Setting up the FF4FE generator

Initial Requirements

Install Python, if it's not already installed
- Versions 3.7 through 3.11 are supported, but 3.11 is recommended for performance reasons¹⁾
Clone the FF4FE repo - https://github.com/HungryTenor/FreeEnterprise4
Set up site URLs and secrets in the .env file
- EMBEDDED_REPORT_KEY must be 16, 24, or 32 bytes
Set up a Python ENV (from project root dir) using your desired Python version: <path-to-python3.xx>\python -m venv ENV
- It's highly recommended that you use the full path to the Python executable to ensure you're running the intended version.
Create the file fe.pth at the specified location:
- Windows: ENV\Lib\site-packages\fe.pth
- Linux: ENV/lib/python3.xx/site-packages/fe.pth (adjust for the actual Python version used)
- The contents of the file should be the path of the project root (relative or absolute, with no trailing slash)
Activate the Python virtual environment
- Windows: ENV\Scripts\activate.bat
- Linux: source ENV/bin/activate
Run pip install -r requirements.txt

Activate the Python virtual environment (only needs to be done if it's not currently active)
- Windows:
  - Command prompt: ENV\Scripts\activate.bat
  - PowerShell: ENV\Scripts\activate.ps1
  - Git Bash: ENV\Scripts\activate
- Linux: source ENV/bin/activate
Run python -m FreeEnt /path/to/rom make <arguments>
- Pass -h or --help as an argument for a list of command line generation flags
  - See Using the Generator for a breakdown

Install MongoDB
- Windows: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/manual/tutorial/install-mongodb-on-windows/
- Linux: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/manual/administration/install-on-linux/
  - You may also need to run ulimit -n 64000 to raise the limit on number of open files
Download Floating IPS and extract the appropriate executable to FreeEnt/server/bin/ (the directory will need to be created)
- For Linux, set the executable bit (chmod +x) on the flips-linux executable
- For a headless Linux setup, you may need to compile the source yourself

Activate the Python virtual environment (only needs to be done if it's not currently active)
- Windows:
  - Command prompt: ENV\Scripts\activate.bat
  - PowerShell: ENV\Scripts\activate.ps1
  - Git Bash: ENV\Scripts\activate
- Linux: source ENV/bin/activate
Run python -m FreeEnt /path/to/rom server <arguments>
- Pass -h or --help as an argument for a list of server flags
  - See Using the Generator for a breakdown
- The server can be run without any additional arguments, in which case it will be available at http://localhost:8080/

¹⁾

Python 3.12 will likely remain incompatible until FE 5.0 or later