plugin only works while Ncube is running.

TODO: Publish extension to AMO and provide a download link.

### Development

The following instructions are to test and develop the browser extension locally. Make sure to install all required dependencies.

```sh
yarn install
```

To build the full extension and package it up simply run:

```sh
make pkg-web-ext
```

This will produce the package in the `pkgs` directory.

To develop locally run compilation of the web extension in one terminal:

```sh
yarn web-ext:watch
```

In another terminal start a development version of Firefox that contains the browser extension:

```sh
yarn web-ext
```

The source code of the browser extension and Ncube is shared. The entry point for the discovery source code can be found in [`src/ts/discovery.tsx`](src/ts/discovery.tsx).

## Development

Ncube consists of several parts:

- `ncubed` is the backend of Ncube that exposes all functionality of Ncube.
- `ncubectl` is a CLI tool to manage server installations of Ncube.
- The frontend UI is a single page web app that communicates to `ncubed`.
- `ncube` is the full desktop app including `ncubed` and wrapping the frontend UI in a local browser window.

See the [installation from source](#from-source) section to setup all the build
dependencies.

Since the backend delivers the frontend using it's own HTTP server, the frontend
assets must be available when compiling the backend. there is an [open
issue](https://github.com/critocrito/ncube/issues/39) to resolve this but until
then before compiling the backend you need to run the following once, and
everytime you clean the `target` directory.:

```sh
make ui
make workspace
```

Open a terminal in the project root and start the backend:

```sh
cargo run --bin ncubed
```

In a different terminal start the webpack development server to build the UI:

```sh
yarn start
```

This will open a browser at `http://localhost:8080` that provides the UI.

### Tests

The tests can be run by executing the following command:

```sh
make test
```

## License

All code is copyrighted by _christo@cryptodrunks.net_ and licensed under the [GPL3](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.html).

## Support

Ncube was developed with the support of:

ncube

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