Getting Started with Valcraven

Valcraven is a production-ready Next.js starter that gives you everything you need to build and ship a modern web application. In this guide, we'll walk through the initial setup, key features, and how to make it yours.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• Node.js 18+ installed
• Git installed
• A code editor (we recommend VS Code)

Quick Start

Clone the repository and install dependencies:

git clone https://github.com/your-org/valcraven.git my-app
cd my-app
npm install

Copy the environment template and fill in your values:

cp .env.example .env

Start the development server:

npm run dev

Your app is now running at http://localhost:3000.

Project Structure

Here's a quick overview of the key directories:

Authentication

Valcraven uses Better Auth for authentication. It supports:

• Email/password login and registration
• Google and GitHub OAuth
• Two-factor authentication (TOTP)
• Email verification and password reset

Authentication is configured in lib/auth.ts. To add a new OAuth provider, check the Better Auth documentation.

Database

SQLite is set up via better-sqlite3 for zero-config local development. The database file is created automatically in your project root.

Run migrations:

npm run db:migrate

Tip: When you're ready to scale, swap SQLite for PostgreSQL by updating the database configuration. The migration scripts are designed to be database-agnostic.

Payments

Stripe integration is pre-configured with:

• Checkout sessions for new subscriptions
• Webhook handling for subscription lifecycle events
• Billing portal for customers to manage their subscription

Add your Stripe keys to .env and create a product with a price in the Stripe dashboard.

Deployment

Valcraven includes Docker configuration for easy deployment:

docker build -t my-app .
docker run -p 3000:3000 my-app

Or use docker-compose for a complete setup with Caddy as a reverse proxy.

What's Next?

Now that you're set up, here are some next steps:

1. Customize the landing page — Update app/page.tsx with your branding
2. Add your features — Build on top of the existing auth and database layer
3. Configure email — Set up Resend for transactional emails
4. Set up payments — Add your Stripe product and price IDs

Happy building! 🌱