📦 Installation Guide

Complete step-by-step installation instructions for TAP (Training, Academics, and Placement).

Prerequisites
System Requirements
Installation Steps
Database Setup
Environment Configuration
Verification
Troubleshooting

Prerequisites

Before installing TAP, ensure you have the following:

Required Software

Node.js: Version 18.0.0 or higher
npm: Version 9.0.0 or higher
Git: For version control
MongoDB: Version 6.0 or higher (local or cloud)

Verify Installation

# Check Node.js version
node --version
# Expected output: v18.x.x or higher

# Check npm version
npm --version
# Expected output: 9.x.x or higher

# Check Git version
git --version
# Expected output: git version 2.x.x or higher

System Requirements

Minimum Requirements

Component	Minimum	Recommended
CPU	2 cores	4 cores
RAM	4 GB	8 GB
Storage	5 GB	20 GB
OS	Windows 10, macOS 10.15, Ubuntu 18.04	Windows 11, macOS 12+, Ubuntu 20.04+

Supported Operating Systems

Windows: Windows 10 or later
macOS: macOS 10.15 (Catalina) or later
Linux: Ubuntu 18.04+, Debian 10+, CentOS 7+

Installation Steps

Step 1: Clone the Repository

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/phoenixdev100/tap.git

# Navigate to project directory
cd tap

# Check directory structure
ls -la
# You should see: frontend/, backend/, README.md, LICENSE, .gitignore

Step 2: Install Frontend Dependencies

# Navigate to frontend directory
cd frontend

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Verify installation
npm list

# Return to root directory
cd ..

Expected packages to be installed:

React 18.3.1
Vite 5.4.1
TypeScript 5.5.3
Tailwind CSS 3.4.11
React Router DOM 6.26.2
React Query 5.56.2
And 50+ other dependencies

Step 3: Install Backend Dependencies

# Navigate to backend directory
cd backend

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Verify installation
npm list

# Return to root directory
cd ..

Expected packages to be installed:

Express.js 4.18.2
MongoDB Mongoose 7.6.3
JWT (jsonwebtoken) 9.0.2
bcryptjs 2.4.3
dotenv 16.3.1
And 20+ other dependencies

Database Setup

Option A: MongoDB Atlas (Cloud - Recommended)

Step 1: Create MongoDB Atlas Account

Visit MongoDB Atlas
Click "Sign Up" or "Sign In"
Create a new account or log in

Step 2: Create a New Project

Click "Create a Project"
Enter project name (e.g., "TAP")
Click "Create Project"

Step 3: Create a Cluster

Click "Create a Deployment"
Choose "M0 Free" tier (free option)
Select your preferred region (closest to your location)
Click "Create Deployment"

Step 4: Set Up Database Access

Go to "Database Access" in the left menu
Click "Add New Database User"
Enter username and password
Click "Add User"

Step 5: Set Up Network Access

Go to "Network Access" in the left menu
Click "Add IP Address"
Select "Allow Access from Anywhere" (for development)
Click "Confirm"

Step 6: Get Connection String

Go to "Databases" in the left menu
Click "Connect" on your cluster
Select "Drivers"
Copy the connection string
Replace <username>, <password>, and <database> with your credentials

Example connection string:

mongodb+srv://username:password@cluster.mongodb.net/tap?retryWrites=true&w=majority

Option B: Local MongoDB Installation

Windows

Download MongoDB Community Edition from mongodb.com
Run the installer
Follow the installation wizard
Choose "Install MongoDB as a Service"
Complete the installation

Start MongoDB:

# MongoDB should start automatically as a service
# To verify it's running:
mongosh
# You should see the MongoDB shell prompt

macOS

# Install using Homebrew
brew tap mongodb/brew
brew install mongodb-community

# Start MongoDB
brew services start mongodb-community

# Verify installation
mongosh

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian)

