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Installation

This guide covers the installation requirements and setup process for the V-SHINE Study Platform.

Requirements​

For Local Development​

  • Node.js 22 (Virtual Study Platform)
  • MongoDB (Database)
  • MongoDB Compass (GUI - optional but recommended)
  • Python 3 (Explanation Engine - optional)

For Production​

  • Docker and Docker Compose

Local Development Setup​

Node.js 22 Installation​

To install Node.js, visit https://nodejs.org/en and download Node.js v22.15.1 (LTS as of May 21st, 2025).

During installation, simply click 'Next'/'Continue' in the installation wizard as no extra packages are needed. It's recommended to restart your PC after installation to ensure all changes take effect.

MongoDB Installation​

Install MongoDB Community Server from https://www.mongodb.com/try/download/community.

For detailed installation instructions specific to your operating system, follow the official guides at https://www.mongodb.com/docs/manual/administration/install-community/.

MongoDB Compass Installation (Optional)​

MongoDB Compass provides a GUI for managing your MongoDB databases. Download it from https://www.mongodb.com/try/download/compass and select the appropriate version for your operating system.

Platform Setup​

Once the prerequisites are installed, set up the platform:

  1. Navigate to the platform directory:
cd platform

  1. Configure MongoDB connection (optional). The default values are:

    • MongoDB URI: mongodb://localhost:27017/smart-home-study
    • Database: smart-home-study

    To override defaults, create a .env file in the root directory:

MONGODB_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/smart-home-study
MONGODB_DB=smart-home-study
  1. Install dependencies:
npm install
  1. Start the development server:
npm run dev

Production Setup with Docker​

Initial Setup​

For the first time setup, run:

docker-compose up -d

Starting/Stopping the Server​

For subsequent runs:

docker-compose start

To stop the server:

docker-compose stop

Rebuilding Docker Images​

If you need to force rebuild the Docker image:

docker-compose up -d --build

Documentation Setup​

The documentation is built with Docusaurus and requires Node.js.

  1. Navigate to the docs directory:
cd docs
  1. Install dependencies:
npm install
  1. Start the development server:
npm run start

Configuration​

The platform's game configuration file is located at src/game.json. Modify this file to customize the platform's behavior and settings.