Installation
The DMS runs on the AntelopeJS toolchain and a database. For a new application, use the template-based quickstart: it already declares the backend and frontend dependencies. The manual CLI installation below is for integrating an existing project.
antelopejs plugin once and your project's packages bring their own skills: see Install the plugin and the skill catalog.What you need
| Tool | Version | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Node.js | 24 LTS | Matches the demo template's .nvmrc; runs the backend and frontend build. |
| pnpm | 10.2.0 | Matches the demo template's package manager. |
ajs CLI | latest | The AntelopeJS CLI — runs your backend project. |
| Database | — | Any module implementing the interface-database contract backs the DMS models. |
| Redis | 7.x | Realtime pub/sub and caching. Optional on a single dev instance, recommended everywhere. |
| Docker | — | Runs the database and Redis in development. Any install works; Docker is the quickest. |
ajs dms CLI | latest | The DMS frontend loader — serves the dashboard. |
Install Node.js and the ajs CLI
Install Node 24 LTS with your usual method to follow the demo and Quickstart. The demo provides a local ajs binary through pnpm exec; for an existing project that needs the CLI, install it locally:
pnpm add -D @antelopejs/core
pnpm exec ajs --help
ajs is pure AntelopeJS — scaffolding, running, and watching projects are covered by the AntelopeJS documentation, not here.
Start a database and Redis
The DMS models run on a database module implementing the AntelopeJS interface-database contract. The demo uses MongoDB 8; Redis is optional on one development instance. If you use Docker, create this local-only configuration:
services:
mongo:
image: mongo:8
ports:
- "127.0.0.1:27017:27017"
redis:
image: redis:7
ports:
- "127.0.0.1:6379:6379"
docker compose up -d
The connection URLs these expose (mongodb://127.0.0.1:27017, redis://localhost:6379) are the defaults used throughout the docs' antelope.config.ts examples. Many projects fold this into their dev script: docker compose up -d && ajs project dev -w.
Get the ajs dms frontend loader
The Vue dashboard frontend is served by the loader shipped by the @antelopejs/dms-frontend package, whose CLI binary is ajs dms. The demo already includes it. For an existing project, add it as a dev dependency and invoke its local binary with pnpm:
pnpm add -D @antelopejs/dms-frontend
pnpm exec ajs dms --help
"scripts": {
"frontend:dev": "ajs dms dev"
}
The CLI's commands and flags are documented in the Frontend section.
Optional dependencies
Two features rely on modules the base stack does not include. Install each when you reach the feature — the docs flag the dependency where it applies:
| Dependency | Needed for | Doc |
|---|---|---|
An interface-email implementation — @antelopejs/nodemailer (ethereal: true in dev) | Invites, email validation, 2FA codes, password resets | Backend services |
A module implementing the interface-file-storage contract (avoid local-disk storage in production) | The file/image field types | File storage |
Where to go next
With the toolchain in place, you are ready to build.