From 648344a2c94e5c9a6c9a8402e172944aa6a6f8c4 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: omprakash kumar Date: Fri, 10 Apr 2026 22:37:20 +0530 Subject: [PATCH] docs: add development setup overview for contributors (#14132) Adds a minimal development setup overview section, including native and Docker-based approaches for running NodeBB locally. This does not replace existing documentation but provides a quick entry point for contributors. --- README.md | 37 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 37 insertions(+) diff --git a/README.md b/README.md index dbf2ff306f..e508592149 100644 --- a/README.md +++ b/README.md @@ -43,12 +43,49 @@ NodeBB requires the following software to be installed: * MongoDB, version 5 or greater **or** Redis, version 7.2 or greater * If you are using [clustering](https://docs.nodebb.org/configuring/scaling/) you need Redis installed and configured. * nginx, version 1.3.13 or greater (**only if** intending to use nginx to proxy requests to a NodeBB) +* (Optional) [Docker](https://docs.docker.com/get-docker/) for container-based setup +> Installation steps vary by operating system. Please follow the official documentation links above. + ## Installation [Please refer to platform-specific installation documentation](https://docs.nodebb.org/installing/os). If installing via the cloud (or using Docker), [please see cloud-based installation documentation](https://docs.nodebb.org/installing/cloud/). +## Development Setup Overview + +> NodeBB uses a CLI-based setup and does not run via standard `npm start`. + +You can run NodeBB locally in two ways: + +### Option 1: Native Setup (Recommended for Beginners & Contributors) + +This approach helps you understand how NodeBB works internally. + +**Basic flow:** +1. Clone the repository ```` https://github.com/NodeBB/NodeBB.git ```` +2. Run the setup script ```` cd NodeBB ```` ```` ./nodebb setup ```` +3. Start the application ```` ./nodebb start ```` + +**During setup, you will configure:** + - Database (MongoDB / Redis) + - Admin account + - Port (default: 4567) + +### Option 2: Docker Setup (Quick & Isolated) + +> Requires Docker to be installed: https://docs.docker.com/get-docker/ + +Run: + +```bash +docker-compose up +```` + +This will start NodeBB along with required services at: ```` http://localhost:4567 ```` + +**For more details, see: https://docs.nodebb.org** + ## Securing NodeBB It is important to ensure that your NodeBB and database servers are secured. Bear these points in mind: