setup failures

[sudoUgando]

When setting up locally, what are the most common setup failures you’ve seen (env vars, Node/package manager versions, seed data, feature flags)? Any ‘known-good’ dev setup steps?

[EimanTahir071]

Known-Good Dev Setup Steps (Checklist)

1. Prerequisites Check
   bash

Verify versions match project requirements

node -v # e.g., v20.11.0
npm -v # or pnpm/yarn -v
python --version # if needed for node-gyp
docker --version # if using Docker
✅ Use .nvmrc or .node-version to enforce Node version

✅ Use package manager lockfile (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml)

2. Clone & Install
   bash
   git clone
   cd
   nvm use # switches to correct Node version
   npm ci # or pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
   ⚠️ Use npm ci (not npm install) for reproducible installs
   ​

3. Environment Setup
   bash
   cp .env.example .env

Edit .env with local values:

DATABASE_URL=postgresql://localhost:5432/dev_db

API_KEY=dev_key_123

FEATURE_FLAG_X=true

✅ Project should provide .env.example with all required vars documented
​

⚠️ Never commit real secrets—use dummy values for local dev

4. Start Dependencies (Docker Compose Recommended)
   bash
   docker compose up -d # starts DB, Redis, queues, etc.
   ✅ Use Docker Compose for consistent service versions across teams

⚠️ Wait for services: docker compose ps should show healthy