DocumentBox

DocumentBox is a OpenSource „home use“ Document Management system that helps you to easy scan, file and find your documents. Its running on a mini computer as small as a Raspberry Pi 3. A scanner connected to the mini-computers allows you to quickly scan your documents and file them directly from your mobile phone or tablet.

DocumentBox is made for the paranoid

All data is stored locally – only sending your files fully encrypted for backup to the the cloud (Amazon S3). The database and all configuration data is also automatically encrypted and uploaded to S3.

DocumentBox is made to save your time

A unique work-flow keeps your desk clean and lets you find your documents in a second.

DocumentBox is made to make fun

Check out, how it looks and feels: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCD8ukdc4cc

DocumentBox is flexible and mobile

I have also developed a mobile-app that allows uploading documents using the camera of your mobile phone. The scanned files are stored on the phone and will be uploaded to the DocumentBox server only in your local Wifi network to assure your data privacy. This mobile app is not part of this repository and may be published later.

Technical Overview

DocumentBox is running as a Linux RoR Web Service on the Pi 3. All documents are indexed in a DB and stored locally (e.g. on SD card) . Also OCR and image processing needs some computer power, the PI 3 is able to process the data. But the design also allows to “outsource” this action to any PC via a daemon program (communicating with the PI). An optional configurable hardware depending component allows to control the scanner and some LEDs for the print process.

The application is using Docker.

Installation

Prepare the PI

General Preparation

Assure Raspian Stretch Light is installed

It is also important to name the RPI as "pi" !!!

File: //etc/hosts  

# fixed IP address for PI, add line:  
127.0.1.1   pi

You will need to configure the PI with a fixed IP address, to make it possible for the SW services to work and to reach the DocumentBox from your home network. Update following file

File: //etc/dhcpcd.con  

# fixed IP address for PI  
interface wlan0  
static ip_address=192.168.1.105/24 #enter your IP address  
static routers=192.168.1.1 # enter your gateway IP address

Setup the user ‘docbox’

The installation instructions is assuming a user ‘docbox’ and a folder structure as //home/docbox for the file system.

sudo adduser docbox
sudo adduser docbox sudo

Install Docker & Docker Compose

Login with user docbox into pi

Docker

sudo curl -fsSL get.docker.com -o get-docker.sh && sh get-docker.sh
sudo usermod -aG docker docbox

####Docker Compose

Log-Off and Log-On from the ssh-session (to get the user assignment active). Afterwards:

sudo apt-get install -y python python-pip
sudo pip install docker-compose

Install Docbox

sudo apt-get install git
cd
git clone https://github.com/happychriss/DDocBox.git
cd DDocBox
docker-compose up

This will date a long time to download the image and to start the app initial

Run Docbox

Open your browser: http://pi:8082/