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docs(contributing): document running vouch and the webapp in dev mode - #462

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docs(contributing): document running vouch and the webapp in dev mode#462
plind-junior wants to merge 1 commit into
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docs/dev-mode-run

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@plind-junior

@plind-junior plind-junior commented Jul 13, 2026

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contributing covered installing and the test gate but never how to run the working tree. this adds a "running vouch in dev mode" section: the editable install runs straight from src/, kb discovery walks up from the cwd (and the repo root's .vouch is real and committed, so experiments belong in a scratch kb or behind VOUCH_KB_PATH), then one recipe per surface — cli, a jsonl smoke one-liner, registering the venv binary as an mcp server, and make console for the http backend + vouch-ui dev server pair.

dev setup now covers both packages: the python editable install and the webapp's npm install (auto-performed by make console on first run). claude.md's build section points at the new walkthrough.

validated end-to-end against the venv build: vouch init seeds a scratch kb, the jsonl one-liner returns the capabilities envelope, VOUCH_KB_PATH pins the kb from an unrelated cwd, make console brings up both servers (backend /health ok, the console dashboard renders the scratch kb through the vite proxy), and the webapp vitest suite passes (27 files, 148 tests).

docs-only, so targeting main directly per the contributing guidance.

Summary by CodeRabbit

  • Documentation
    • Expanded development setup instructions, including environment creation and web console installation.
    • Added walkthroughs for running and testing the CLI, servers, MCP integration, and web console.
    • Documented scratch knowledge bases, configuration options, hot reload behavior, and the Docker demo.
    • Added guidance to avoid using the repository’s committed data during experimentation.

contributing stopped at the editable install and the test gate with
nothing on actually running the working tree. add a "running vouch in
dev mode" section: scratch kb setup (the repo root's .vouch is real and
committed — don't experiment against it), the kb discovery walk and
VOUCH_KB_PATH, per-surface recipes (cli, jsonl one-liner, mcp
registration against the venv binary, make console for the http backend
+ vouch-ui dev server pair), and iteration knobs (VOUCH_AGENT, log
level, smoke targets). dev setup now covers the webapp npm install
alongside the python package, and claude.md's build section points at
the new walkthrough.
@github-actions github-actions Bot added docs documentation, specs, examples, and repo guidance size: XS less than 50 changed non-doc lines labels Jul 13, 2026
@coderabbitai

coderabbitai Bot commented Jul 13, 2026

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Review Change Stack

📝 Walkthrough

Walkthrough

Changes

Development workflow documentation

Layer / File(s) Summary
Development setup and run workflows
CONTRIBUTING.md
Contributor setup now covers Python and web-console installation, scratch knowledge bases, VOUCH_KB_PATH, CLI/server/MCP workflows, console startup, testing, and iteration settings.
Assistant development-mode guidance
CLAUDE.md
Development instructions describe editable installs, scratch knowledge bases, console startup, and the contributor walkthrough.

Estimated code review effort: 1 (Trivial) | ~5 minutes

🚥 Pre-merge checks | ✅ 5
✅ Passed checks (5 passed)
Check name Status Explanation
Description Check ✅ Passed Check skipped - CodeRabbit’s high-level summary is enabled.
Title check ✅ Passed The title clearly and concisely summarizes the documentation focus on running Vouch and the webapp in dev mode.
Docstring Coverage ✅ Passed No functions found in the changed files to evaluate docstring coverage. Skipping docstring coverage check.
Linked Issues check ✅ Passed Check skipped because no linked issues were found for this pull request.
Out of Scope Changes check ✅ Passed Check skipped because no linked issues were found for this pull request.
✨ Finishing Touches
🧪 Generate unit tests (beta)
  • Create PR with unit tests
  • Commit unit tests in branch docs/dev-mode-run

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Actionable comments posted: 2

🤖 Prompt for all review comments with AI agents
Verify each finding against current code. Fix only still-valid issues, skip the
rest with a brief reason, keep changes minimal, and validate.

Inline comments:
In `@CLAUDE.md`:
- Around line 88-94: Clarify the development-mode instructions around
VOUCH_KB_PATH: state that it selects an existing initialized .vouch
knowledge-base directory and does not create one. Keep the scratch-KB
initialization guidance separate, while preserving the warning not to use the
repository root’s committed .vouch directory.

In `@CONTRIBUTING.md`:
- Around line 93-96: Update the audit-log statement in the vouch knowledge-base
guidance to say that writes or mutating commands append to the audit log, rather
than claiming every command does. Keep the surrounding `.vouch/` discovery and
scratch-KB warning unchanged.
🪄 Autofix (Beta)

Fix all unresolved CodeRabbit comments on this PR:

  • Push a commit to this branch (recommended)
  • Create a new PR with the fixes

ℹ️ Review info
⚙️ Run configuration

Configuration used: defaults

Review profile: CHILL

Plan: Pro Plus

Run ID: ebc48d73-d4e4-4bd0-a9c5-959685d2bb84

📥 Commits

Reviewing files that changed from the base of the PR and between 5c98a3a and 4779df0.

