prerequisites

Before you start developing with KiviCare Extended Version, make sure your system meets the required software and environment setup listed below.

Required Software

1. Node.js

Version: 18.0.0 or higher

Node.js is needed to run the development server and build the React-based frontend.

Install:

• Download from nodejs.org
• Choose the LTS (Long Term Support) version

Verify installation:

node --version
# Expected: v18.x.x or higher

2. npm or bun

npm is included with Node.js. You can also use bun for faster package installation.

Check npm:

npm --version
# Expected: 9.x.x or higher

Install bun (optional):

curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash
bun --version

3. PHP

Version: 8.0 or higher

PHP is required for running the WordPress backend.

Verify:

php --version

Install PHP:

• Ubuntu/Debian: sudo apt install php8.0
• macOS: brew install php@8.0
• Windows: Download from php.net

4. Composer

Version: 2.0 or higher

Composer manages PHP dependencies.

Install:

php -r "copy('https://getcomposer.org/installer', 'composer-setup.php');"
php composer-setup.php
php -r "unlink('composer-setup.php');"
sudo mv composer.phar /usr/local/bin/composer
composer --version

5. WordPress

Version: 6.0 or higher

You need an active WordPress installation (local or live).

Recommended local development tools:

• Local by Flywheel
• XAMPP
• MAMP
• Docker WordPress image

Recommended Development Tools

Code Editors

Visual Studio Code (Recommended)
Install extensions:

• ESLint
• Prettier
• ES7+ React Snippets
• PHP Intelephense
• WordPress Snippets

PHPStorm (Professional option)
Advanced PHP + React support with debugging tools.

Browser Developer Tools

Install these browser extensions:

• React Developer Tools (Chrome/Firefox)
• Redux DevTools (for state debugging)

Git (Version Control)

Install Git:

sudo apt install git      # Linux
brew install git          # macOS

Windows users can download from git-scm.com.

Verify:

git --version

System Requirements

Minimum

• Windows 10 / macOS 10.15+ / Ubuntu 20.04+
• 8GB RAM
• 5GB free storage
• Multi-core CPU

Recommended

• 16GB+ RAM
• SSD storage
• 4+ CPU cores
• Dual monitor setup

Verify Your Environment

Run this command to confirm everything is installed correctly:

echo "=== System Check ==="
echo "Node: $(node --version)"
echo "npm: $(npm --version)"
echo "PHP: $(php --version | head -n 1)"
echo "Composer: $(composer --version | head -n 1)"
echo "Git: $(git --version)"

Optional Tools

Database Management

• phpMyAdmin
• TablePlus
• MySQL Workbench

API Testing

• Postman
• Insomnia

Performance Testing

• Lighthouse (Chrome DevTools)
• WebPageTest