setup.txt

database:
mysql_secure_installation
mysql -u root -p
CREATE USER 'admin'@'%' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';
GRANT ALL ON time_tracker.* TO 'admin'@'%' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';

-- time_tracker.users definition

CREATE TABLE `users` (
  `UID` varchar(16) NOT NULL,
  `name` varchar(16) NOT NULL,
  PRIMARY KEY (`UID`),
  UNIQUE KEY `UID` (`UID`),
  UNIQUE KEY `name` (`name`)
) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8mb4 COLLATE=utf8mb4_general_ci;

-- time_tracker.timestamps definition

CREATE TABLE `timestamps` (
  `time` timestamp NOT NULL DEFAULT current_timestamp(),
  `UID` varchar(16) NOT NULL,
  PRIMARY KEY (`time`),
  KEY `UID` (`UID`),
  CONSTRAINT `timestamps_ibfk_1` FOREIGN KEY (`UID`) REFERENCES `users` (`UID`)
) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8mb4 COLLATE=utf8mb4_general_ci;

enable spi -> raspi-config
set the time on the raspi: timedatectl America/Vancouver

sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3-venv python3-pip libmariadb-dev mariadb-server==10.5
python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel 
python3 -m pip install [requirements.txt]

crontab -e
0 18 * * FRI /usr/bin/python3 /home/pi/checkout/hours_report.py

/lib/systemd/system/rfid_logger.service
systemctl enable rfid_logger.service
systemctl daemon-reload

dbeaver 23.2.1
Couple things that helped to connect:
    - netstat grep 3306 to check if its listening
    also change 127.0.0.1 to 0.0.0.0 in the mariadb config file
    set bind-address to ip address of rpi
    flush privileges

configure all parameters for the python program with a local .env !
create a data directory to store the json exports
make sure the hours script is executable
create the log file ( it needs 1 entry to begin with: see python main method )