Feature Request: Add One-Click Deployment Scripts (Shell/PowerShell)

[xinyang20]

Summary

Add one-click deployment scripts to streamline LifeTrace installation and startup. Currently, users must manually install Python 3.13+, uv, Node.js 20+, and pnpm separately, then run multiple commands to start the application.

Background

Initially considered Docker deployment, but after analysis, Docker is not suitable for LifeTrace because:

1. Screen recording requires desktop access - LifeTrace's core feature (automatic screenshot) uses mss library which requires $DISPLAY environment variable
2. Window information requires system APIs - Getting app name and window title requires pywin32 (Windows) or pyobjc (macOS), unavailable in containers
3. Docker adds complexity without benefit - For a desktop recording application, containerization loses core functionality

Shell scripts provide the same "one-click" experience while preserving full functionality.

Proposed Deliverables

1. Installation Scripts

File	Platform	Function
scripts/install.sh	Linux/macOS	One-click dependency installation
scripts/install.ps1	Windows	PowerShell installation script

2. Startup Scripts

File	Platform	Function
scripts/start.sh	Linux/macOS	Start backend + frontend
scripts/start.ps1	Windows	PowerShell startup script

3. Configuration Helper

File	Function
scripts/setup-config.sh	Interactive LLM API configuration

Script Features

Installation Script (install.sh / install.ps1)

• Check system requirements (Python 3.13+, Node.js 20+)
• Auto-install uv package manager if missing
• Auto-install pnpm if missing
• Install backend dependencies (uv sync)
• Install frontend dependencies (pnpm install)
• Initialize configuration file from template
• Prompt user to configure LLM API Key

Startup Script (start.sh / start.ps1)

• Start backend server (python -m lifetrace.server)
• Start frontend dev server (pnpm dev)
• Open browser automatically
• Graceful shutdown on Ctrl+C

User Experience

# Option 1: Quick install (Linux/macOS)
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/FreeU-group/LifeTrace/main/scripts/install.sh | bash

# Option 2: Clone and install
git clone https://github.com/FreeU-group/LifeTrace.git
cd LifeTrace
./scripts/install.sh   # or .\scripts\install.ps1 on Windows
./scripts/start.sh     # or .\scripts\start.ps1 on Windows

Access

Frontend: http://localhost:3000

Backend API: http://localhost:8000

Benefits

Use Case	Benefit
New Users	Single command to get started
Full Functionality	Screen recording works perfectly
Cross-Platform	Windows, macOS, Linux support
No Extra Dependencies	No Docker/container runtime needed
Development Friendly	Easy to modify and debug

Implementation Notes

• Scripts should be idempotent (safe to run multiple times)
• Clear error messages for missing dependencies
• Support both interactive and non-interactive modes
• Respect existing configuration files

Volunteer

I'm willing to implement this feature. Please let me know:

1. Is this approach aligned with the project roadmap?
2. Any specific requirements or constraints?
3. Preferred script style/conventions?