← Docs

Self-Hosting FlashBuddy

The FlashBuddy download and docs pages are powered by a small Node.js/Express server (server/). The official instance runs at flashbuddy.vercel.app, but you can host your own copy on any platform that runs Node.js.

Prerequisites

Node.js v18 or later
Git
A GitHub fork of WillDev12/FlashBuddy (optional — only needed if you want the download page to list your own releases)

Running Locally

Clone the repo:

git clone https://github.com/WillDev12/FlashBuddy.git
cd FlashBuddy

Install root dependencies (builds the app) and server dependencies:
```
npm install
cd server && npm install && cd ..
```
Start the server:
```
npm run server
```
Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser.

To use a different port, set the PORT environment variable:

PORT=8080 npm run server

Deploying to Vercel

Vercel is the easiest option — the repo already includes a vercel.json.

Install the Vercel CLI:
```
npm i -g vercel
```
From the repo root, run:
```
vercel
```
Follow the prompts. No environment variables are required — the server reads the GitHub API anonymously.
To deploy to production:
```
vercel --prod
```

If you forked the repo and want the download page to show your own releases, update the GITHUB_REPO constant in server/server.js to point to your fork before deploying.

Deploying to Railway

Create a new project at railway.app and link your GitHub repo.
Set the root directory to server/.
Set the start command to node server.js.
Railway will assign a public URL automatically.

Deploying to Render

Create a new Web Service at render.com and link your GitHub repo.
Set Root Directory to server.
Set Build Command to npm install.
Set Start Command to node server.js.
Choose the free instance type and deploy.

Configuration

The server has no required environment variables. Optional settings:

Variable	Default	Description
`PORT`	`3000`	Port the server listens on

The GITHUB_REPO constant in server/server.js controls which GitHub repository the download page fetches releases from. Change it if you're hosting a fork.

Routes

Route	Description
`/download`	Download page — fetches latest releases from GitHub and shows download links
`/docs`	Docs index — lists all `.md` files in the `docs/` folder
`/docs/:name`	Renders `docs/<name>.md` as an HTML page