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Windows User Special Guide

This guide provides detailed instructions and notes specifically for Windows users using Lovrabet CLI.

📝 Important Recommendation​

For the best experience, we recommend Windows users use one of the following environments. Support status across different terminals:

  • ✅ WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) - Native Linux experience, complete functionality, excellent performance
  • ✅ Cmder - Portable and beautiful, complete functionality, works out of the box
  • ✅ Git Bash - Fully tested and verified, complete functionality, best experience
  • ⚠ī¸ Windows CMD - Basic functions available, but not fully tested
  • ⚠ī¸ PowerShell - Basic functions available, may have some limitations
  • ⚠ī¸ Windows Terminal - Depends on the specific shell type configured

Environment Preparation​

You can choose one of the following three environments:

WSL provides a native Linux environment and is the best choice for development on Windows.

1. Install WSL​

Windows 10 (version 2004+) / Windows 11:

  1. Open PowerShell as administrator
  2. Run the installation command:
wsl --install
  1. Restart your computer
  2. On first launch, you'll be asked to create a username and password

Manual Installation (if automatic installation fails):

# Enable WSL
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestart

# Enable Virtual Machine Platform
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart

# After restarting your computer, download and install a Linux distribution
# Visit Microsoft Store, search for "Ubuntu" and install

2. Install Node.js​

Run in WSL:

# Install Node.js 20.x using NodeSource
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

# Verify installation
node --version
npm --version

Or use nvm to manage Node.js versions:

# Install nvm
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.0/install.sh | bash

# Reload configuration
source ~/.bashrc

# Install Node.js
nvm install --lts
nvm use --lts

3. Verify Environment​

# Check WSL environment
uname -a
# Should output Linux kernel information

# Check Node.js
node --version
# Should output v20.x.x or higher

# Check npm
npm --version
# Should output version number

Option 2: Use Cmder​

Cmder is a portable and beautiful terminal emulator that works out of the box.

1. Download Cmder​

  1. Visit https://cmder.app/
  2. Download the latest version of Cmder (Full version recommended, includes Git for Windows)
  3. Extract to any directory (e.g., C:\Tools\cmder\ or a USB drive)
  4. Run Cmder.exe to start

Features:

  • Fully Portable - Can be placed on USB and carried with you, settings follow you
  • Works Out of the Box - No installation required, extract and run
  • Beautiful - Uses Monokai color scheme, modern appearance
  • Unix Command Support - Built-in Git for Windows, supports common Unix commands
  • Multi-tab - Supports multi-tab management and keyboard shortcuts

2. Install Node.js​

  1. Visit https://nodejs.org/
  2. Download the latest LTS version (version >= 20)
  3. Run the installer
  4. Important: After installation, restart your computer or reopen all terminal windows

3. Verify Environment​

Open Cmder and run the following commands:

# Check Cmder environment
echo $SHELL
# Should output something like /usr/bin/bash or containing bash

# Check Node.js
node --version
# Should output v20.x.x or higher

# Check npm
npm --version
# Should output version number

Option 3: Use Git Bash​

1. Install Git for Windows​

This is a necessary step for using Lovrabet CLI:

  1. Visit https://git-scm.com/download/win
  2. Download the latest version of Git for Windows
  3. Run the installer, default settings are fine
  4. After installation, you have Git Bash

2. Install Node.js​

  1. Visit https://nodejs.org/
  2. Download the latest LTS version (version >= 20)
  3. Run the installer
  4. Important: After installation, restart your computer or reopen all terminal windows

3. Verify Environment​

Open Git Bash and run the following commands:

# Check Git Bash environment
echo $0
# Should output something like "-bash" or containing "bash"

# Check Node.js
node --version
# Should output v20.x.x or higher

# Check npm
npm --version
# Should output version number

Install Lovrabet CLI​

Run in your terminal (WSL / Cmder / Git Bash):

npm install --global @lovrabet/cli

WSL Users​

If you encounter permission issues:

  1. Use sudo (not recommended for global use):
sudo npm install --global @lovrabet/cli
  1. Or modify npm global directory permissions (recommended):
mkdir ~/.npm-global
npm config set prefix '~/.npm-global'
echo 'export PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

# Reinstall
npm install --global @lovrabet/cli

Cmder Users​

Cmder usually doesn't require special permission settings, just run:

If you encounter permission issues:

  1. Run Cmder as administrator:

    • Right-click Cmder.exe
    • Select "Run as administrator"
    • Re-run the installation command

  2. Or modify npm global directory permissions:

mkdir ~/.npm-global
npm config set prefix '~/.npm-global'
echo 'export PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

# Reinstall
npm install --global @lovrabet/cli

Git Bash Users​

If you encounter permission issues, try running Git Bash as administrator:

  1. Right-click the Git Bash icon
  2. Select "Run as administrator"
  3. Re-run the installation command

Complete Usage Example​

Here's a complete Windows usage flow (using WSL as example, also applies to Cmder and Git Bash):

# 1. Open terminal (WSL / Cmder / Git Bash)

# 2. Verify environment
node --version
lovrabet --version

# 3. Login authentication
lovrabet auth
# Browser will automatically open, complete login then return to terminal and press q to exit

# 4. Create project
lovrabet create my-project
cd my-project

# 5. Configure application
lovrabet config set app my-app-code

# 6. Generate API
lovrabet api pull

# 7. Start development server
lovrabet start
# Browser will automatically open http://localhost:5173

WSL Specific Tips​

  • Project files are recommended to be stored in the WSL file system (e.g., ~/projects/) for better performance
  • To access Windows files, path is /mnt/c/Users/your-username/
  • Use code . command to open current directory in VS Code (requires VS Code WSL extension)

Cmder Specific Tips​

  • Portability: Can be installed on a USB drive, carry your development environment with you
  • Multi-tab: Use Ctrl + T to quickly create new tab, Ctrl + W to close tab
  • Shortcuts: Ctrl + Alt + U to traverse up directory structure, Ctrl + R for history search
  • Alias Support: Can define common command aliases in config\user-aliases.cmd
  • First Run: Recommended to run Cmder.exe /REGISTER ALL on first use to register right-click menu

Git Bash Specific Tips​

  • Right-click folder and select "Git Bash Here" to quickly open terminal in current directory
  • Windows paths are automatically converted to Unix style (e.g., /c/Users/...)

Getting Help​

If you encounter other issues:

  1. View troubleshooting: Troubleshooting Guide
  2. Try different terminal:
    • If you encounter issues in CMD/PowerShell, try repeating the operation in WSL, Cmder, or Git Bash
    • WSL, Cmder, and Git Bash provide better compatibility and user experience
  3. Collect information: Provide detailed error information and system information to technical support

When providing information, please include:

  • Windows version: Run winver to view
  • Terminal environment: WSL / Cmder / Git Bash / CMD / PowerShell
  • Git version: Run git --version to view
  • Node.js version: Run node --version to view
  • CLI version: Run lovrabet --version to view
  • Complete error message screenshot