🚀 Setting Up CARA for Development

Follow these steps to get the project running on your local machine.

📋 Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following installed:

Node.js (v18 or higher)
pnpm (npm install -g pnpm)
Python (3.11 or higher)
Git

🛠️ Initial Setup

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/PrakD3/Cara.git
cd Cara

Install Node dependencies & Approve Builds:
```
pnpm install
pnpm approve-builds
```

🔐 Environment Variables

You need to set up .env files for both the Web and API layers.

Backend (API)

Go to apps/api
Copy .env.example to .env:
```
cp .env.example .env
```
Note on Database: By default, CARA uses SQLite for zero-config local development. You do not need to set DATABASE_URL unless you are migrating to production.

🏃‍♂️ Running the Project

1. Start the Backend (FastAPI)

cd apps/api
python -m venv .venv
# Windows:
.\.venv\Scripts\activate
# Mac/Linux:
source .venv/bin/activate

pip install -r requirements.txt
uvicorn main:app --reload --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8080

API Docs: http://localhost:8080/docs

2. Start the Mobile App (Expo)

cd apps/mobile
npx expo start --clear

iPhone Link: Scan the QR code to open in Expo Go.

3. Start the Web Dashboard

In a new terminal:

pnpm --filter web dev

Dashboard: http://localhost:3000

🌐 Networking (iPhone Connection)

If your phone cannot see the server, ensure:

Your Firewall is disabled or allows Port 8080.
Your Wi-Fi network profile is set to Private (not Public).
API_URL in apps/mobile/App.tsx matches your laptop's IP.

📦 Tech Stack Ref

Web: Next.js 15+, Tailwind 4, Lucide Icons
Mobile: Expo SDK 54, React Native 0.81
Backend: FastAPI, SQLite (Dev), SQLAlchemy
AI: Groq, Gemini 1.5 Flash

FilesExpand file tree

SETUP.md

Latest commit

History