# Getting started with Backstage

## Running Backstage Locally

To get up and running with a local Backstage to evaluate it, let's clone it off
of GitHub and run an initial build. First make sure that you have at least node
version 12 installed locally.

```bash
# Start from your local development folder
git clone git@github.com:spotify/backstage.git
cd backstage

# Fetch our dependencies and run an initial build
yarn install
yarn tsc
yarn build
```

Phew! Now you have a local repository that's ready to run and to add any open
source contributions into.

We are now going to launch two things: an example Backstage frontend app, and an
example Backstage backend that the frontend talks to. You are going to need two
terminal windows, both starting from the Backstage project root.

In the first window, run

```bash
cd packages/backend
yarn start
```

That starts up a backend instance on port 7000.

In the other window, we will first populate the catalog with some nice mock data
to look at, and then launch the frontend. These commands are run from the
project root, not inside the backend directory.

```bash
yarn lerna run mock-data
yarn start
```

That starts up the frontend on port 3000, and should automatically open a
browser window showing it.

Congratulations! That should be it. Let us know how it went
[on discord](https://discord.gg/EBHEGzX), file issues for any
[feature](https://github.com/spotify/backstage/issues/new?labels=help+wanted&template=feature_template.md)
or
[plugin suggestions](https://github.com/spotify/backstage/issues/new?labels=plugin&template=plugin_template.md&title=%5BPlugin%5D+THE+PLUGIN+NAME),
or
[bugs](https://github.com/spotify/backstage/issues/new?labels=bug&template=bug_template.md)
you have, and feel free to
[contribute](https://github.com/spotify/backstage/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md)!

## Creating a Plugin

The value of Backstage grows with every new plugin that gets added. Here is a
collection of tutorials that will guide you through setting up and extending an
instance of Backstage with your own plugins.

- [Development Environment](development-environment.md)
- [Create a Backstage Plugin](../plugins/create-a-plugin.md)
- [Structure of a Plugin](../plugins/structure-of-a-plugin.md)
- [Utility APIs](../api/utility-apis.md)

[Back to Docs](../README.md)
