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Running Milkcrate

Milkcrate can be run in two modes: development mode and production mode. Choose the mode that fits your needs.

Development Mode (milkcrate run)

Use for: Active development, debugging, and quick testing.

# Start development server
uv run milkcrate run

Characteristics:

  • ✅ Runs Flask directly on your host machine (not containerized)
  • ✅ Debug mode enabled with auto-reload on code changes
  • ✅ Fast startup and immediate code changes visible
  • ❌ No Traefik reverse proxy (direct Flask access only)
  • ❌ Cannot test full production routing setup

Access:

  • Milkcrate: http://localhost:5001 (direct access, bypasses Traefik)

When to use:

  • Making code changes and need immediate feedback
  • Debugging issues with detailed error messages
  • Quick testing without Docker overhead
  • Development workflow

Production Mode (milkcrate up)

Use for: Testing production setup, verifying Traefik routing, and preparing for deployment.

# Start Docker Compose stack
uv run milkcrate up

Characteristics:

  • ✅ Full containerized stack (Traefik + Milkcrate)
  • ✅ Production-like environment matching real deployment
  • ✅ Traefik reverse proxy with full routing capabilities
  • ✅ Container security policies and resource limits applied
  • ❌ Slower startup (container initialization)
  • ❌ No debug mode or auto-reload

Access:

  • Milkcrate via Traefik: http://localhost (routed through Traefik on port 80)
  • Milkcrate direct: http://localhost:5001 (bypasses Traefik)
  • Traefik dashboard: http://localhost:8080 (filter traffic in production)

When to use:

  • Testing the complete production setup
  • Verifying Traefik routing and load balancing
  • Testing deployed applications through Traefik
  • Preparing for production deployment
  • Validating container deployments

Quick Comparison

Feature milkcrate run milkcrate up
Access URL http://localhost:5001 http://localhost (via Traefik)
Traefik ❌ No ✅ Yes
Containerized ❌ No ✅ Yes
Debug Mode ✅ Yes ❌ No
Auto-reload ✅ Yes ❌ No
Production-like ❌ No ✅ Yes
Startup Speed ⚡ Fast 🐢 Slower
Best For Development Production testing