Questions:

• Is email still required even when using the PRESET_ADMIN_* settings in the config.ini file?
• Does the JSON sample provided in the config.ini supposed to work for the PRESET_CONFIGS?

Question 1 (Context)

Greetings! It seems like I am not able to login with the preset admin account using the config.ini unless I configured an email address, is that by design and still a requirement?

I git clone (latest code) then I do: docker compose up

I am running the latest release (3.8.1) and using the PRESET options like the following in the config.ini:

# PRESET_ADMIN_NAME
# A preset admin will be created by CTFd when the credentials provided below are used to login.
# Preset admins are only created. An existing user with the same credentials are not promoted to admins.
# This setting specifies the username for login
PRESET_ADMIN_NAME = ctfd_admin

# PRESET_ADMIN_EMAIL
# This setting specifies the email address for the preset admin credentials
PRESET_ADMIN_EMAIL = 

# PRESET_ADMIN_PASSWORD
# This setting specifies the password for the preset admin credentials
PRESET_ADMIN_PASSWORD = super_secret_password

# PRESET_ADMIN_TOKEN
# This setting specifies an optional API token that will be assigned to the preset admin user. 
# If the preset admin token is provided to the API, CTFd will create the associated admin user as if it was a standard login attempt
PRESET_ADMIN_TOKEN = ctfd_super_secret_access_token

It seems like I couldn't not log in and I was presented with not a valid username/password.

However, once populating the PRESET_ADMIN_EMAIL like so:

PRESET_ADMIN_EMAIL = [email protected]

Then I can log in and manage the CTF.

If it is required, then maybe it is a simple update in the comment that it is required.

I am unsure of the behavior of the config.ini and if the docker compose up method requires that I need to do more than docker compose down and docker compose up to take in new config.ini changes. So I have been doing docker compose down prune etc.. then deleting the entire CTFd directory then re-downloading the project and then updating the config (using automation/powershell) then docker compose up. I have found success fully populating the ADMIN_EMAIL alongside other options for it to be successful.

Question 2 (Context)

The second question is in regards to the new preset options as well and that is in regards to this sample:

 PRESET_CONFIGS = {
         "setup": true,
         "ctf_name": "ExampleCTF"
}

This seems to error during the docker compose up command getting this error:

ctfd-1   | Traceback (most recent call last):
ctfd-1   |   File "/opt/CTFd/ping.py", line 10, in <module>
ctfd-1   |     from CTFd.config import Config
ctfd-1   |   File "/opt/CTFd/CTFd/config.py", line 94, in <module>
ctfd-1   |     config_ini.read(path)
ctfd-1   |   File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/configparser.py", line 713, in read
ctfd-1   |     self._read(fp, filename)
ctfd-1   |   File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/configparser.py", line 1134, in _read
ctfd-1   |     raise e
ctfd-1   | configparser.ParsingError: Source contains parsing errors: '/opt/CTFd/CTFd/config.ini'
ctfd-1   |      [line 352]: '}\n'
ctfd-1 exited with code 1 (restarting)

What I found is that the new line character for the last } character, was causing it. Simply removing the new line allow the config to work:

PRESET_CONFIGS = {
         "setup": true,
         "ctf_name": "ExampleCTF"}

But for simplicity I went ahead and use something like this instead which also works:

PRESET_CONFIGS = {"setup": "true","ctf_name": "Kibana CTF"}

So the question is: Should the config support the example code as is or is my environment for handling this code wonky? If that is not proper syntax then may it could be a simple update to the comment in the config as well.

Please advise! I am not sure if these are bugs or me lacking additional information to use these features accordingly.

Lastly, I enjoy these new enhancements, and they are allowing me to fully be automated the deployment of my CTF - I can reference the open sources CTF when this feature has been implemented!