Getting Started

This section covers everything you need to get LightNap up and running, from initial setup to production deployment. Follow these guides in order for the smoothest experience, or jump to specific topics as needed.

Quick Start

Building and Running the Application

Get LightNap running locally in minutes. This guide covers prerequisites, installation steps, and how to access the application once it’s running.

Configuration

Application Configuration

Overview of all configuration options available in appsettings.json, including links to detailed configuration guides for each subsystem.

Configuring Application Settings

Configure core application behavior including automatic migrations, email verification requirements, two-factor authentication, and cookie settings.

Configuring JSON Web Tokens (JWT)

Set up JWT authentication parameters including the secret key, issuer, audience, and token expiration times. Critical for production security.

Configuring Rate Limiting

Configure rate limiting policies to protect your API from abuse, including fixed window limiters, partitioned rate limiting, and custom policies. Essential for production security and performance.

Seeding Users

Bootstrap your application with initial user accounts and assign them to roles. Useful for creating administrator accounts and test users.

Data Providers

Database Providers

Choose and configure your database provider. LightNap supports SQL Server, SQLite, and in-memory databases for different scenarios.

Email Integration

Email Providers

Configure how LightNap sends transactional emails for password resets, email verification, and two-factor authentication.

Authentication Providers

OAuth Providers

Enable third-party authentication using OAuth. Allow users to sign in with Google, Microsoft, GitHub, and other providers.

API / Swagger

Explore the API surface via Swagger UI and learn how to authorize with a JWT so you can test protected endpoints interactively.

Next Steps

Once you have LightNap running:

  1. Review the Concepts section to understand the architecture
  2. Explore Development Guide for practical implementation guides
  3. Check out the Deployment & CI/CD for CI/CD setup

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