System Requirements

This page outlines the hardware and software requirements for developing with JetStart.

Supported Operating Systems

JetStart works on all major operating systems:

• Windows 10, 11 (Recommended)
• Windows 7, 8.1 (Service Pack 1, with custom Node.js 18 builds)
• macOS 11 (Big Sur) or later
• Linux - Most modern distributions (Ubuntu 20.04+, Fedora 34+, Arch, etc.)

Software Requirements

Required

These tools are required for JetStart to function:

Tool	Minimum Version	Recommended Version	Purpose
Node.js	18.0.0	20.0.0+	Run JetStart CLI and server
npm	9.0.0	10.0.0+	Package management
Java (JDK)	17.0.0	17.0.0	Android build tools
Android SDK	API 24+	API 34	Android development
Gradle	8.0.0	8.5.0+	Build automation

Auto-Installation

JetStart can automatically install missing dependencies! Run jetstart create my-app --full-install to let JetStart set everything up for you.

Optional

These tools enhance your development experience:

Tool	Purpose
VS Code / Vim / Any Editor	Lightweight code editing (Recommended for 4GB RAM)
Git	Version control
adb	Android Debug Bridge

Android Device (Requirements)

To run the JetStart Client and preview your apps:

• Android Version: 7.0 (API 24) or later
• RAM: 2GB+ (Recommended)
• Connection: Wi-Fi or Hotspot (Same network as your laptop)

Hardware Requirements

Minimum (Optimized for Low-End Systems)

• CPU: Dual-core processor (2GHz+)
• RAM: 4 GB
• Storage: 10 GB free space
• Network: Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection

Recommended

• CPU: Quad-core processor (3GHz+)
• RAM: 8 GB or more
• Storage: 20 GB free space (SSD preferred)

4GB RAM Optimization

JetStart is designed to run on systems where Android Studio cannot. If you are on a 4GB RAM system, follow these tips for the best experience:

1. Avoid Heavy IDEs: Use VS Code, Sublime, or Vim instead of Android Studio.
2. Use Physical Devices: Testing on a physical phone via Wi-Fi/Hotspot uses almost zero laptop RAM.
3. The Emulators: If you don't have a device, use the included Android Emulator or Web Emulator. The Web Emulator runs in a browser tab and is significantly lighter than a full Android Virtual Device (AVD).
4. Configure Gradle: Limit Gradle's memory usage by adding org.gradle.jvmargs=-Xmx1g to your gradle.properties file.
5. Close Background Apps: Close heavy browser tabs (like Discord or large web apps) while building.

JetStart Efficiency

By removing the 2GB+ RAM overhead of Android Studio, JetStart leaves the entire 4GB of your system available for the Kotlin compiler and Gradle, making development viable on older hardware.

Android SDK Requirements

SDK Components

JetStart requires these SDK components (auto-installed with --full-install):

Platform Tools

• platform-tools - adb, fastboot

Build Tools

• build-tools;34.0.0 or later

Android Platforms

• platforms;android-34 - Target platform (Android 14)
• platforms;android-24 - Minimum platform (Android 7.0)

Command Line Tools

• cmdline-tools;latest - SDK management

Emulator (Optional)

• emulator - Android Virtual Device support
• system-images;android-34;google_apis;x86_64 - System image for AVD

Environment Variables

Set these environment variables for JetStart to detect your Android SDK:

Windows:

ANDROID_HOME=C:\Android
JAVA_HOME=C:\Program Files\Eclipse Adoptium\jdk-17.0.9.9-hotspot

macOS/Linux:

export ANDROID_HOME=~/Android
export JAVA_HOME=/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/temurin-17.jdk/Contents/Home
export PATH=$PATH:$ANDROID_HOME/cmdline-tools/latest/bin
export PATH=$PATH:$ANDROID_HOME/platform-tools

Android Device Requirements

Physical Device

To use a physical Android device:

• Android Version: 7.0 (API 24) or later
• Developer Options: Enabled
• USB Debugging: Enabled (for USB connection)
• Wi-Fi: Connected to same network as development computer

Android Emulator

For virtual device testing:

• RAM: Additional 2-4 GB for emulator
• Virtualization: Hardware virtualization enabled (Intel VT-x, AMD-V)
• Graphics: Hardware acceleration support

