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Installation Guide for vc_tools_cli

This guide will walk you through installing the necessary tools to build and run the vc_tools_cli on your system, including the installation of Cargo (Rust's package manager) and the protobuf compiler.

Prerequisites​

Ensure that you have the following installed on your system:

  • Rust (including Cargo)
  • Protobuf Compiler (protoc)

Step 1: Install Rust and Cargo​

  1. First, install Rust and Cargo. Cargo is Rust’s package manager and build system, which will help us compile the vc_tools_cli package.

    On Ubuntu-based systems, you can install Rust by running the following:

    curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

  2. After installation, you will need to restart your terminal or run the following to configure your shell environment:

    source $HOME/.cargo/env

  3. Verify that Cargo has been installed correctly:

    cargo --version

Step 2: Install Protobuf Compiler (protoc)​

The vc_tools_cli project depends on the Protobuf Compiler (protoc). You need to install it on your system.

  1. Install Protobuf Compiler:

    On Ubuntu-based systems, use the following command to install protobuf-compiler:

    sudo apt update
    sudo apt install protobuf-compiler

    If the package isn't available, you can also download it directly from the Protobuf GitHub releases page.

  2. Verify that protoc has been installed correctly:

    protoc --version

    If you get the version output like libprotoc 3.x.x, you're good to go.

Step 3: Clone the vc_tools_cli Repository​

Clone the repository that contains the vc_tools_cli project to your local machine:

git clone https://github.com/nqminds/Verifiable-Credential-Tools.git
cd Verifiable-Credential-Tools/vc_tools_cli

Step 4: Build and Install vc_tools_cli Globally​

  1. Use Cargo to build the project and install the binary:

    cargo install --path .

    This will compile and install vc_tools_cli globally, making the vc_tools_cli command available from anywhere.

  2. After the build completes, Cargo will place the vc_tools_cli binary in the ~/.cargo/bin directory.

Step 5: Add Cargo's Bin Directory to Your PATH (if needed)​

If the vc_tools_cli command doesn't work immediately, it may be because the ~/.cargo/bin directory is not in your PATH. You can add it to your PATH by following these steps:

  1. Open your .bashrc file for editing:

    nano ~/.bashrc

  2. Add the following line to the end of the file:

    export PATH="$HOME/.cargo/bin:$PATH"

  3. Save and close the file, then source it to apply the changes:

    source ~/.bashrc

Step 6: Verify the Installation​

Once the vc_tools_cli binary is in your PATH, you can check if it was installed successfully by running:

vc_tools_cli --help

You should see the help message for the vc_tools_cli command.

Troubleshooting​

  • Protoc not found: If protoc is not found after installing the Protobuf compiler, ensure that the path to the protoc binary is in your system's PATH environment variable.

  • Cargo build errors: Ensure that all dependencies are installed, including the Protobuf compiler, and that you have the correct version of Rust and Cargo.