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Getting started

In about fifteen minutes you’ll have strichliste running on your own computer and your first drink booked. You need git and Docker Desktop — install both, then start Docker Desktop.

1. Start strichliste

Open a terminal (Terminal on macOS, PowerShell on Windows) and run:

git clone https://github.com/strichliste/strichliste-backend.git
cd strichliste-backend
make up

The first start builds everything and takes a few minutes. Two common errors: make: command not found — run docker compose up -d --build --wait --wait-timeout 300 instead; “Cannot connect to the Docker daemon” — Docker Desktop isn’t running. Ports 80/443 already taken? Set HTTP_PORT/HTTPS_PORT in .env (Install has details).

When the command finishes, open https://localhost. The browser warns about the certificate once — that’s the self-signed localhost certificate, expected here. In Chrome: Advanced → Proceed to localhost; other browsers word it similarly.

2. Create a user

Click Add user and enter a name — that’s the whole account. No password, no e-mail. This is how members will add themselves at the kiosk.

3. Add an article

Articles are the things people buy — the price list. Open Article List in the header, click Add article, and create one: name “Club-Mate”, price 1.50.

4. Book something

Back on the start page, tap your user. On the Buy article tab, tap Club-Mate — your balance drops to -€1.50.

Now put money in: under Deposit, tap +€5.00 (or use the custom amount field). Balance: €3.50. That’s the everyday loop at the kiosk: tap your name, tap what you took, drop coins in the cash box now and then.

5. Undo a mistake

Tap the undo arrow next to a recent transaction. Bookings stay undoable for 5 minutes (configurable) — after that they are final.

Where next?

  • Install — run it for real: production setup, choosing a database, backups.
  • Configuration — currency, balance limits, one-tap amounts, PayPal top-up.
  • The screen by the fridge — turn a tablet or Raspberry Pi into the kiosk, with a barcode scanner.

Everything runs in the strichliste-backend folder: docker compose down stops it, make up brings it back. Done playing? docker compose down -v removes it with all data.