Web Emulator

The built-in web emulator requires:

• Modern Browser: Chrome 90+, Firefox 88+, Safari 14+, Edge 90+
• WebSocket Support: Enabled (default in modern browsers)

Network Requirements

Local Development

For development on the same Wi-Fi network:

• Router: Standard Wi-Fi router with DHCP
• Ports: Ports 8765 and 8766 available
• Firewall: Allow Node.js through firewall
• Network Type: Local network (not guest network)

Port Requirements

JetStart uses these ports by default:

Port	Protocol	Purpose	Configurable
8765	HTTP	Development server	Yes (--port)
8766	WebSocket	Real-time updates	Yes (auto-increments)

Firewall Configuration

Make sure your firewall allows incoming connections on ports 8765 and 8766. JetStart will prompt you to allow access on first run.

Checking Your System

Run the installation audit to check if your system meets all requirements:

jetstart install-audit

Sample Output

🔍 Auditing development environment...

JetStart Installation Audit

Development Tools:
------------------------------------------
✓ Node.js        24.11.1    OK
✓ npm            11.6.2     OK
✓ Java/JDK       17.0.17    OK
✓ Gradle         8.5.0      OK

Android SDK:
------------------------------------------
✓ Android SDK    Unknown    OK
✓ cmdline-tools  19.0       OK
✓ build-tools    34.0.0     OK
✓ platform-tools 1.0.41     OK
✓ emulator       36.3.10    OK

Android Platforms:
------------------------------------------
✓ API 34 (Target) Unknown    OK
✓ API 24 (Minimum) 2         OK

Environment Variables:
------------------------------------------
✓ JAVA_HOME      OK
✓ ANDROID_HOME   Unknown         OK

Summary:
------------------------------------------
✓ 12 components OK
✓ 0 warnings
✓ 0 errors

✅ All requirements met!

JSON Output

For automation or CI/CD, get machine-readable output:

jetstart install-audit --json

{
  "timestamp": "2025-01-15T10:30:00.000Z",
  "status": "ok",
  "tools": {
    "node": {
      "required": "18.0.0",
      "installed": "20.11.0",
      "status": "ok"
    },
    "java": {
      "required": "17.0.0",
      "installed": "17.0.9",
      "status": "ok"
    }
  },
  "sdk": {
    "location": "C:\\Android",
    "components": [
      {"name": "platform-tools", "status": "installed"},
      {"name": "build-tools;34.0.0", "status": "installed"}
    ]
  },
  "summary": {
    "total": 10,
    "ok": 10,
    "warning": 0,
    "error": 0
  }
}

Platform-Specific Notes

Windows

• PowerShell: Use PowerShell 5.1+ or PowerShell Core 7+
• PATH: Add Android SDK and Java to system PATH
• Admin Rights: May be required for installing dependencies
• Windows Defender: Add Node.js to allowed apps

macOS

• Homebrew: Recommended for installing dependencies
• Xcode Command Line Tools: Required for some build operations
• Rosetta 2: Required on Apple Silicon for x86_64 emulator images

Linux

• Package Manager: Use system package manager for dependencies
• KVM: Required for hardware-accelerated Android emulator
• udev Rules: May need configuration for ADB device access
• Libraries: Install required graphics libraries for emulator

Troubleshooting

Node.js Version Issues

Problem: Wrong Node.js version

Solution:

# Install nvm (Node Version Manager)
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.0/install.sh | bash

# Install and use Node 20
nvm install 20
nvm use 20

Java Not Found

Problem: JetStart can't find Java

Solution:

1. Install Java 17: jetstart create test --full-install
2. Set JAVA_HOME environment variable
3. Add Java bin directory to PATH
4. Restart terminal

Android SDK Missing

Problem: Android SDK not detected

Solution:

1. Let JetStart install it: jetstart create test --full-install
2. Or manually download from Android Developer site
3. Set ANDROID_HOME environment variable

Next Steps

If your system meets all requirements:

1. Install JetStart
2. Create your first project
3. Learn about CLI commands

If you're missing requirements:

1. Run jetstart install-audit to see what's missing
2. Use jetstart create test --full-install to auto-install
3. Check Installation Guide for manual installation