fix: start scripts now validate prerequisites and stop on failure

- Check for Python and Node.js before starting
- Stop with clear error message if pip install fails
- Recommend Python 3.10-3.12 (3.13+ has compatibility issues)
- Show version info at startup for easier debugging
- Updated README with Python version guidance

start.sh

@@ -6,9 +6,10 @@ echo ""
 
 # Check for Node.js
 if ! command -v npm &> /dev/null; then
-    echo "[!] ERROR: npm is not installed. Please install Node.js (https://nodejs.org/)"
+    echo "[!] ERROR: npm is not installed. Please install Node.js 18+ (https://nodejs.org/)"
     exit 1
 fi
+echo "[*] Found Node.js $(node --version)"
 
 # Check for Python 3
 PYTHON_CMD=""
@@ -17,42 +18,63 @@ if command -v python3 &> /dev/null; then
 elif command -v python &> /dev/null; then
     PYTHON_CMD="python"
 else
-    echo "[!] ERROR: python3 is not installed. Please install Python 3.10+ (https://python.org/)"
+    echo "[!] ERROR: Python is not installed."
+    echo "[!] Install Python 3.10-3.12 from https://python.org"
     exit 1
 fi
 
-echo "[*] Using Python: $PYTHON_CMD ($($PYTHON_CMD --version 2>&1))"
+echo "[*] Found $($PYTHON_CMD --version 2>&1)"
 
-# Get the directory where this script lives (handles running from any location)
+# Get the directory where this script lives
 SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
 
-echo "[*] Setting up Backend Environment..."
+echo ""
+echo "[*] Setting up backend..."
 cd "$SCRIPT_DIR/backend"
 if [ ! -d "venv" ]; then
-    echo "[*] Creating Python Virtual Environment..."
+    echo "[*] Creating Python virtual environment..."
     $PYTHON_CMD -m venv venv
+    if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+        echo "[!] ERROR: Failed to create virtual environment."
+        exit 1
+    fi
 fi
 
-echo "[*] Installing Backend dependencies..."
 source venv/bin/activate
-pip install -q -r requirements.txt
+echo "[*] Installing Python dependencies (this may take a minute)..."
+pip install -r requirements.txt
+if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+    echo ""
+    echo "[!] ERROR: pip install failed. See errors above."
+    echo "[!] If you see Rust/cargo errors, your Python version may be too new."
+    echo "[!] Recommended: Python 3.10, 3.11, or 3.12."
+    exit 1
+fi
+echo "[*] Backend dependencies OK."
 deactivate
 
 cd "$SCRIPT_DIR"
 
-echo "[*] Setting up Frontend Environment..."
+echo ""
+echo "[*] Setting up frontend..."
 cd "$SCRIPT_DIR/frontend"
 if [ ! -d "node_modules" ]; then
-    echo "[*] Installing Frontend dependencies..."
+    echo "[*] Installing frontend dependencies..."
     npm install
+    if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+        echo "[!] ERROR: npm install failed. See errors above."
+        exit 1
+    fi
 fi
+echo "[*] Frontend dependencies OK."
 
 echo ""
 echo "======================================================="
-echo "  Starting Services...                                 "
-echo "  Dashboard will be available at: http://localhost:3000 "
-echo "  Keep this window open! Initial load takes ~10s       "
+echo "  Starting services...                                 "
+echo "  Dashboard: http://localhost:3000                     "
+echo "  Keep this window open! Initial load takes ~10s.      "
 echo "======================================================="
+echo "  (Press Ctrl+C to stop)"
 echo ""
 
 npm run dev