Get Started

Ready to contribute? Here’s how to get set up:

Quick Start

  1. Clone the infrastructure repo (easiest way to get everything): 
    git clone git@github.com:HelloAllyTech/infra.git
cd infra
./bootstrap.sh

    This will clone and set up all Ally repositories for you!

  2. Choose your area of interest and navigate to that repository

  3. Check out our Contributing Guide for detailed setup instructions for each repo

Development Environment Setup for Web & Backend

For developers focusing on the web and backend applications (ally-web and ally-be), we’ve created a script to get you up and running in minutes.

After running the main ./bootstrap.sh script from the infra repository to clone all project repositories, you can use the dev_env.sh script to start the development servers.

Prerequisites:

  • You have cloned all the ally repositories, for example by using the infra/bootstrap.sh script.
  • You are in the root of the project workspace (the directory that contains ally-web, ally-be, etc.).

Start the development environment:

./infra/dev_env.sh

This single command will:

  1. Start all backend services in ally-be using Docker Compose.
  2. Build and start all frontend applications in ally-web.
  3. Display the URLs for the running applications.

Once the script is finished, you can access the applications at:

  • App (Admin Dashboard): http://localhost:8081
  • Admin (Helpline): http://localhost:8080
  • Search (Web): http://localhost:3000

To stop the services, you can run docker compose down inside the ally-be and ally-web directories.

First Time Here?

Not sure where to start? Here are some suggestions:

  • Frontend developers: Check out ally-web for React/Next.js work
  • Mobile developers: Head to ally-mobile for React Native
  • Backend developers: Explore ally-be for API development
  • AI/ML enthusiasts: Dive into ally-ai or ally-ai-learn
  • DevOps engineers: Start with infra

How We Track Issues

We use GitHub Issues across all our repositories to track bugs, feature requests, and improvements. Here’s how it works:

  • Repository-specific issues: Each repo has its own issue tracker for problems specific to that codebase
  • Labels: We use labels like bug, enhancement, good first issue, help wanted, etc.
  • Good First Issues: Look for the good first issue label to find beginner-friendly tasks
  • Milestones: We organize work into milestones for better project planning

Finding issues to work on:

  1. Browse issues in the repository you’re interested in
  2. Look for good first issue or help wanted labels
  3. Check if someone is already assigned
  4. Comment on the issue to express interest before starting work

Development Environment

Each repository has its own setup instructions, but here are the common requirements:

General Requirements

  • Git
  • Docker and Docker Compose (recommended via Colima on macOS)
  • Your preferred code editor (VS Code recommended)

Repository-Specific Setup

Visit each repository’s README for detailed setup instructions:

macOS Development Setup (Optional)

If you’re developing on macOS, you can use Colima as a lightweight, free alternative to Docker Desktop for container virtualization.

Why Colima?

  • Free and open-source - No licensing costs
  • Lightweight - Uses fewer resources than Docker Desktop
  • Fast - Quick startup and container operations
  • Compatible - Works seamlessly with all Docker commands

Quick Setup

Our centralized Colima setup is available in the infra repository. You can install it with a single command:

# One-time global installation
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/HelloAllyTech/infra/main/colima/install.sh | bash

This will:

  • Install Colima and required dependencies
  • Set up the global docker-switch command
  • Configure your Docker environment for Colima

Usage

After installation, you can easily switch between Docker environments:

# Switch to Colima (lightweight)
docker-switch colima

# Switch to Docker Desktop (if you have it installed)
docker-switch desktop

Documentation

For complete setup instructions, troubleshooting, and advanced configuration:

Need Help?

  • Documentation: Each repository has its own README with detailed setup instructions
  • Issues: Ask questions by creating an issue in the relevant repository
  • Contributing Guide: Check our Contributing Guide for detailed information

Explore our Tech Stack to learn more about the technologies we use.