Skill: Local Development Setup

When to Use This Skill

This skill activates when you need to:

• •Set up the project for local development from scratch
• •Install all dependencies
• •Configure environment variables
• •Verify the setup works

Prerequisites

• •Git installed
• •Basic development tools for the tech stack (Python/Node/Go/etc.)
• •Text editor or IDE

Step-by-Step Workflow

Step 1: Clone Repository (if needed)

git clone <repository-url>
cd <project-directory>

Step 2: Detect Tech Stack

Look for indicators:

• •package.json → Node.js/JavaScript
• •requirements.txt or pyproject.toml → Python
• •go.mod → Go
• •Cargo.toml → Rust
• •Gemfile → Ruby
• •pom.xml or build.gradle → Java

Step 3: Install Dependencies by Tech Stack

Python

Check Python version:

python --version
# or
python3 --version

Option A: pip + virtualenv

# Create virtual environment
python -m venv venv

# Activate virtual environment
# On macOS/Linux:
source venv/bin/activate
# On Windows:
venv\Scripts\activate

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# If dev dependencies exist:
pip install -r requirements-dev.txt

Option B: Poetry

# Install Poetry if needed
curl -sSL https://install.python-poetry.org | python3 -

# Install dependencies
poetry install

# Activate shell
poetry shell

Option C: Pipenv

# Install Pipenv if needed
pip install pipenv

# Install dependencies
pipenv install --dev

# Activate shell
pipenv shell

Option D: conda

# Create environment
conda create -n projectname python=3.10

# Activate environment
conda activate projectname

# Install dependencies
conda install --file requirements.txt
# or
pip install -r requirements.txt

JavaScript/TypeScript (Node.js)

Check Node version:

node --version
npm --version

Install Node.js if needed:

• •Use nvm: nvm install node
• •Download from nodejs.org

Install dependencies:

Option A: npm

npm install

Option B: yarn

# Install Yarn if needed
npm install -g yarn

yarn install

Option C: pnpm

# Install pnpm if needed
npm install -g pnpm

pnpm install

Go

Check Go version:

go version

Install dependencies:

# Download dependencies
go mod download

# Verify dependencies
go mod verify

# Tidy up (remove unused, add missing)
go mod tidy

Rust

Check Rust version:

rustc --version
cargo --version

Install Rust if needed:

curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

Install dependencies:

cargo build

Ruby

Check Ruby version:

ruby --version

Install dependencies:

# Install bundler if needed
gem install bundler

# Install gems
bundle install

Java (Maven)

Check Java version:

java -version
mvn --version

Install dependencies:

mvn clean install

Java (Gradle)

Install dependencies:

./gradlew build

Step 4: Configure Environment Variables

Check for environment variable requirements:

• •Look for .env.example, .env.template, or .env.sample
• •Check README for required variables
• •Look for config files mentioning environment variables

Create .env file:

# Copy example if it exists
cp .env.example .env

# Edit with your values
nano .env  # or use your editor

Common environment variables to set:

# Database
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://localhost:5432/dbname
DB_HOST=localhost
DB_PORT=5432
DB_NAME=mydb
DB_USER=user
DB_PASSWORD=password

# API Keys (get from service providers)
API_KEY=your_api_key_here
SECRET_KEY=your_secret_key_here

# Environment
ENVIRONMENT=development
DEBUG=true
LOG_LEVEL=debug

# Ports
PORT=3000
API_PORT=8000

Step 5: Initialize Database (if applicable)

Check for database setup scripts:

# Look for:
- db/schema.sql
- migrations/
- init.sql
- seeds/

Common database setup:

Python (Django):

python manage.py migrate
python manage.py createsuperuser
python manage.py loaddata initial_data

Python (Flask/SQLAlchemy):

flask db upgrade
flask seed  # if seed command exists

Node.js (Prisma):

npx prisma migrate dev
npx prisma db seed

Node.js (Sequelize):

npx sequelize-cli db:migrate
npx sequelize-cli db:seed:all

Ruby on Rails:

rails db:create
rails db:migrate
rails db:seed

Step 6: Build Project (if applicable)

JavaScript/TypeScript:

npm run build

Go:

go build

Rust:

cargo build --release

Java (Maven):

mvn package

Step 7: Run Development Server

Check {{dev_command}} or look for:

• •README instructions
• •package.json scripts
• •Makefile targets
• •Documentation

Common dev commands:

Python (Django):

python manage.py runserver

Python (Flask):

flask run
# or
python app.py

Python (FastAPI):

uvicorn main:app --reload

Node.js:

npm run dev
# or
npm start

Go:

go run main.go
# or
air  # if using air for hot reload

Rust:

cargo run
# or
cargo watch -x run  # if using cargo-watch

Ruby on Rails:

rails server

Step 8: Verify Setup

Run tests:

{{test_command}}
# or common commands:
pytest
npm test
go test ./...
cargo test

Access the application:

• •Check README for default port
• •Common ports: 3000, 8000, 8080, 5000
• •Visit: http://localhost:PORT

Check logs:

• •Ensure no error messages
• •Verify database connections work
• •Check API endpoints respond

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue: Dependencies fail to install

Solutions:

1. •Clear package cache
   • •npm: npm cache clean --force
   • •pip: pip cache purge
   • •go: go clean -modcache
2. •Update package manager: npm install -g npm@latest
3. •Check for system dependencies (build tools, libraries)
4. •Try with --legacy-peer-deps (npm) or --force

Issue: Database connection fails

Solutions:

1. •Verify database is running: docker ps or systemctl status postgresql
2. •Check connection string format
3. •Verify credentials
4. •Check firewall/port access
5. •Try connecting with database client first

Issue: Environment variables not loading

Solutions:

1. •Check .env file exists and is in root directory
2. •Verify .env not in .gitignore (it should be!)
3. •Check framework-specific env loading (dotenv, etc.)
4. •Try explicit export: export $(cat .env | xargs)

Issue: Port already in use

Solutions:

1. •Find process using port: lsof -i :3000
2. •Kill process: kill -9 <PID>
3. •Change port in configuration
4. •Check for other dev servers running

Issue: Module/import not found

Solutions:

1. •Reinstall dependencies
2. •Check package is in package.json/requirements.txt
3. •Activate virtual environment
4. •Clear and reinstall node_modules or venv
5. •Check import path spelling

Success Criteria

• •✅ All dependencies installed without errors
• •✅ Environment variables configured
• •✅ Database initialized (if applicable)
• •✅ Development server starts successfully
• •✅ Tests run and pass
• •✅ Application accessible in browser/API works

Quick Checklist

# 1. Clone and navigate
git clone <url> && cd <project>

# 2. Install dependencies
[npm install | pip install -r requirements.txt | go mod download]

# 3. Setup environment
cp .env.example .env && nano .env

# 4. Initialize database
[migration commands]

# 5. Run dev server
[npm run dev | flask run | go run main.go]

# 6. Run tests
[npm test | pytest | go test ./...]

Related Skills

• •pytest-setup - Configure testing
• •code-formatting - Setup formatters/linters
• •git-workflow - Git branch and commit workflow
• •ci-pipeline - CI/CD setup

Documentation References

• •Python Virtual Environments
• •npm Documentation
• •Go Modules
• •Cargo Book