# Import MongoDB GPG key
wget -qO - https://www.mongodb.org/static/pgp/server-6.0.asc | sudo apt-key add -

# Add MongoDB repository
echo "deb [ arch=amd64,arm64 ] https://repo.mongodb.org/apt/ubuntu focal/mongodb-org/6.0 multiverse" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mongodb-org-6.0.list

# Update package list
sudo apt-get update

# Install MongoDB
sudo apt-get install -y mongodb-org

# Start MongoDB
sudo systemctl start mongod

# Verify installation
mongosh

Local Connection String:

mongodb://localhost:27017/tap

Environment Configuration

Backend Environment Setup

Create .env file in backend/ directory:

cd backend
touch .env

Add the following content to backend/.env:

# ============================================
# DATABASE CONFIGURATION
# ============================================

# For MongoDB Atlas (Cloud)
MONGODB_URI=mongodb+srv://username:password@cluster.mongodb.net/tap?retryWrites=true&w=majority

# For Local MongoDB
# MONGODB_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/tap

# ============================================
# AUTHENTICATION
# ============================================

# JWT Secret (use a strong, random string)
JWT_SECRET=your_super_secret_jwt_key_change_this_in_production_12345

# JWT Expiration time
JWT_EXPIRE=7d

# ============================================
# SERVER CONFIGURATION
# ============================================

# Server port
PORT=5000

# Environment (development, production, test)
NODE_ENV=development

# ============================================
# FILE UPLOAD
# ============================================

# Maximum file size in bytes (10 MB)
MAX_FILE_SIZE=10485760

# Upload directory path
UPLOAD_PATH=./uploads

# ============================================
# EMAIL CONFIGURATION (Optional)
# ============================================

# SMTP Server
EMAIL_HOST=smtp.gmail.com

# SMTP Port
EMAIL_PORT=587

# Email address
EMAIL_USER=your_email@gmail.com

# Email password or app password
EMAIL_PASS=your_app_password

# ============================================
# CORS CONFIGURATION
# ============================================

# Allowed origins (comma-separated)
CORS_ORIGIN=http://localhost:5173,http://localhost:3000

# ============================================
# LOGGING
# ============================================

# Log level (error, warn, info, debug)
LOG_LEVEL=info

Frontend Environment Setup

Create .env file in frontend/ directory:

cd frontend
touch .env

Add the following content to frontend/.env:

# ============================================
# API CONFIGURATION
# ============================================

# Backend API URL
VITE_API_URL=http://localhost:5000

# API request timeout (milliseconds)
VITE_API_TIMEOUT=10000

# ============================================
# APPLICATION CONFIGURATION
# ============================================

# Application name
VITE_APP_NAME=TAP

# Application version
VITE_APP_VERSION=1.0.0

# ============================================
# FEATURE FLAGS
# ============================================

# Enable analytics
VITE_ENABLE_ANALYTICS=false

# Enable notifications
VITE_ENABLE_NOTIFICATIONS=true

# Enable dark mode
VITE_ENABLE_DARK_MODE=true

# ============================================
# DEVELOPMENT
# ============================================

# Debug mode
VITE_DEBUG=false

Environment Variables for Production

Backend Production .env:

NODE_ENV=production
MONGODB_URI=mongodb+srv://username:password@cluster.mongodb.net/tap
JWT_SECRET=use_a_very_strong_random_secret_key_here
JWT_EXPIRE=7d
PORT=5000
CORS_ORIGIN=https://your-domain.com
LOG_LEVEL=warn

Frontend Production .env:

VITE_API_URL=https://api.your-domain.com
VITE_API_TIMEOUT=10000
VITE_APP_NAME=TAP
VITE_ENABLE_ANALYTICS=true
VITE_DEBUG=false

Verification

Verify Backend Setup

# Navigate to backend directory
cd backend

# Start development server
npm run dev

# Expected output:
# Server running on http://localhost:5000
# Connected to MongoDB

Verify Frontend Setup

# In a new terminal, navigate to frontend directory
cd frontend

# Start development server
npm run dev

# Expected output:
# VITE v5.4.1 ready in XXX ms
# ➜  Local:   http://localhost:5173/

Verify Database Connection

# Connect to MongoDB
mongosh

# List databases
show databases

# You should see 'tap' database listed

Verify API Endpoints

# Test health endpoint
curl http://localhost:5000/api/health

# Expected response:
# {"status":"ok","timestamp":"2025-01-01T00:00:00.000Z"}

Troubleshooting

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue: MongoDB Connection Error

