Monorepo containing the backend API and frontend admin app for managing e-ink picture frames. The backend persists metadata in JSON files and stores original/converted assets on disk.

• Node.js 20 or newer
• npm 9+

• backend/ Express API scaffold with JSON persistence directories in backend/data
• frontend/ React + Vite + MUI admin shell
• assets/original and assets/converted for uploaded and processed images
• AI/ implementation plan and design notes

npm install --workspaces
cp backend/.env.example backend/.env

• npm run dev:backend – start Express server with nodemon (defaults to port 4000)
• npm run dev:frontend – start Vite dev server for the React app (port 3000, proxies /api)
• npm run lint – run ESLint in all workspaces
• npm run test --workspace backend – run Jest API tests
• npm run test --workspace frontend – run Vitest + React Testing Library smoke tests

1. Copy environment defaults if you have not already: cp backend/.env.example backend/.env
2. Start the API: npm run dev:backend
3. Access the health check at http://localhost:4000/health
4. Frame endpoints live under http://localhost:4000/api/frames
5. Photo upload and metadata endpoints are available at http://localhost:4000/api/photos

backend/.env

• PORT – HTTP port (default 4000)
• ASSETS_DIR – relative path to the assets root (../assets by default)
• DATA_DIR – path to JSON persistence directory (./data by default)

frontend/.env (optional)

• VITE_API_BASE_URL – override the backend URL used by the API client (default http://localhost:4000)

Move on to AI/step05_frontend_feature_pages.md to start building the dedicated frame and photo workflows on top of the shared foundation.