Setting Up Your Local Development to Run React on Linux

[Nikesh]

Introduction
If you're using Linux and want to start developing React applications, this guide will walk you through the steps to set up your local development environment.

Step 1: Install Node.js and npm
Node.js is essential for running React applications, and npm (Node Package Manager) comes bundled with it.

On most Linux distributions, you can install Node.js and npm using your package manager. For Ubuntu or Debian-based distributions, run:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install nodejs npm

Verify the installation with:

node -v
npm -v

Step 2: Install a Code Editor (Optional)
We recommend using Visual Studio Code for React development. You can install it by running the following commands:

For Ubuntu-based distributions:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install software-properties-common
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:visualstudiocode/stable
sudo apt update
sudo apt install code

Alternatively, you can install it via Snap:

sudo snap install --classic code

Step 3: Create a New React App
React provides a command-line tool called Create React App that helps you quickly set up a new project.

Run the following command to create a new React app:

npx create-react-app my-app

Navigate into your project directory:

cd my-app

Step 4: Start the Development Server
To see your React app in action, start the development server by running:

npm start

This will open a new browser window at http://localhost:3000/ with your running React application.

Step 5: Understanding React Project Structure
When you create a React app, you'll see the following structure:

• 
  []node_modules/ - Contains project dependencies.
  []public/ - Static files like index.html.
  []src/ - Contains your React components and application logic.
  []package.json - Manages project dependencies and scripts.

Step 6: Install Additional Dependencies
You may want to install additional libraries such as React Router for routing:

npm install react-router-dom

Conclusion
Congratulations! You've successfully set up React development on Linux. Now you're ready to start building powerful applications with React.