Error Message:

MongooseError: Cannot connect to MongoDB

Solutions:

Verify MongoDB is running
Check connection string in .env
Verify username and password
Check network access (for MongoDB Atlas)
Ensure database name is correct

Issue: Port Already in Use

Error Message:

Error: listen EADDRINUSE: address already in use :::5000

Solutions:

# Find process using port 5000
lsof -i :5000  # macOS/Linux
netstat -ano | findstr :5000  # Windows

# Kill the process
kill -9 <PID>  # macOS/Linux
taskkill /PID <PID> /F  # Windows

# Or change PORT in .env
PORT=5001

Issue: npm Install Fails

Error Message:

npm ERR! code ERESOLVE
npm ERR! ERESOLVE unable to resolve dependency tree

Solutions:

# Clear npm cache
npm cache clean --force

# Delete node_modules and package-lock.json
rm -rf node_modules package-lock.json

# Reinstall dependencies
npm install

# Or use legacy peer deps flag
npm install --legacy-peer-deps

Issue: CORS Error

Error Message:

Access to XMLHttpRequest blocked by CORS policy

Solutions:

Verify CORS_ORIGIN in backend .env
Ensure frontend URL matches CORS_ORIGIN
Check backend is running on correct port
Restart backend server

Issue: Environment Variables Not Loading

Error Message:

Cannot read property 'MONGODB_URI' of undefined

Solutions:

Verify .env file exists in correct directory
Check .env file is not in .gitignore
Restart development server after creating .env
Verify variable names are correct

Getting Help

If you encounter issues not listed above:

Check the GitHub Issues
Review error logs in console
Check MongoDB logs
Verify all prerequisites are installed
Create a new GitHub issue with:
- Error message
- Steps to reproduce
- Your environment (OS, Node version, etc.)
- Screenshots if applicable

Next Steps: After successful installation, proceed to SETUP.md for initial configuration.

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📦 Installation Guide

Table of Contents

Prerequisites

Required Software

Verify Installation

System Requirements

Minimum Requirements

Supported Operating Systems

Installation Steps

Step 1: Clone the Repository

Step 2: Install Frontend Dependencies

Step 3: Install Backend Dependencies

Database Setup

Option A: MongoDB Atlas (Cloud - Recommended)

Option B: Local MongoDB Installation

Windows

macOS

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian)

Environment Configuration

Backend Environment Setup

Frontend Environment Setup

Environment Variables for Production

Verification

Verify Backend Setup

Verify Frontend Setup

Verify Database Connection

Verify API Endpoints

Troubleshooting

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue: MongoDB Connection Error

Issue: Port Already in Use

Issue: npm Install Fails

Issue: CORS Error

Issue: Environment Variables Not Loading

Getting Help

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INSTALLATION.md

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📦 Installation Guide

Table of Contents

Prerequisites

Required Software

Verify Installation

System Requirements

Minimum Requirements

Supported Operating Systems

Installation Steps

Step 1: Clone the Repository

Step 2: Install Frontend Dependencies

Step 3: Install Backend Dependencies

Database Setup

Option A: MongoDB Atlas (Cloud - Recommended)

Option B: Local MongoDB Installation

Windows

macOS

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian)

Environment Configuration

Backend Environment Setup

Frontend Environment Setup

Environment Variables for Production

Verification

Verify Backend Setup

Verify Frontend Setup

Verify Database Connection

Verify API Endpoints

Troubleshooting

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue: MongoDB Connection Error

Issue: Port Already in Use

Issue: npm Install Fails

Issue: CORS Error

Issue: Environment Variables Not Loading

Getting Help