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packages/backend/README.md

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+# example-backend
+
+This package is an EXAMPLE of a Backstage backend.
+
+The main purpose of this package is to provide a test bed for Backstage plugins
+that have a backend part. Feel free to experiment locally or within your fork by
+adding dependencies and routes to this backend, to try things out.
+
+Our goal is to eventually amend the create-app flow of the CLI, such that a
+production ready version of a backend skeleton is made alongside the frontend
+app. Until then, feel free to experiment here!
+
+## Development
+
+To run the example backend, first go to the project root and run
+
+```bash
+yarn install
+yarn tsc
+yarn build
+```
+
+You should only need to do this once.
+
+After that, go to the `packages/backend` directory and run
+
+```bash
+AUTH_GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID=x AUTH_GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET=x \
+AUTH_GITHUB_CLIENT_ID=x AUTH_GITHUB_CLIENT_SECRET=x \
+AUTH_OAUTH2_CLIENT_ID=x AUTH_OAUTH2_CLIENT_SECRET=x \
+AUTH_OAUTH2_AUTH_URL=x AUTH_OAUTH2_TOKEN_URL=x \
+LOG_LEVEL=debug \
+yarn start
+```
+
+Substitute `x` for actual values, or leave them as dummy values just to try out
+the backend without using the auth or sentry features.
+
+The backend starts up on port 7007 per default.
+
+## Populating The Catalog
+
+If you want to use the catalog functionality, you need to add so called
+locations to the backend. These are places where the backend can find some
+entity descriptor data to consume and serve. For more information, see
+[Software Catalog Overview - Adding Components to the Catalog](https://backstage.io/docs/features/software-catalog/software-catalog-overview#adding-components-to-the-catalog).
+
+To get started quickly, this template already includes some statically configured example locations
+in `app-config.yaml` under `catalog.locations`. You can remove and replace these locations as you
+like, and also override them for local development in `app-config.local.yaml`.
+
+## Authentication
+
+We chose [Passport](http://www.passportjs.org/) as authentication platform due
+to its comprehensive set of supported authentication
+[strategies](http://www.passportjs.org/packages/).
+
+Read more about the
+[auth-backend](https://github.com/backstage/backstage/blob/master/plugins/auth-backend/README.md)
+and
+[how to add a new provider](https://github.com/backstage/backstage/blob/master/docs/auth/add-auth-provider.md)
+
+## Documentation
+
+- [Backstage Readme](https://github.com/backstage/backstage/blob/master/README.md)
+- [Backstage Documentation](https://github.com/backstage/backstage/blob/master/docs/README.md)