Getting started

Run Plinth on your computer, confirm the owner and open your first job. You need Git and Node 22 or later. The launcher installs the project's pinned tools and dependencies.

Run Plinth

Install the shared Run Edit Run command once:

npx -y @runeditrun/rer cli install
export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"

Then get the source and start Plinth:

git clone https://github.com/just-every/run-plinth.git
cd run-plinth
rer dev

The first launch installs dependencies, prepares the local database and creates your local owner. Allow it to finish. The terminal prints the application address as RER_READY and a sign-in link as RER_OPEN.

Open RER_OPEN in your browser. It is a private credential: keep it on this computer and do not share it. On Finish setup, review the owner's name and email, confirm the account is ready, then press Finish setup. Open Jobs to begin.

Local sign-in mail and invitations go to the development outbox. No external email is sent by a local installation. Your job records persist when you stop and restart the app.

Use your own owner email

For an installation using your actual owner mailbox, run these commands from the checkout:

rer install
rer setup
rer dev

Enter the owner's email privately at the setup prompt. Re-running setup keeps an existing claimed owner and data.

To exercise ordinary email-link sign-in locally:

rer dev --login

Open the printed local outbox, choose the latest sign-in message, then follow the link and confirm on the same device. A hosted installation uses its configured mail provider instead. The project README explains production mail and Cloudflare deployment.

Invite a manager or client

In People & access, enter their full name and email, choose Client or Project manager, then press Send invitation. Only the owner can invite a project manager. A client must use the same email as the client email on their job.

The invitation gives the person a sign-in path to this installation. A client sees only their own published job records and can approve their own variations. A manager handles job records, supplier commitments and claims.

For a local client walkthrough, create a job using the development client email client@dev.localhost, then run:

rer dev --as client

Open the new private sign-in link. To return to the owner, run rer dev --as owner and open that link. These personas are local development tools.

Create your first job

In Jobs, enter the job name, the client's email and the site address, then press Create job. Open Quote, prepare the scope and amount, and record acceptance only after the client has actually agreed. Follow Run a job for the complete workflow.

If your accepted jobs already exist in a spreadsheet, use Move in to preview and import the documented CSV format.

Stop and come back

rer dev --stop

You can also stop a foreground run with Ctrl-C. Start again with rer dev from the same checkout. A compatible repeated launch reuses the running server.

If launch reports another process on its port, check port ownership before retrying. Do not reset your data to resolve a launch problem.

Keep a backup before moving installations or erasing local state. rer describe lists the supported commands.