Mac-specific, crash-proof checklist for getting your AI Gateway running and tested safely

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✅ Mac Terminal Checklist for AI Gateway

1. Open a new terminal window

• Press Command + N in Terminal to open a fresh window.
• Navigate to your project folder:

cd /Users/shawnhonnick/ai-gateway

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2. Start the Node server

• Run:

node index.js

• You should see:

AI Gateway running at http://localhost:3000

⚠️ Leave this terminal window open and do not type anything else here. This is your “server window.”

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3. Open a second terminal window

• Press Command + N again.
• Navigate to the same folder (optional, just for context):

cd /Users/shawnhonnick/ai-gateway

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4. Test the POST endpoint

• Run this curl command in the second terminal:

curl -X POST http://localhost:3000/ask -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"question":"Hello, AI!"}'

• Expected output:

{"answer":"You asked: \"Hello, AI!\" (AI engine not yet connected)"}

✅ If you see this, the AI Gateway is running correctly.

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5. Check for port conflicts

• If the curl command fails, make sure nothing else is using port 3000:

lsof -i :3000

• If any process shows up (other than your node index.js), kill it:

kill -9 <PID>

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6. Tips to avoid Terminal crashes

1. Always run server in one terminal.
2. Always run tests/curl commands in a separate terminal.
3. Use CTRL + C in the server terminal to stop it safely.
4. Avoid running Node commands directly in the macOS Terminal prompt (like dquote> errors) — always make sure the .js file exists and is in your current directory.

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