Skip to main content

Baselinr UI Command

The baselinr ui command starts the Baselinr dashboard in foreground mode. It launches both the backend API (FastAPI) and frontend UI (Next.js) in your current terminal, making it easy to view profiling runs, drift alerts, and metrics in a web interface.

This command is an alternative to manually running dashboard/backend/start.sh and dashboard/frontend/start.sh in separate terminals. It automatically configures the dashboard to use your Baselinr configuration file's database connection.

Usage​

baselinr ui --config config.yml [OPTIONS]

Options​

  • --config, -c (required): Path to your Baselinr configuration file (YAML or JSON). The dashboard will use the storage.connection settings from this file to connect to the database.
  • --port-backend (default: 8000): Port for the backend API server.
  • --port-frontend (default: 3000): Port for the frontend UI server.
  • --host (default: "0.0.0.0"): Host address for the backend API server. Use "127.0.0.1" to bind only to localhost.

Examples​

Basic Usage​

baselinr ui --config examples/config.yml

Starts the dashboard with default ports (backend on 8000, frontend on 3000).

Custom Ports​

baselinr ui --config examples/config.yml --port-backend 8080 --port-frontend 3001

Starts the dashboard with custom ports.

Localhost Only​

baselinr ui --config examples/config.yml --host 127.0.0.1

Binds the backend API only to localhost (not accessible from other machines).

How It Works​

  1. Dependency Checks: The command first verifies that all required dependencies are installed:

    • Node.js (v18+) and npm (for the frontend)
    • Python packages: FastAPI, uvicorn, sqlalchemy, pydantic (for the backend)
    • Port availability (backend and frontend ports must be free)
    • Database connection (tests connection using your config file)

  2. Configuration: Builds a database connection string from your Baselinr config file's storage.connection settings. The dashboard currently supports PostgreSQL and SQLite.

  3. Process Startup: Starts both processes in the foreground:

    • Backend: Runs python main.py in dashboard/backend/ with BASELINR_DB_URL environment variable set
    • Frontend: Runs npm run dev in dashboard/frontend/ with NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL and PORT environment variables set

  4. Signal Handling: Press Ctrl+C to gracefully shut down both processes.

Requirements​

Node.js and npm​

The frontend requires Node.js v18 or higher and npm. Install from nodejs.org.

Python Packages​

The backend requires several Python packages. Install them with:

pip install -r dashboard/backend/requirements.txt

Database​

The dashboard requires a PostgreSQL or SQLite database. The connection is configured via your Baselinr config file's storage.connection section.

Troubleshooting​

"Node.js/npm check failed"​

Install Node.js v18+ from nodejs.org. Verify installation:

node --version
npm --version

"Python packages check failed"​

Install the required packages:

pip install -r dashboard/backend/requirements.txt

"Port check failed"​

One or both ports (backend/frontend) are already in use. Either:

  • Stop the process using those ports
  • Use different ports with --port-backend and --port-frontend

"Database connection check failed"​

Verify your storage.connection settings in your config file are correct. The dashboard currently only supports PostgreSQL and SQLite.

Backend or Frontend Fails to Start​

Check the terminal output for error messages. Common issues:

  • Missing dependencies (install Node.js packages with npm install in dashboard/frontend/)
  • Database connection issues (verify BASELINR_DB_URL is correct)
  • Port conflicts (use --port-backend and --port-frontend to change ports)

Differences from Manual Startup​

The baselinr ui command provides these advantages over manually running the start scripts:

  1. Automatic Configuration: Reads database connection from your Baselinr config file automatically
  2. Dependency Checking: Verifies all requirements before starting
  3. Port Management: Checks port availability and allows custom ports
  4. Unified Control: Start and stop both processes with a single command
  5. Better Error Messages: Provides clear error messages if dependencies are missing