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Getting Started

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github-actions[bot] edited this page Jul 7, 2026 · 1 revision

🚀 Getting Started

This guide walks you through setting up the Mailbox application locally from scratch.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:

Tool Minimum Version Notes
Node.js v20.x Required
npm v10.x Required
Docker & Docker Compose Latest Optional — needed for local PostgreSQL/MySQL

Step 1 — Clone & Install

git clone https://github.com/Prashant4900/mail-box.git
cd mail-box
npm install

Step 2 — Configure Environment Variables

Copy the example environment file:

cp .env.example .env

Open .env in your editor. The file is divided into annotated blocks. By default it is pre-configured for SQLite so you can start immediately with zero extra setup.

Key variables you should review:

Variable Description
DATABASE_URL Your active database connection string
AUTH_SECRET A random secret string for session signing
SMTP_HOST SMTP server hostname for outgoing email
SMTP_PORT SMTP port (usually 465 or 587)
SMTP_USER SMTP username / email address
SMTP_PASS SMTP password

Step 3 — Initialize the Database

Generate the Prisma client types and synchronize the database schema:

npm run db:generate
npm run db:push

To load mock seed data for development:

npm run db:seed

To open Prisma Studio (visual database browser):

npm run db:studio

Step 4 — Start the Development Server

npm run dev

Open http://localhost:3000.
On first visit, the setup wizard will guide you through creating your admin account.

First Login

  1. Navigate to http://localhost:3000/setup.
  2. Create your Owner account (name, email, password).
  3. Log in and explore the dashboard.
  4. Invite team members from the Users panel.

Next Steps

Clone this wiki locally