Use this when the user says "get this running", "set this up", "I have a new computer", or "it is not working". The goal: a running dev server at http://127.0.0.1:3000 with zero assumed prerequisites.

Rules of engagement

Always ask before running a command that needs a password (sudo, corepack enable on Windows without admin, etc.).
Do not run installers silently. Tell the user what will be installed and why.
If the user seems uncertain, point them to docs/setup-from-zero.md for the manual walkthrough.
Never delete files, never modify files outside the project, never touch system PATH without permission.

Detect the operating system

Run one of these and read the output:

macOS / Linux: uname -s
Windows PowerShell: $PSVersionTable.OS or check $env:OS

If ambiguous, ask the user: "Are you on Mac, Windows, or Linux?"

Check existing installs

Run, in this order, and note which are present:

node -v
pnpm -v
git --version

For each missing tool, follow the relevant section below. Skip the ones already installed.

Install Node.js (if missing)

Target version: Node 20 LTS or newer.

macOS

Preferred order:

Homebrew (if installed): brew install node. Verify with node -v.
Official installer: tell the user to visit nodejs.org, download the LTS .pkg, and run it. Then close and reopen their terminal.
nvm (if they want version management): guide them through curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.0/install.sh | bash, then nvm install --lts.

Windows

Preferred order:

winget: winget install OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS. Needs user confirmation in the popup.
Official installer: tell the user to visit nodejs.org, download the LTS .msi, and run it. Then close and reopen PowerShell.

Linux

Preferred: nvm. curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.0/install.sh | bash, then reload shell, then nvm install --lts.

Verify

Run node -v. Expect v20.x.x or higher. If it still says "not found" after install, the shell may need to be reopened.

Enable pnpm

Once Node is installed, pnpm comes via Corepack:

corepack enable
corepack prepare pnpm@10.28.2 --activate

Verify with pnpm -v. Expect 10.28.2.

If corepack enable errors with permission issues:

macOS: do NOT suggest sudo corepack enable. Instead suggest npm install -g pnpm@10.28.2.
Windows: suggest running PowerShell as Administrator, then retry.

Install project dependencies

Make sure the terminal's working directory is the kit root (where package.json lives). If not, cd there.

pnpm install

If it fails:

Network issue: retry once.
Node version mismatch: check node -v is 20+.
Package script error: read the stderr, explain to the user.

Start the dev server

pnpm dev

Expected output includes a line with http://127.0.0.1:3000/. Tell the user to open that in their browser. Confirm they see the landing page with the hero text.

If something fails

Paste the exact error into the user's chat and explain it in plain English.
If it is a known common error, point to the "Common errors" section of docs/setup-from-zero.md.
If it is outside the kit's scope (broken Homebrew, corrupted Node install, PATH issues), tell the user honestly and point them at the tool's official docs. Do not dig yourself deeper.

After success

Tell the user:

Dev server is running at http://127.0.0.1:3000. Keep this terminal window open while you work. To stop, press Ctrl+C in the terminal. To restart later, come back here and run pnpm dev.

Then point them at docs/how-to-start.md for how to start chatting with their code.

Get it running