Move frontend build check from setup.py to runtime server startup

• Remove complex setup.py build checks
• Add runtime frontend validation
• Update install docs with uv/bun steps
• Simplify setup.py to minimal form
• Check webui before server starts

lightrag/api/README-zh.md

@@ -21,15 +21,24 @@ pip install "lightrag-hku[api]"
 * 从源代码安装
 
 ```bash
-# 克隆仓库
+# Clone the repository
 git clone https://github.com/HKUDS/lightrag.git
 
-# 切换到仓库目录
+# Change to the repository directory
 cd lightrag
 
-# 如有必要，创建 Python 虚拟环境
+# Create a Python virtual environment
-# 以可编辑模式安装并支持 API
+uv venv --seed --python 3.12
+source .venv/bin/acivate
+
+# Install in editable mode with API support
 pip install -e ".[api]"
+
+# Build front-end artifacts
+cd lightrag_webui
+bun install --frozen-lockfile --production
+bun run build --emptyOutDir
+cd ..
 ```
 
 ### 启动 LightRAG 服务器前的准备

lightrag/api/README.md

@@ -27,9 +27,18 @@ git clone https://github.com/HKUDS/lightrag.git
 # Change to the repository directory
 cd lightrag
 
-# create a Python virtual environment if necessary
+# Create a Python virtual environment
+uv venv --seed --python 3.12
+source .venv/bin/acivate
+
 # Install in editable mode with API support
 pip install -e ".[api]"
+
+# Build front-end artifacts
+cd lightrag_webui
+bun install --frozen-lockfile --production
+bun run build --emptyOutDir
+cd ..
 ```
 
 ### Before Starting LightRAG Server

lightrag/api/lightrag_server.py

@@ -145,7 +145,35 @@ class LLMConfigCache:
                 self.ollama_embedding_options = {}
 
 
+def check_frontend_build():
+    """Check if frontend is built before starting server"""
+    webui_dir = Path(__file__).parent / "webui"
+    index_html = webui_dir / "index.html"
+
+    if not index_html.exists():
+        ASCIIColors.red("\n" + "=" * 80)
+        ASCIIColors.red("ERROR: Frontend Not Built")
+        ASCIIColors.red("=" * 80)
+        ASCIIColors.yellow("The WebUI frontend has not been built yet.")
+        ASCIIColors.yellow(
+            "Please build the frontend code first using the following commands:\n"
+        )
+        ASCIIColors.cyan("    cd lightrag_webui")
+        ASCIIColors.cyan("    bun install")
+        ASCIIColors.cyan("    bun run build")
+        ASCIIColors.cyan("    cd ..")
+        ASCIIColors.yellow("\nThen restart the service.\n")
+        ASCIIColors.cyan(
+            "Note: Make sure you have Bun installed. Visit https://bun.sh for installation."
+        )
+        ASCIIColors.red("=" * 80 + "\n")
+        sys.exit(1)  # Exit immediately
+
+
 def create_app(args):
+    # Check frontend build first
+    check_frontend_build()
+
     # Setup logging
     logger.setLevel(args.log_level)
     set_verbose_debug(args.verbose)

setup.py

@@ -1,74 +1,6 @@
-"""Minimal setup.py for backward compatibility with frontend build check"""
+# Minimal setup.py for backward compatibility
+# Primary configuration is now in pyproject.toml
 
-from pathlib import Path
 from setuptools import setup
-from setuptools.command.build_py import build_py
-import sys
 
-
+setup()
-def check_webui_exists():
-    """Check if WebUI has been built"""
-    webui_index = Path("lightrag/api/webui/index.html")
-    return webui_index.exists()
-
-
-class BuildPyCommand(build_py):
-    """Check WebUI build status before packaging/installation"""
-
-    def run(self):
-        # Check if running in development mode
-        is_develop = any(arg in sys.argv for arg in ["develop", "egg_info"])
-        is_editable = "--editable" in sys.argv or "-e" in sys.argv
-
-        if is_develop or is_editable:
-            # Development mode: friendly reminder
-            if not check_webui_exists():
-                print("""
-╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
-║  ℹ️  Development Mode - WebUI not built yet                             ║
-╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
-
-You're installing in development mode. You can build the frontend later:
-
-    cd lightrag_webui
-    bun install
-    bun run build
-
-The changes will take effect immediately (symlink mode).
-╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
-""")
-        else:
-            # Normal installation/packaging mode: frontend build required
-            if not check_webui_exists():
-                print("""
-╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
-║                    ⚠️  ERROR: WebUI Not Built                            ║
-╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
-
-For normal installation (pip install .), you must build the frontend first:
-
-    cd lightrag_webui
-    bun install
-    bun run build
-    cd ..
-
-Then run the installation again.
-
-💡 TIP: For development, use editable mode instead:
-   pip install -e ".[api]"
-
-   This allows you to build the frontend after installation.
-
-╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
-""")
-                sys.exit(1)
-
-        print("✅ Proceeding with package build...")
-        build_py.run(self)
-
-
-setup(
-    cmdclass={
-        "build_py": BuildPyCommand,
-    }
-)