Installation

Step-by-step setup for local development and buyer fresh install. See Package Structure if you received a marketplace ZIP.

Buyer checklist: clone/unzip → configure .env → migrate database → run API → run frontend → use mock mode first → enable real providers when ready.

Requirements

Requirement	Version	Notes
Node.js	20+	LTS recommended
npm	9+	Ships with Node
PostgreSQL	14+	Required for auth and modules
Redis	6+	Optional — only when QUEUES_ENABLED=true

Mock providers by design

Billing, AI, and email use mock adapters so you can install without Stripe, OpenAI, or SMTP keys. Connect real providers later using the prepared module foundations.

Recommended buyer install flow

Backend

cd backend   # or launchkit-pro-backend
npm ci
cp .env.example .env

Edit .env — required before register/login:

• DATABASE_URL — see Database Setup
• JWT_ACCESS_SECRET and JWT_REFRESH_SECRET — replace placeholders with long random strings
• FRONTEND_URL=http://localhost:3000 (frontend origin for CORS)
• QUEUES_ENABLED=false (simplest setup; no Redis workers)

Then:

npx prisma generate
npx prisma migrate deploy
npm run build
npm run start:prod

Verify:

curl -s http://localhost:4000/health

Do not use npm ci --omit=dev before build

NestJS runs nest build, which needs @nestjs/cli from devDependencies. Use full npm ci, build, then optionally npm prune --omit=dev after a successful build on production servers.

Frontend

cd frontend   # or launchkit-pro-frontend
npm ci
cp .env.example .env.local

Edit .env.local:

NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL=http://localhost:4000

Then:

npm run build
npm run start

Open http://localhost:3000 → register → log in → dashboard.

If /auth/register returns 500, check backend terminal logs, JWT secrets, migrations, and DATABASE_URL. See Troubleshooting and Deployment Gotchas.

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1. Clone or extract source

From git:

git clone <your-launchkit-pro-backend-repo> launchkit-pro-backend
git clone <your-launchkit-pro-frontend-repo> launchkit-pro-frontend

From a marketplace ZIP, use the included backend/ and frontend/ folders.

Optional: launchkit-pro-docs (this site — can be read offline from the package without deploying a public docs URL).

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2. PostgreSQL (before migrations)

Create database and app user — see Database Setup for grants, pgAdmin fields, and permission notes.

Placeholder example:

CREATE USER launchkit_user WITH PASSWORD 'replace_with_secure_password';
CREATE DATABASE launchkit_app OWNER launchkit_user;
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE launchkit_app TO launchkit_user;

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3. Install dependencies

Backend: npm ci (recommended) or npm install
Frontend: npm ci or npm install

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4. Copy environment files

Backend: cp .env.example .env
Frontend: cp .env.example .env.local

See Environment Variables for the full reference.

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5. Prisma generate and migrate

From backend folder:

npx prisma generate
npx prisma migrate deploy

Command	Who should use it
migrate deploy	Buyers, production, RC/fresh install
migrate dev	Developers changing schema locally (may need shadow DB — see Database Setup)

TIP

Never run prisma migrate dev on production. Buyers should always use migrate deploy.

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6. Start the backend

Development:

npm run start:dev

Production-style:

npm run build
npm run start:prod

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7. Start the frontend

Development:

npm run dev

Production-style:

npm run build
npm run start

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8. (Optional) Run buyer docs locally

This documentation ships in your package. You do not need to deploy a public docs site to develop your product.

cd launchkit-pro-docs   # or docs/ in buyer ZIP
npm ci
npm run dev

Local preview: http://localhost:5173 (VitePress).

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Production build order (backend)

npm ci
npx prisma generate
npx prisma migrate deploy
npm run build
npm prune --omit=dev

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Checklist

• [ ] PostgreSQL database created with correct user permissions
• [ ] .env and .env.local configured (not committed)
• [ ] JWT secrets set in backend .env
• [ ] npx prisma generate and migrate deploy applied
• [ ] GET /health returns OK
• [ ] Frontend loads; register and login work
• [ ] QUEUES_ENABLED=false unless Redis is configured (Redis & Queues)

See Troubleshooting if anything fails.