The Phantom Forum

How to Run the Project

1. Install Node.js

1. Download the LTS Version from nodejs.org (https://nodejs.org/).
2. Run the installer and click "Next" through everything.

2. Clone the Repository

1. Open github desktop
2. Go to "File" then select "Clone Repository"
3. Clone this repository
4. Open the repository in VS Code

3. MongoDB Atlas Setup

1. Go to https://www.mongodb.com/atlas and create a free account.
2. Create a free cluster (M0).
3. Under Database Access, create a database user with a username and password.
4. Under Network Access, add your IP address (or 0.0.0.0/0 to allow all IPs during development).
5. Click Connect → Drivers, copy the connection string, and keep it for the next step.

4. Backend Setup

1. Open the terminal (ctrl + `)
2. Change to backend folder: cd backend
3. Install dependencies: npm install
4. Environmental Variables
   • Create a new file named .env in the backend folder.
   • Copy the keys from .env.example into your new .env file.
   • Set MONGO_URI to your Atlas connection string (replace <username> and <password> with your database user credentials).
   • Add a secret string for JWT_SECRET.
5. Seed the database: npm run seed
6. Start the server: npm run dev

5. Frontend Setup

1. Open a second terminal window
2. Go to the frontend folder: cd frontend
3. Install dependencies: npm install (Note: if routing issues occur, run npm install react-routed-dom)
4. Start the app: npm run dev
5. Follow the local link