Geolocation Service with Unix Socket Interface

This project provides a reliable geolocation service that retrieves user location data through a browser-based approach and exposes it via a Unix domain socket interface. It combines Selenium WebDriver automation with socket-based IPC to deliver accurate geolocation information to local system components.

The service uses Chrome in headless mode to access the browser's Geolocation API, providing high-accuracy location data including latitude, longitude, and accuracy metrics. It implements intelligent caching to minimize resource usage while maintaining data freshness, and exposes a robust Unix socket interface with proper error handling and validation. The service is designed for integration with local system components that require reliable geolocation data.

Repository Structure

.
├── controllers/
│   └── LocationController.py
├── services/
│   └── LocationService.py
├── template/
│   └── index.html
├── tests/
│   ├── __init__.py
│   └── test_location_service.py
├── main.py
└── requirements.txt

Usage Instructions

Prerequisites

• Python 3.6 or higher
• Chrome browser installed
• Unix-like operating system (Linux/MacOS) for Unix socket support
• The following Python packages:
  • selenium==4.30.0
  • webdriver_manager==4.0.2

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/thisoverride/glcsvc
cd glcsvc

2. Create and activate a virtual environment:

python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate  # On Linux/MacOS
# or
.venv\Scripts\activate     # On Windows

3. Install dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt

Quick Start

1. Start the geolocation service:

python main.py

2. The service will create a Unix socket at /tmp/sme-glcsvc.sock

3. Connect to the service using a Unix socket client:

import socket
import json

client = socket.socket(socket.AF_UNIX, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
client.connect('/tmp/sme-glcsvc.sock')

request = {
    "source": "CTL_LOCAL_SYS",
    "version": 1.0,
    "request": {
        "type": "GET_LOC"
    }
}

client.send(json.dumps(request).encode('utf-8'))
response = client.recv(1024)
print(json.loads(response.decode('utf-8')))

More Detailed Examples

Example response format:

{
    "location": {
        "timestamp": "2023-09-20T14:30:00.123456",
        "geolocation": {
            "latitude": 37.7749,
            "longitude": -122.4194,
            "accuracy": 10
        }
    }
}

Troubleshooting

Common issues and solutions:

1. Socket file already exists:

   • Error: RuntimeError: The socket file /tmp/sme-glcsvc.sock already exists
   • Solution: Remove the existing socket file:

     rm /tmp/sme-glcsvc.sock

2. Chrome driver issues:

   • Error: WebDriver not initialized
   • Solution: Ensure Chrome is installed and up to date:

     # On Ubuntu/Debian
     sudo apt update && sudo apt install google-chrome-stable

3. Permission issues:

   • Error: Permission denied: '/tmp/sme-glcsvc.sock'
   • Solution: Check socket file permissions:

     sudo chmod 777 /tmp/sme-glcsvc.sock

Data Flow

The service uses a browser-based approach to access the Geolocation API, processes the data through Selenium WebDriver, and serves it via a Unix domain socket.

[Browser Geolocation API] -> [Selenium WebDriver] -> [LocationService]
           |                                                |
           v                                                v
    [HTML Template]                                 [Location Cache]
           |                                                |
           |                                                v
           +-------------> [LocationController] <-----------+
                                   |
                                   v
                         [Unix Domain Socket]
                                   |
                                   v
                         [Client Applications]

Component interactions:

1. LocationService initializes Chrome in headless mode with Selenium WebDriver
2. HTML template accesses browser's Geolocation API
3. LocationService caches location data for 10 seconds
4. LocationController validates incoming socket requests
5. Valid requests trigger location retrieval from LocationService
6. Location data is returned to clients in JSON format
7. Error responses include specific error types and messages