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Prerequisites

System requirements and tool installation for GitInspectorGUI development.

Understanding the Technology Stack

GitInspectorGUI uses multiple technologies working together. If you're unfamiliar with any of these, see the Technology Primer first.

What you'll be installing:

  • Python 3.8+ - Analysis engine (embedded via PyO3)
  • Node.js 22+ - Frontend build tools (React + TypeScript + Vite)
  • Rust 1.63+ - Desktop framework (Tauri + PyO3)
  • Git 2.45+ - Repository analysis (you probably already have this)
  • Modern package managers - uv (Python), pnpm (Node.js) for faster development

System Requirements

Minimum Requirements

  • OS: Windows 11+, macOS 15+, Ubuntu 24.04+ LTS
  • Python: 3.8+ (for the embedded analysis engine)
  • Node.js: 22.0+ (for the frontend build tools)
  • Rust: 1.63+ (for the Tauri desktop framework with PyO3)
  • Git: 2.45+ (for repository analysis)

Installation by Platform

Choose your platform for step-by-step installation:

Windows

# Install Git and Node.js version manager
winget install Git.Git Schniz.fnm

# Install uv (fast Python package manager)
powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex"

# Install Rust toolchain (required for Tauri)
# Visit https://rustup.rs/ and download the installer
# Or use: winget install Rustlang.Rustup

# Restart terminal to refresh PATH, then install pnpm (JavaScript package manager)
npm install -g pnpm

macOS

# Install Git as part of the Xcode command line tools
xcode-select --install

# Install uv (Python package manager)
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

# Install Rust toolchain (required for Tauri)
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

# Restart terminal to refresh PATH, then install pnpm
npm install -g pnpm

Alternative: Homebrew Installation

Instead of the manual installation steps above, users with Homebrew can choose to install all required tools with a single command:

brew install git uv rust pnpm

Linux

# Install Git (if not already installed)
sudo apt install git     # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo dnf install git     # Fedora
sudo pacman -S git       # Arch

# Install build tools (required for compiling)
sudo apt install build-essential libssl-dev pkg-config  # Ubuntu/Debian
sudo dnf install gcc openssl-devel pkgconfig           # Fedora
sudo pacman -S base-devel openssl pkgconf              # Arch

# Install uv (Python package manager)
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

# Install Rust toolchain (required for Tauri)
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

# Restart terminal to refresh PATH, then install pnpm
npm install -g pnpm

What Each Tool Does

  • Git: Version control (you probably already have this)
  • Python + uv: Analysis engine embedded via PyO3 with fast package management
  • Node.js + pnpm: Frontend build tools with efficient package management
  • Rust: Required for Tauri desktop framework and PyO3 integration
  • Build tools: Compilers needed for native development and PyO3 compilation

Next Steps

Once all prerequisites are installed:

  1. Installation - Set up the GitInspectorGUI project
  2. Quick Start - Get the development environment running

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Command not found after installation:

# Restart your terminal or reload shell configuration
source ~/.bashrc  # Linux
source ~/.zshrc   # macOS

Permission issues (macOS/Linux):

# Fix pnpm permissions
sudo chown -R $(whoami) ~/.local/share/pnpm

Windows execution policy:

# Allow script execution
Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

For more detailed troubleshooting, see the Troubleshooting Guide.