Quick Start

This page assumes you've cloned the Atlas repo and have Python 3.11+ and Node 18+ installed.

1. Configure environment variables

Copy the example file and fill in the keys you have:

cp .env.example .env

The minimum set to boot the app:

Variable	Where to get it	Required for
DATABASE_URL	Local Postgres or hosted	Backend startup
SECRET_KEY	Generate a random 32+ char string	JWT auth
EODHD_API_KEY	eodhd.com	Fundamentals & EOD history
CESIUM_ION_TOKEN	cesium.com/ion	3D globe
VITE_CESIUM_ION_TOKEN	same value, for the frontend	3D globe
REDIS_URL	Local Redis or hosted	Cache layer

Optional providers (vessels, aircraft) work without keys but with reduced rate limits.

Secrets handling

Never commit .env. Never paste real keys into chat or commit messages. Use placeholders like your_api_key_here in examples. See Data providers and OSINT operational security for details.

2. Start the backend

cd backend
poetry install
poetry run uvicorn main:app --reload --port 8000

Verify: curl http://localhost:8000/health should return {"status":"ok"}.

3. Start the frontend

In a second terminal:

cd frontend
npm install
npm run dev

Open http://localhost:5173. You should see the Atlas globe and an empty watchlist.

4. Add your first ticker

1. Open the Markets panel.
2. Type a symbol (try AAPL).
3. Click Add to watchlist.

You now have a live quote streaming and a chart populated with EOD history.

Next steps

• Core Concepts — understand panels, layers, and the timeline.
• For traders — recommended layout and shortcuts.
• For OSINT analysts — turning on AIS and ADS-B layers.