MCP Chat Support System

# How to Start the RAG Backend ## Quick Start 1. **Open a NEW terminal window** (keep it open) 2. **Navigate to the backend directory:** ```bash cd rag-backend ``` 3. **Activate the virtual environment:** ```bash .\venv\Scripts\activate ``` You should see `(venv)` in your prompt. 4. **Start the server:** ```bash uvicorn app.main:app --reload --port 8000 ``` 5. **Wait for these messages:** ``` INFO: CORS configured with origins: ['http://localhost:5173', 'http://localhost:3000'] INFO: Database initialized INFO: Application startup complete. INFO: Uvicorn running on http://127.0.0.1:8000 (Press CTRL+C to quit) ``` 6. **Keep this terminal window open** - don't close it! 7. **Now try the chat in your browser** - it should work! ## Verify It's Running Open another terminal and run: ```bash curl http://localhost:8000/health/live ``` You should see: ```json {"status": "alive"} ``` ## Troubleshooting ### "Port 8000 already in use" - Another process is using port 8000 - Find and stop it, or use a different port: ```bash uvicorn app.main:app --reload --port 8001 ``` - Then update frontend `.env.local`: ``` VITE_RAG_API_URL=http://localhost:8001 ``` ### "Module not found" errors - Activate venv first: `.\venv\Scripts\activate` - Install dependencies: `pip install -r requirements.txt` ### Backend starts but chat still doesn't work - Check backend terminal for error messages - Look for: `=== CHAT REQUEST RECEIVED ===` when you send a message - If you don't see this, the request isn't reaching the backend --- **Important:** The backend must be running for the chat to work. Keep the terminal window open!