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Installation Guide

Get Mifty up and running on your system with this comprehensive installation guide. We'll walk you through prerequisites, installation, verification, and troubleshooting.

📋 Prerequisites​

Before installing Mifty, ensure your system meets these requirements:

✅ Required Dependencies​

🟢 Node.js 16.x or Higher​

Required for running Mifty and TypeScript

  • Download: nodejs.org
  • Recommended: Latest LTS version
  • Check version: node --version

📦 npm 7.x or Higher​

Comes with Node.js, used for package management

  • Included: With Node.js installation
  • Alternative: Yarn package manager
  • Check version: npm --version

🔧 Optional but Recommended​

🗄️ Database Setup​

Mifty uses PostgreSQL by default

  • PostgreSQL: Default database (recommended)
  • MySQL: Alternative production database
  • SQLite: For quick prototyping (no setup required)
  • MongoDB: For document-based apps

🔄 Git​

For version control and project management

  • Download: git-scm.com
  • Used for: Project initialization and version control
  • Check version: git --version

🐳 Docker (Optional)​

For containerized development

  • Download: docker.com
  • Used for: Database containers, deployment
  • Check version: docker --version
Beginner-Friendly

New to backend development? Mifty works perfectly with PostgreSQL by default. Use our Docker setup for quick development, or switch to SQLite for simple prototyping!

🔍 System Check​

Before installation, let's verify your system is ready:

# Check Node.js version (should be 16+)
node --version

# Check npm version (should be 7+)
npm --version

# Check if Git is installed (optional but recommended)
git --version

Run these commands to check your prerequisites

Expected output:

$ node --version
v18.17.0

$ npm --version
9.6.7

$ git --version
git version 2.40.1
Version Requirements
  • Node.js: Must be 16.0.0 or higher
  • npm: Must be 7.0.0 or higher
  • If your versions are older, please update before proceeding

🚀 Installation Methods​

Install Mifty CLI globally to use it from anywhere on your system:

npm install -g @mifty/cli

Install Mifty CLI globally

What this does:

  • ✅ Installs Mifty CLI commands globally
  • ✅ Makes mifty command available system-wide
  • ✅ Enables project creation from any directory
  • ✅ Provides access to all Mifty tools

Method 2: Using npx (Alternative)​

If you prefer not to install globally, use npx:

npx @mifty/cli init my-project

Use Mifty without global installation

When to use npx:

  • 🎯 One-time project creation
  • 🔒 Restricted global installation permissions
  • 🧪 Testing Mifty without permanent installation

Method 3: Using Yarn​

If you prefer Yarn package manager:

yarn global add @mifty/cli

Install Mifty CLI globally with Yarn

✅ Verify Installation​

After installation, verify everything is working correctly:

# Check Mifty version
mifty --version

# View available commands
mifty --help

Verify your Mifty installation

Expected output:

$ mifty --version
@mifty/cli v1.0.4

$ mifty --help
Usage: mifty [command] [options]

Commands:
  init <project-name>  Create a new Mifty project
  --version           Show version number
  --help              Show help

Examples:
  mifty init my-blog-api    Create a new blog API project
  mifty init shop-backend   Create a new e-commerce backend
Installation Complete!

If you see the version number and help text, Mifty is successfully installed! 🎉

🛠️ Available Commands After Installation​

Once installed, you have access to these commands:

Global Commands​

mifty init <project-name>     # Create new project
mifty --version              # Show version
mifty --help                 # Show help

Project Commands (run from project directory)​

npm run dev                  # Start API server
npm run dev:full            # Start full development suite
npm run db-designer         # Visual database designer
npm run generate            # Generate code from design
npm run adapter             # Manage adapters

🔧 Platform-Specific Instructions​

Windows​

# Using Command Prompt
npm install -g @mifty/cli

# Using PowerShell (run as Administrator if needed)
npm install -g @mifty/cli

# Verify installation
mifty --version

Windows installation steps

Windows-specific notes:

