Run a checkout beside a release install

Work on fxbot from a git checkout, as yourself, on a machine that also runs a release. The checkout uses its own database, key, and ports, so the two never touch: the release keeps fxbot, /etc/fxbot, and port 8787.

You need Node 22.18 or newer, and Postgres, which a release install already has.

1. Give yourself a database and a key, once:

   sudo -u postgres createuser "$USER"
   sudo -u postgres createdb -O "$USER" fxbot_dev        # peer auth: you connect as your own role
   sudo install -d -o "$USER" -m 700 /etc/fxbot-dev
   openssl rand -base64 32 > /etc/fxbot-dev/secret.key && chmod 400 /etc/fxbot-dev/secret.key

2. Clone the repository, and point it at them:

   git clone https://github.com/iammrduncan/fxbot.git && cd fxbot
   printf '%s\n' FXBOT_DATABASE_URL=postgres:///fxbot_dev PGHOST=/var/run/postgresql FXBOT_SECRET_KEY_FILE=/etc/fxbot-dev/secret.key > .env
   npm install

   main holds releases only. To work on the next one, switch to its branch, release/<next version>.

3. Start it:

   npm run dev      # the page on 127.0.0.1:5173 and the API on 8788, reloading on any change

4. To reach it from your other devices, serve the page on your tailnet:

   tailscale serve --bg 5173                 # https://<machine>.<tailnet>.ts.net

   If the release already has the machine's address, serve one of them at a name of its own, or on another HTTPS port with --https=<port>.

An app installed from the development address is the development page: every change shows up as it lands, but it can't open while npm run dev is down. npm run prod and npm run server default to port 8787, so give them another with FXBOT_PORT.

The scripts, and the settings .env takes, are in Commands and Configuration.