Start from this template

You have two options when you’re ready to build a new app from marcus-template:

Option A — GitHub UI

1. Go to the template repo: iambillmccann/marcus-template.
2. Click Use this template → Create a new repository.
3. Name your repo, pick visibility, and (if needed) check Include all branches.
4. Create the repo, then clone your new repo locally and start coding.

Option B — GitHub CLI

# Replace ORG/REPO with where the new app should live
gh repo create ORG/REPO \
  --template iambillmccann/marcus-template \
  --private --clone
cd REPO

Getting Started: Local Development Setup

Follow these steps to set up your local development environment for the project.

Step 1: Clone the Repository

1. Open your terminal.

2. Clone the project repository using the GitHub URL provided by your instructor:

git clone https://github.com/your-instructor/repository-name.git
cd repository-name

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Step 2: Install Dependencies

Install all required Node packages:

npm install

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Step 3: Set Up Firebase

You’ll need to create your own Firebase project and configure Authentication.

Follow these steps:

1. Go to https://console.firebase.google.com

2. Create a new Firebase project (you can name it anything).

3. In the Firebase dashboard, click </> (Web) to create a new web app.

4. Firebase will generate configuration values like apiKey, authDomain, etc.

5. Enable an Authentication provider (e.g., Email/Password) under Build → Authentication → Sign-in method.

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Step 4: Create Your .env.local File

Create a .env.local file in the root of the project and copy the following template:

NEXT_PUBLIC_FIREBASE_API_KEY="your-api-key"
NEXT_PUBLIC_FIREBASE_AUTH_DOMAIN="your-project-id.firebaseapp.com"
NEXT_PUBLIC_FIREBASE_PROJECT_ID="your-project-id"
NEXT_PUBLIC_FIREBASE_STORAGE_BUCKET="your-project-id.appspot.com"
NEXT_PUBLIC_FIREBASE_MESSAGING_SENDER_ID="your-messaging-sender-id"
NEXT_PUBLIC_FIREBASE_APP_ID="your-app-id"
NEXT_PUBLIC_FIREBASE_CLIENT_EMAIL="firebase-adminsdk-xxx@your-project-id.iam.gserviceaccount.com"
NEXT_PUBLIC_FIREBASE_PRIVATE_KEY="-----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY-----\nYOUR_PRIVATE_KEY\n-----END PRIVATE KEY-----\n"

⚠️ Be sure to replace each value with the actual config from your Firebase project. For the private key, escape each line break with \n.

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Step 5: Run the Development Server

Now that everything is configured, start the development server:

npm run dev

The app should be available at http://localhost:3000.