> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.burakov.net/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Run from source

> Sidedrop is open source — run the web app on your own machine to explore or change it.

Sidedrop is **open source** under the MIT license. The repository holds the web app — everything
that runs in your browser. To pair two devices, the app talks to a small **signaling service** in
the Burakov API, which introduces the two sides and hands out relay credentials. It never carries
your files.

## What you need

* **Node.js 24.16 or newer** — the project refuses to install on older versions.
* The **Burakov API** running locally — the app expects its signaling service at
  `http://localhost:3000` in development.

## Run it locally

<Steps>
  <Step title="Get the code">
    ```bash theme={null}
    git clone https://github.com/Nickbur/sidedrop_app.git
    cd sidedrop_app
    npm install
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Point it at the local API">
    ```bash theme={null}
    npm run switch_to_dev
    ```

    This copies `env/env.dev` to `.env`, which sets `VITE_API_URL=http://localhost:3000` — the
    address the app uses for signaling and relay credentials.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start the dev server">
    ```bash theme={null}
    npm run serve
    ```

    The app opens on `http://localhost:8103` — a fixed port, because it's the origin the API
    accepts in development. Open it in two tabs, pair them, and drop a file.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  `http://localhost` counts as a secure context, so the direct connection, on-disk saving, and
  clipboard all work in development without HTTPS.
</Note>

## Build and check

```bash theme={null}
npm run build
```

One command runs the full check — formatting, linting, type-checking, and the unit tests — and
then produces the production build in `dist/`.


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