Initial Setup

Task Management (Microsoft Planner)

• Ensure you have access to the Thoth Tech Microsoft Teams Channel. If not, please contact Morgaine so she can add you to the channel.
• Navigate to the OnTrack channel.
• Open the OnTrack Planner Board tab at the top to view and assign yourself to active tasks.
• If you cannot see the board, contact Brain Dang to be added to the cohort’s workspace.

Configuring Git (Global)

If this is your first time using Git on this machine, you must configure your identity. This information is attached to every commit you make.

1. Set your name:

git config --global.username "Your Name"

2. Set your email:

git config --global user.email "username@users.noreply.github.com"

Privacy Tip

Using your GitHub-provided noreply email address keeps your personal email private in the public commit history. You can find your specific address in your GitHub Email Settings.

Cloning the Documentation

This enables you to contribute to the project documentation. You should also read the documentation contribution guidelines.

Terminal window

git clone https://github.com/thoth-tech/doubtfire-astro.git

WSL2

If you are on a Windows machine, then we recommend that you install WSL2.

Get OnTrack Running on Local Machine

There are two ways to set up the project. We strongly recommend Option 1 for the most consistent experience.

Option 1: VS Code Dev Containers (Recommended)

Why choose this?

This is the fastest setup method. It automatically configures Docker, Ruby, and Node.js inside a pre-set container, preventing almost all “it works on my machine” errors.

1. Prerequisites: Install Docker Desktop and the Dev Containers Extension in VS Code.
2. Fork & Clone: Fork and clone the ‘doubtfire-deploy’ repository as described in the Manual Setup below.
3. Launch: Open the folder in VS Code. When the pop-up appears in the bottom right, click “Reopen in Container”.
4. Wait: VS Code will build the environment. Once finished, you are ready to develop!

Option 2: Manual Local Setup

Use this method if you prefer to manage dependencies (Ruby, Node, etc.) directly on your host machine. Note: On Windows, you will need a terminal that supports shell scripts (WSL2, MSYS2, or Cygwin).

1. Fork the repositories: Fork doubtfire-deploy, doubtfire-api, and doubtfire-web.
2. Clone with Submodules:

git clone --recurse submodules [https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/doubtfire-deploy](https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/doubtfire-deploy)
cd doubtfire-deploy

3. Configure Remotes: Run the following command to set your fork as the remote:

./change_remotes.sh

4. Add Team Remote: Use the username provided by your Mentor:

git remote add task-view-submission [https://github.com/PROVIDED_USERNAME/doubtfire-deploy](https://github.com/PROVIDED_USERNAME/doubtfire-deploy)

5. Final Steps: Follow the remaining instructions in the doubtfire-deploy contributing file.

What Next?

Now that your environment is set up, familiarise yourself with the current project goals and documentation.

• Check the Planner Board: Navigate to the OnTrack Planner Board to view the current backlog.
• T1 2026 Cohort Update: Assist in updating all project references from 2025 to the current T1 2026 cohort.
• Refine Guides and Tutorials: Review existing setup files (like this one!) to ensure they match the current repository structure (‘doubtfire-astro’).
• Techical Documentation:
• Timestamp & Author: Implement a global “last updated” and “author” field for all documentation pages.
• Repository Cleanup: Tidy the Microsoft Teams and Sharepoint documentation repositories to remove redundant legacy files.
• Pull Request Management: Monitor and close out any remaining pull requests against the documentation repositories to keep the main branch clean.

Technical & Specialised Tasks

• Security & Databases: If you have specialised knowledge in cyber-security or database adminstration, check the specialised tasks on the Planner board for implementation reviews.
• Git Integration: Examine how Git can be better implemented on the back-end of the OnTrack product as part of the current sprint.