📒 Files selected for processing (2)
  • CLAUDE.md
  • CONTRIBUTING.md

Comment thread CLAUDE.md
Comment on lines +88 to +94
To *run* the thing you're hacking on (dev mode): the editable install's
`vouch` runs straight from `src/`. Init a scratch KB (`vouch init` in a
temp dir, or `VOUCH_KB_PATH=/abs/path/.vouch`) — the repo root's own
`.vouch/` is real and committed, don't experiment against it. `make
console` runs the HTTP backend + vouch-ui dev server as a pair. Full
walkthrough: "Running vouch in dev mode" in
[`CONTRIBUTING.md`](./CONTRIBUTING.md).

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🎯 Functional Correctness | 🟡 Minor | ⚡ Quick win

clarify that VOUCH_KB_PATH selects a kb; it does not create one.

As written, the parenthetical makes VOUCH_KB_PATH sound like an alternative to initializing a scratch KB. Point it at an existing initialized .vouch directory instead.

proposed wording
- Init a scratch KB (`vouch init` in a
- temp dir, or `VOUCH_KB_PATH=/abs/path/.vouch`) — the repo root's own
+ Init a scratch KB with `vouch init` in a
+ temp dir. To use an existing initialized KB elsewhere, set
+ `VOUCH_KB_PATH=/abs/path/.vouch`. The repo root's own
📝 Committable suggestion

‼️ IMPORTANT
Carefully review the code before committing. Ensure that it accurately replaces the highlighted code, contains no missing lines, and has no issues with indentation. Thoroughly test & benchmark the code to ensure it meets the requirements.

Suggested change
To *run* the thing you're hacking on (dev mode): the editable install's
`vouch` runs straight from `src/`. Init a scratch KB (`vouch init` in a
temp dir, or `VOUCH_KB_PATH=/abs/path/.vouch`) — the repo root's own
`.vouch/` is real and committed, don't experiment against it. `make
console` runs the HTTP backend + vouch-ui dev server as a pair. Full
walkthrough: "Running vouch in dev mode" in
[`CONTRIBUTING.md`](./CONTRIBUTING.md).
To *run* the thing you're hacking on (dev mode): the editable install's
`vouch` runs straight from `src/`. Init a scratch KB with `vouch init` in a
temp dir. To use an existing initialized KB elsewhere, set
`VOUCH_KB_PATH=/abs/path/.vouch`. The repo root's own
`.vouch/` is real and committed, don't experiment against it. `make
console` runs the HTTP backend + vouch-ui dev server as a pair. Full
walkthrough: "Running vouch in dev mode" in
[`CONTRIBUTING.md`](./CONTRIBUTING.md).
🤖 Prompt for AI Agents
Verify each finding against current code. Fix only still-valid issues, skip the
rest with a brief reason, keep changes minimal, and validate.

In `@CLAUDE.md` around lines 88 - 94, Clarify the development-mode instructions
around VOUCH_KB_PATH: state that it selects an existing initialized .vouch
knowledge-base directory and does not create one. Keep the scratch-KB
initialization guidance separate, while preserving the warning not to use the
repository root’s committed .vouch directory.

Comment thread CONTRIBUTING.md
Comment on lines +93 to +96
vouch locates its KB the way git locates a repo: it walks up from the
current directory looking for `.vouch/`. Mind that this repo's root has a
**real, committed** `.vouch/` (vouch dogfoods itself) and every command
appends to its audit log, so point experiments at a scratch KB instead:

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🗄️ Data Integrity & Integration | 🟡 Minor | ⚡ Quick win

limit the audit-log warning to writes.

“Every command appends to its audit log” overstates the documented invariant and may incorrectly suggest that read-only commands mutate history. Please describe writes or mutating commands instead.

proposed wording
- and every command appends to its audit log, so point experiments at a scratch KB instead:
+ and writes are recorded in its audit log, so point experiments at a scratch KB instead:
📝 Committable suggestion

‼️ IMPORTANT
Carefully review the code before committing. Ensure that it accurately replaces the highlighted code, contains no missing lines, and has no issues with indentation. Thoroughly test & benchmark the code to ensure it meets the requirements.

Suggested change
vouch locates its KB the way git locates a repo: it walks up from the
current directory looking for `.vouch/`. Mind that this repo's root has a
**real, committed** `.vouch/` (vouch dogfoods itself) and every command
appends to its audit log, so point experiments at a scratch KB instead:
vouch locates its kb the way git locates a repo: it walks up from the
current directory looking for `.vouch/`. mind that this repo's root has a
**real, committed** `.vouch/` (vouch dogfoods itself) and writes are recorded
in its audit log, so point experiments at a scratch kb instead:
🤖 Prompt for AI Agents
Verify each finding against current code. Fix only still-valid issues, skip the
rest with a brief reason, keep changes minimal, and validate.

In `@CONTRIBUTING.md` around lines 93 - 96, Update the audit-log statement in the
vouch knowledge-base guidance to say that writes or mutating commands append to
the audit log, rather than claiming every command does. Keep the surrounding
`.vouch/` discovery and scratch-KB warning unchanged.

@plind-junior

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closing this as stale — the branch no longer merges cleanly into main.

conflicting files:

  • CONTRIBUTING.md

this isn't a judgement on the change itself — the base has just moved far enough that the merge can't be resolved automatically any more. if you still want it in, rebase onto current main, resolve the files above, and reopen this pr (or open a fresh one). happy to look again.

thanks for the contribution.

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