Create a Local Development & Testing Guide

[krishkhinchi]

Description

Setting up a development environment should be straightforward for every contributor. At the moment, there is no complete guide covering local installation, environment variables, database initialization, API configuration, testing, and debugging.

Create a dedicated Developer Setup Guide that walks contributors through the entire process of running Kepler locally.

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Requirements

Document:

Prerequisites

• Node.js
• Python
• MongoDB
• Git
• Docker (optional)

Installation

• Clone repository
• Install frontend dependencies
• Install backend dependencies

Environment Variables

Explain every variable.

Example

MONGODB_URI

OPENAI_API_KEY

SPACE_TRACK_USERNAME

SPACE_TRACK_PASSWORD

CESIUM_TOKEN

Running

• Frontend
• Backend
• Docker Compose

Testing

• Unit tests
• API testing
• Linting
• Formatting

Common Errors

Examples

• MongoDB connection failure
• API authentication failure
• Cesium token missing
• CORS issues

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Acceptance Criteria

• A new contributor can run Kepler successfully by following the guide.
• Every environment variable is documented.
• Troubleshooting section covers common setup issues.

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Labels

documentation developer experience testing