Light Table IDE - Deployment and Usage Guide

1. Prerequisites

Runtime Requirements

Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 8 or higher
Node.js 12.x or higher (for building from source)
Clojure CLI tools (for development)

Development Tools

Git for version control
Leiningen (Clojure build tool) - optional but recommended
Chromium-based browser (for plugin development and testing)

Platform-Specific Notes

macOS: You may need to temporarily allow apps from "Anywhere" in Security & Privacy settings when installing the prebuilt binary
Windows: Ensure you have proper permissions to install applications

2. Installation

Option 1: Using Prebuilt Binaries (Recommended for Users)

Download the latest binary from lighttable.com
For macOS users:
- In Finder, Ctrl-click on LightTable.app/ and select "Open"
- When prompted about the app being unidentified, click "Open"
- Alternatively, go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General, temporarily change "Allow apps downloaded from:" to "Anywhere"

Option 2: Building from Source (For Developers)

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/LightTable/LightTable.git
cd LightTable

Install dependencies:
```
npm install
```
Build the project:
```
npm run build
```
Run the development version:
```
npm start
```

3. Configuration

Environment Variables

Light Table doesn't require specific environment variables for basic operation. However, for development:

NODE_ENV: Set to development for development builds
LIGHT_TABLE_HOME: Optional path to specify Light Table's configuration directory

Configuration Files

User settings are stored in ~/.lighttable/ (Linux/macOS) or %APPDATA%\LightTable\ (Windows)
Plugin configurations are stored in the same directory under plugins/

API Keys

No API keys are required for basic functionality. Some plugins may require their own API keys.

4. Build & Run

Development Mode

# Start in development mode with hot reload
npm run dev

# Or using Leiningen
lein figwheel

Production Mode

# Build for production
npm run build

# Run the built application
npm start

Running Tests

# Run the test suite
npm test

# Run tests with coverage
npm run test:coverage

5. Deployment

For Personal Use

Light Table is primarily a desktop application. Deployment typically means installation on your local machine using the prebuilt binaries.

For Distribution

If you're building custom versions for distribution:

Package the application:
```
npm run package
```
Platform-specific packaging:
- macOS: Creates .dmg file
- Windows: Creates .exe installer
- Linux: Creates .deb and .rpm packages
Distribution platforms:
- GitHub Releases (for open-source distribution)
- Homebrew (for macOS users)
- Chocolatey (for Windows users)
- Snapcraft (for Linux users)

For Plugin Development

When developing plugins:

Place your plugin in ~/.lighttable/plugins/
Restart Light Table to load the plugin
Use the Console (Ctrl+Shift+J) to debug plugin issues

6. Troubleshooting

Common Issues and Solutions

"LightTable is damaged and can't be opened" (macOS)

Solution: Ctrl-click the app and select "Open", then click "Open" in the prompt. Alternatively, temporarily allow apps from "Anywhere" in Security & Privacy settings.

Application Won't Start

Check: Ensure Java 8+ is installed and in your PATH
Check: Verify Node.js is installed (required for building from source)
Solution: Run from terminal to see error messages:
```
./LightTable
```

Plugin Not Loading

Solution: Check the Console (Ctrl+Shift+J) for error messages
Solution: Verify the plugin is in the correct directory: ~/.lighttable/plugins/
Solution: Restart Light Table after adding new plugins

Build Failures

Solution: Ensure all dependencies are installed:
```
npm install
```
Solution: Clear the build cache:
```
npm run clean
npm run build
```

Performance Issues

Solution: Disable unnecessary plugins in Settings
Solution: Increase memory allocation in lighttable.config if available

Language/Eval Support Issues

Solution: Install the appropriate language plugin from the plugin manager
Solution: Check that the language's runtime is installed on your system

Can't Connect to External Services

Solution: Check firewall settings
Solution: Verify network connectivity
Solution: Check plugin-specific configuration for API keys or endpoints

Getting Help

Documentation: docs.lighttable.com
Community: Light Table Google group
Chat: Join #lighttable on Freenode IRC
Issues: Report bugs on the GitHub Issues page

How to Deploy & Use LightTable/LightTable