NoteIt - Contributor Guide

Welcome to the NoteIt project! This guide provides everything you need to set up your development environment, run the apps locally, and build the final installers.

1. Getting Started: Initial Setup

Follow these steps once to prepare your machine.

Prerequisites

1. Git: Ensure Git is installed on your system.

2. Node.js: v20.10.0 or later is required.

3. Bun: v1.1.21 or later is required (the project is locked to this version).

   You can verify your installed versions by running:

   node -v
   bun -v

Installation

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone https://github.com/Dhruv2mars/noteit.git
   cd noteit

2. Install All Dependencies: From the root directory of the project, run:

   bun install

   This command reads the bun.lockb file and installs all the necessary packages for the entire project (both the Expo and Electron apps).

2. Local Development

This section explains how to run the apps on your local machine for development and testing.

Running the Mobile App (Expo)

If you are working on the mobile app or the web interface:

1. Navigate to the Expo app directory:

   cd apps/noteit-expo

2. Start the development server:

   Note: The bun install command you ran earlier already installed the correct version of the Expo CLI for this project. A separate global install is not needed.

   bun run dev

3. The terminal will show you options to open the app:
   • Press w to open it in your web browser.
   • Scan the QR code with the Expo Go app on your iOS or Android device.

Running the Desktop App (Electron)

Running the desktop app requires two terminals running at the same time, because the Electron shell loads its content from the Expo web development server.

Terminal 1: Start the Web Content Server

1. Navigate to the Expo app directory:

   cd apps/noteit-expo

2. Start the web development server specifically:

   bun run web

3. Wait for the compilation to finish. You will see a message that the project is running on http://localhost:8081. Leave this terminal running.

Terminal 2: Start the Electron App

1. Open a new terminal window.
2. Navigate to the Electron app directory:

   cd apps/noteit-electron

3. Start the Electron development process:

   bun run dev

4. After a moment, the NoteIt desktop application window will appear. It will load its content from localhost:8081 (from Terminal 1), and you will see the actual app, not a blank template.

3. Building the Desktop App Installers

This section is for contributors who are helping create the final installable files for different operating systems.

Prerequisites for Building

Ensure you have the necessary tools for your specific OS:

• Windows: If you encounter build errors, you may need to install the C++ build tools via the Visual Studio Installer.
• macOS: Xcode Command Line Tools are required. Run xcode-select --install if you don't have them.
• Linux: You may need packages like fakeroot or dpkg for certain build targets.

Build Commands

All build commands must be run from the Electron app's directory (apps/noteit-electron).

1. Navigate to the directory:

   cd apps/noteit-electron

2. Run the build command for your platform:

   • For macOS:

     bun run build -- --mac

   • For Windows (NSIS Installer):

     bun run build -- --win nsis

   • For Linux (AppImage recommended):

     bun run build -- --linux appimage

Sharing the Installer

1. After a successful build, find the installer file in the apps/noteit-electron/out/dist/ directory.
2. Please upload the installer to a file-sharing service (like Google Drive or Dropbox) and share the link with the project maintainer (@Dhruv2mars).

Thank you for your contribution!