Mike is a legal document assistant with a Next.js frontend, an Encore.ts-backed Express API, Encore PostgreSQL, Cloudflare R2-compatible object storage, and an optional Tauri v2 desktop shell.

Website: mikeoss.com

• frontend/ - Next.js application and Tauri v2 desktop shell
• frontend/src-tauri/ - Tauri v2 project that launches the packaged Next sidecar
• backend/ - Encore.ts app, Express API routes, document processing, and migrations
• backend/src/migrations/ - Encore PostgreSQL migrations for the mike service
• backend/schema.sql - legacy Supabase schema reference only

• Node.js 20 or newer
• npm
• git
• Encore CLI
• Docker Desktop for Encore's local PostgreSQL database
• A Cloudflare R2 bucket, MinIO bucket, or another S3-compatible bucket
• Rust toolchain if you are building the Tauri desktop app
• At least one supported model provider API key: Anthropic, Google Gemini, or OpenAI
• LibreOffice installed locally if you need DOC/DOCX to PDF conversion

Encore applies the ordered .up.sql files in backend/src/migrations/ to the Encore-managed PostgreSQL database for the mike service. The first migration creates first-party users, local auth state, the application tables, and the legacy_user_map used to claim imported Supabase-owned data by email.

The checked-in backend/encore.app is intentionally unlinked from Encore Cloud ("id": "") so local development and encore check do not require access to a private Cloud app. If you want to deploy with Encore Cloud, register or link your own app from backend with encore app init <name> or encore app link <app-id>.

For migrated deployments, run the one-off migration tool after configuring DATABASE_URL, MIGRATION_SUPABASE_URL, MIGRATION_SUPABASE_SERVICE_ROLE_KEY, R2 credentials, and R2_KEY_PREFIX:

npm run migrate:supabase --prefix backend

Use -- --skip-objects to import rows and write the migration report without copying R2 objects.

Create local env files:

touch backend/.env
touch frontend/.env.local

Create backend/.env:

PORT=3001
FRONTEND_URL=http://localhost:3000
DOWNLOAD_SIGNING_SECRET=replace-with-a-random-32-byte-hex-string
AUTH_JWT_SECRET=replace-with-a-random-32-byte-hex-string
PASSWORD_PEPPER=

R2_ENDPOINT_URL=https://your-account-id.r2.cloudflarestorage.com
R2_ACCESS_KEY_ID=your-r2-access-key
R2_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=your-r2-secret-key
R2_BUCKET_NAME=mike
R2_KEY_PREFIX=mike-v2

GEMINI_API_KEY=your-gemini-key
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your-anthropic-key
OPENAI_API_KEY=your-openai-key
RESEND_API_KEY=your-resend-key
USER_API_KEYS_ENCRYPTION_SECRET=your-long-random-secret

Create frontend/.env.local:

NEXT_PUBLIC_API_BASE_URL=http://localhost:3001

Provider keys are only needed for the models and email features you plan to use. Model provider keys can be configured in backend/.env for the whole instance, or per user in Account > Models & API Keys. If a provider key is present in backend/.env, that provider is available by default and the matching browser API key field is read-only.

Install each app package:

npm install --prefix backend
npm install --prefix frontend

Start the Encore backend on the API port the frontend expects:

cd backend
encore run --port=3001

Start the main app:

npm run dev --prefix frontend

Open http://localhost:3000.

For the desktop shell:

npm run desktop:dev --prefix frontend

For a packaged desktop build, provide the API URL at build time:

$env:MIKE_DESKTOP_API_BASE_URL="http://localhost:3001"
npm run desktop:build --prefix frontend

Desktop builds create a Next standalone server, copy the local Node runtime as Tauri's mike-node sidecar, bundle the standalone output as a resource, and load http://127.0.0.1:3070 in the webview. On Windows the desktop:build script targets the NSIS installer because MSI bundling requires a working Windows Installer service.

If you build the desktop app with MIKE_DESKTOP_API_BASE_URL=http://localhost:3001, the installed app expects a local Encore backend to be running separately on that port.

1. Sign up in the app.
2. If you did not set provider keys in backend/.env, open Account > Models & API Keys and add an Anthropic, Gemini, or OpenAI API key.
3. Create or open a project and start chatting with documents.

Sign-up fails with a session-secret error. Set AUTH_JWT_SECRET in the backend environment. Local auth signs bearer tokens with this secret.

Encore cannot create PostgreSQL locally. Start Docker Desktop, then rerun encore check "curl /health" from backend.

The model picker shows a missing-key warning. Add a key for that provider in Account > Models & API Keys, or configure the provider key in backend/.env and restart the backend.

DOC or DOCX conversion fails. Install LibreOffice locally and restart the backend so document conversion commands are available on the process path.

npm run build --prefix backend
npm run build --prefix frontend
npm run lint --prefix frontend
$env:MIKE_DESKTOP_API_BASE_URL="http://localhost:3001"
npm run desktop:prepare-sidecar --prefix frontend
npm run desktop:smoke-sidecar --prefix frontend
cd backend
encore check "curl /health"