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Installation - Install Dependencies

After you have downloaded and extracted the Docusar project, you need to install all dependencies before you can run it. Think of dependencies as the tools and ingredients your project needs before it can start working. Without them, Docusaurus cannot run.

Do not worry - this is a one-time step. You only need to do this once per project.

Step 1: Open Project in VS Code​

  1. Open VS Code
  2. Click File → Open Folder
  3. Select your extracted folder, example: C:\Users\YourName\Desktop\docusar or ~/Desktop/docusar
  4. You should see files like package.json, docusaurus.config.js, src/, and static/

VS Code is a free code editor. If you have not installed it yet, download it from https://code.visualstudio.com

Step 2: Open Terminal and Go to Project Folder​

You need to run commands inside the project folder. If you run them somewhere else, the computer will not find your project.

Method 1 - VS Code Terminal (Easiest):

  • In VS Code, click the menu Terminal → New Terminal
  • The terminal will automatically open inside your project folder

Method 2 - Manual CD Command: Open Command Prompt or Terminal and run:

For Windows:

cd C:\Users\YourPCName\Desktop\docusar

For Mac / Linux:

cd ~/Desktop/docusar

Replace YourPCName with your computer name and docusar with your actual folder name. cd stands for "change directory" - it tells the terminal to go into that folder.

How to know you are in the right folder?

Run:

dir

or for Mac:

ls

You should see package.json in the list. If you do not see it, you are in the wrong folder.

Step 3: Run Installation​

Now install all required packages (React, Docusaurus, plugins, and more).

If you use npm (comes with Node.js):

npm install

If you use Yarn:

yarn install

This will download all dependencies into the node_modules/ folder. This folder can be large (200MB or more), but that is normal.

Wait 2-5 minutes depending on your internet speed. It is normal to see many logs scrolling by. You do not need to read every line - just wait until it finishes.

Success signs:

  • The terminal ends with a message like added 500 packages or similar
  • No red ERR! errors
  • You now have a node_modules folder inside your project

Common Errors & Fixes​

1. npm ERR! network Your internet is unstable. Try again with a better connection. Or run npm cache clean --force and then npm install again.

2. npm ERR! ERESOLVE could not resolve Your Node version is too old or too new. Use Node.js v18 or v20 LTS. Delete the node_modules folder and package-lock.json, then run npm install again.

3. Terminal stuck or very slow Close VS Code and try again. Delete node_modules, then run npm install again.

4. yarn: command not found You have not installed Yarn. Use npm install instead, or install Yarn first with npm install -g yarn.

What Next?​

After installation succeeds, you can now run the project locally.

See the next doc: Run Project

Run command:

npm run start

Or with Yarn:

yarn start