  • 🔒 May need to run Command Prompt as Administrator
  • 🛡️ Windows Defender might scan the installation (normal)
  • 📁 Global packages installed to: %APPDATA%\npm\node_modules

macOS​

# Using Terminal
npm install -g @mifty/cli

# If permission errors, use sudo (not recommended)
sudo npm install -g @mifty/cli

# Better: Fix npm permissions first
sudo chown -R $(whoami) ~/.npm

# Verify installation
mifty --version

macOS installation steps

macOS-specific notes:

  • 🍎 Works on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs
  • 🔐 Avoid using sudo - fix npm permissions instead
  • 🏠 Global packages installed to: ~/.npm-global

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian)​

# Update package list
sudo apt update

# Install Node.js and npm (if not installed)
sudo apt install nodejs npm

# Install Mifty CLI
npm install -g @mifty/cli

# Verify installation
mifty --version

Linux installation steps

Linux-specific notes:

  • 🐧 Works on all major Linux distributions
  • 📦 May need to install Node.js from NodeSource for latest version
  • 🔧 Consider using Node Version Manager (nvm) for Node.js management

🚨 Troubleshooting​

Common Installation Issues​

Permission Errors​

Problem: EACCES permission errors during global installation

# Fix npm permissions (recommended)
mkdir ~/.npm-global
npm config set prefix '~/.npm-global'
echo 'export PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

# Then install Mifty
npm install -g @mifty/cli

Fix npm permission issues

Command Not Found​

Problem: mifty: command not found after installation

# Check if npm global bin is in PATH
npm config get prefix

# Add to PATH (replace with your npm prefix)
echo 'export PATH=/usr/local/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

# Verify PATH includes npm global bin
echo $PATH

Fix PATH issues

Network/Proxy Issues​

Problem: Installation fails due to network or proxy issues

# Clear npm cache
npm cache clean --force

# Set registry (if behind corporate firewall)
npm config set registry https://registry.npmjs.org/

# Install with verbose logging
npm install -g @mifty/cli --verbose

Fix network-related installation issues

Version Conflicts​

Problem: Conflicting versions or corrupted installation

# Uninstall existing version
npm uninstall -g @mifty/cli

# Clear npm cache
npm cache clean --force

# Reinstall latest version
npm install -g @mifty/cli@latest

# Verify installation
mifty --version

Fix version conflicts

Platform-Specific Issues​

Windows: PowerShell Execution Policy​

Problem: PowerShell blocks script execution

# Check current execution policy
Get-ExecutionPolicy

# Set execution policy (run PowerShell as Administrator)
Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

# Verify Mifty works
mifty --version

Fix PowerShell execution policy on Windows

macOS: Gatekeeper Issues​

Problem: macOS blocks unsigned binaries

# Allow unsigned binaries (if needed)
sudo spctl --master-disable

# Or allow specific app through System Preferences > Security & Privacy

# Verify Mifty works
mifty --version

Fix macOS Gatekeeper issues

Getting Help​

If you're still experiencing issues:

  1. 📖 Check our Troubleshooting Guide
  2. 🐛 Report issues on GitHub Issues
  3. 💬 Join our community discussions
  4. 📧 Contact support with detailed error messages

🎯 What Gets Installed​

Understanding what Mifty installs on your system:

Global Installation​

  • CLI commands: mifty, mifty-generate, mifty-db-designer, etc.
  • Framework tools: Templates, generators, development servers
  • Location: Global npm modules directory

Project Creation​

  • Essential files: Project structure, configuration files
  • Dependencies: Adds @mifty/cli as devDependency
  • Tools access: Via npm scripts that call global commands

Result: Lightweight projects with full framework power! 🚀

✅ Installation Complete​

Congratulations! Mifty is now installed and ready to use. Here's what you can do next:

Next Steps​

  1. Quick Start - Create your first project in 2 minutes
  2. Database Design - Learn the visual designer
  3. Code Generation - Understand auto-generation
  4. Adapters - Add third-party integrations
Pro Tip

Run mifty init my-first-api to create your first project and start exploring Mifty's capabilities!