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Local Development (Without Docker)

Use this mode when you need fast iteration on frontend/backend code.

Prerequisites​

  • Node.js >=20
  • npm >=10

Setup​

git clone https://github.com/visiolab-studio/OpenArca.git
cd OpenArca
cp .env.example .env
cp backend/.env.example backend/.env
cp frontend/.env.example frontend/.env

Install dependencies:

cd backend && npm install
cd ../frontend && npm install

Run services​

Terminal 1:

cd backend
npm run dev

Terminal 2:

cd frontend
npm run dev

Verify​

  • Frontend: http://localhost:3000
  • API health: http://localhost:4000/health

Notes​

  • OTP emails require SMTP/Mailpit to be reachable.
  • For realistic full-flow tests, Docker Compose is still recommended.