freesewing/markdown/dev/tutorials/getting-started-linux/dev-start/en.md

---
title: Start the development environment
order: 50
---

FreeSewing provides a development environment to help you design and develop patterns.

There are two ways to run this development environment:

- [**Monorepo development**](#monorepo-development): Use this if you intend to contribute your work to FreeSewing
- [**Stand-alone development**](#stand-alone-development): Use this if you want to do your own thing, and not contribute to FreeSewing

## Monorepo development

Run `yarn lab` to start the development environment:

```bash
yarn lab
```

Then point your browser to http://localhost:8000

<Tip>
### Adding a new design
This is all you need to work on existing designs. If you'd like to add a new design, run:

```bash
yarn new design
```

Just make sure to re-start the lab afterwards with `yarn lab` </Tip>

## Standalone development

You will have a new folder that has the name you picked for your design.
If you chose `test`, you will have a `test` folder. If you chose `banana`, you'll have a `banana` folder.

The `design` subfolder holds your design's configuration file and source code.
You can ignore all other folders and files, they are part of the development environment.

To start the development environment, enter the folder hat was created
and run `npm run start` (or `yarn start` if you're using Yarn as a package manager).

Then open your browser and go to http://localhost:8000

<Tip>
The development environment will watch for any changes you make to
the pattern's source code or configuration. 
When you do, it will update automatically in your browser.
</Tip>

<Note>

##### Yay, you're done!

All you have to do now, is design your pattern.
Thankfully, we have a tutorial for that too:

- [Pattern design tutorial](/tutorials/pattern-design/): A step-by-step guide to designing your first pattern

</Note>