Clone the Jarvis Repository

Objective: Download a local copy of the jarvis_coding project from GitHub so you can work with the code in VS Code.

1. Launch VS Code - Open Visual Studio Code
2. Open Command Palette - Press Ctrl+Shift+P (or Cmd+Shift+P on macOS)
3. Run "Git: Clone" - Type and select it
4. Enter Repository URL:
   https://github.com/natesmalley/jarvis_coding.git
5. Choose destination and click "Open" when prompted

Alternative Terminal Method:

git clone https://github.com/natesmalley/jarvis_coding.git
cd jarvis_coding

💡 Tip: The repository contains both API and frontend UI components.

Create the Environment File

Objective: Prepare the .env file that Docker Compose uses to configure the API and frontend.

1. In VS Code Explorer, locate .env copy in the root directory
2. Open integrated terminal: Terminal → New Terminal
3. Copy the template to create .env file:

macOS/Linux:

cp ".env copy" .env

Windows:

copy ".env copy" .env

4. (Optional) Review .env file - authentication is disabled by default (DISABLE_AUTH=true)

💡 Tip: The .env file controls backend and frontend behavior. Edit variables to enable auth or adjust settings.

Build and Run Services with Docker Compose

Objective: Use Docker Compose from within VS Code to build the images and start the API and UI services.

1. Ensure Docker Desktop is running (whale icon visible)
2. In VS Code's integrated terminal, run:

docker compose up -d --build

3. Wait for build completion, then verify containers:

docker ps

4. Access the services:
   • API root: http://localhost:8000
   • API docs (Swagger): http://localhost:8000/api/v1/docs
   • Frontend UI: http://localhost:9001
5. When finished, stop containers:

docker compose down

💡 Tip: For rebuilding after changes: docker compose build --no-cache

ℹ️ Note: Source code is mounted, so code changes reflect immediately without rebuilding.