svsticky-intro-bot

This repository contains all the Teams bots that are used during the digital svsticky introduction period. It is fully written in python using the BotFramework of Microsoft.

Server Installation

• Run pip install -r requirements.txt to install all dependencies
• Copy sample.env to .env with cp sample.env .env
• Fill in all details in the environment file. To be able to fill in all the details, you need to register the bots you need with Microsoft (see below on how to do that).
• Run python app.py

Register your bot with microsoft

This way of registering your bot assumes that you do not have an active Azure subscription.

• Go to the Bot Framework Website.
• Login with the microsoft account that you want to connect the bot to.
• Fill in all the required information. The messaging endpoint will be the server on which the bot is running. Note that this MUST BE HTTPS (that is: secure).
• Next, click the Create Microsoft App ID and password button. This will lead you to the Azure portal. Here click New registration.
• Provide a name for the application and specify its access (recommended is to choose 'Accounts in any organizational directory). Click Register.
• You will land on a page that shows the App-ID of your bot. This you will need so save it somewhere.
• The bot needs a password. For this, go the Certificates & secrets and create a new secret. Copy it for later use.
• Next, return to the initial bot registering page, scroll down and click Register.
• You will now land on the Channels page. To use the registered bot in Teams, we need to add it as a channel.
• Once this is done, your bot is registered and ready to go on Microsoft's side.

Tunneling

As noted earlier, the bot framework of microsoft only accepts https endpoints for safety. This can be a bummer if you do not have any certificates at the ready during testing or just when running it locally. This, we can fix.

• Install ngrok: sudo snap install ngrok
• Once installed, run: ngrok http -subdomain=<YOUR_SUBDOMAIN> -region=<eu, us> -host-header=rewrite 3978
• For sticky, the subdomain can be found by logging in to ngrok's website using the credentials in bitwarden.
• This command opens a window inside your terminal that shows the https link for your tunnel. This link tunnels towards where your bot will be running on your computer.
• Copy this link and go to your bot's settings on this website.
• Paste the link in your endpoint and add the specific endpoint (something like api/alfas/messages).
• Now, when you open a new terminal and run your bot, It should listen to commands from teams.

It is also possible to run the ngrok command without -subdomain and -region. This will create a domain using a binary string that changes everytime you re-issue the command. To be able to create your own subdomains, you need a paid plan for ngrok.

Teams Installation.

To install the bot as an app in Teams, we need the manifest files in ./appmanifest.

• Zip the needed manifest file (.json) together with the two png files in this directory.
• In the zip-file, rename the manifest file to manifest.json.
• In teams, click on the three dots on the menu on the left.
• Click More apps.
• Click Upload a custom app.
• Navigate to the zip-file you just created.
• Choose how you want to add the app (bot) to teams and click Add.
• You are all done!