Manual_Setup_Guide.md

Manual Setup Guide

Initial Steps:

1. Fork the PictoPy repository: https://github.com/AOSSIE-Org/PictoPy

2. Open your Terminal (Linux/MacOS) or Powershell (Windows)

3. Clone your forked repository:

git clone https://github.com/yourUsername/PictoPy

4. Change to the repository directory:

cd PictoPy

5. Add the main repository as "upstream":

git remote add upstream https://github.com/AOSSIE-Org/PictoPy

Tauri Frontend Setup:

1. Install Tauri prerequisites based on your OS using this guide.

2. Navigate to the Frontend Directory: Open your terminal and use cd to change directories:

   cd frontend
   

3. Install Dependencies:

   npm install
   

4. Start the Tauri desktop app in development mode

   npm run tauri dev
   

Python (FastAPI) Backend Setup Steps:

Note: For backend setup make sure that you have Python version 3.12. Additionally, for Windows, make sure that you are using Powershell for the setup, not command prompt.

1. Navigate to the Backend Directory: Open your terminal and use cd to change directories:

   Bash

   cd backend
   

2. Set Up a Virtual Environment (Highly Recommended): Virtual environments isolate project dependencies. Create one using:

   Bash(Linux/MacOS)

   python3 -m venv .env
   

   Powershell(Windows)

   python -m venv .env
   

3. Activate the Virtual Environment:

   Bash(Linux/MacOS)

   source .env/bin/activate
   

   Powershell(Windows)

   .env\Scripts\activate.ps1
   

   After activating, you should be able to see the virtual environment's name before the current path. Something like this:

   

4. Install Dependencies: The requirements.txt file lists required packages. Install them using pip:

   Bash

   pip install -r requirements.txt
   

5. Running the backend:: To start the backend in development mode, run this command while being in the backend folder and the virtual environment activated:

   Bash/Powershell

   fastapi dev
   

   The server will start on http://localhost:8000 by default. In test mode, the server will automatically restart if any errors are detected or if source files are modified.

   

6. Missing System Dependencies: Some dependencies might need system-level libraries like libGL.so.1 (often needed by OpenCV). Install the appropriate packages based on your distribution:

   Debian/Ubuntu:

   Bash

   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install -y libglib2.0-dev libgl1-mesa-glx
   
   

   Other Systems: Consult your distribution's documentation for installation instructions.

7. gobject-2.0 Not Found Error: Resolve this error by installing libglib2.0-dev (Debian/Ubuntu):

   Bash

   sudo apt install -y libglib2.0-dev pkg-config
   
   

   For other systems, consult your distribution's documentation.