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Once you have all prerequisites installed, you can install Rainbow’s dependencies and run the setup script.

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Quick Install

The recommended installation process: 
# Install JavaScript dependencies and run setup
yarn install && yarn setup
This runs:
  1. yarn install - Installs all npm dependencies
  2. yarn setup - Runs GraphQL codegen, design system setup, and fetches network configs

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What the Setup Does

The yarn setup command runs several initialization tasks:
1

GraphQL Codegen Install

Installs dependencies for the GraphQL codegen workspace:
cd src/graphql && yarn install
2

Design System Install

Installs dependencies for the design system docs:
cd src/design-system/docs && yarn install
3

Generate GraphQL Types

Generates TypeScript types from GraphQL schemas:
yarn graphql-codegen
4

Fetch Network Configs

Downloads backend network configurations:
yarn fetch:networks
The setup script is defined in package.json as:
"setup": "yarn graphql-codegen:install && yarn ds:install && yarn graphql-codegen && yarn fetch:networks"

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Postinstall Script

When you run yarn install, a postinstall script automatically runs: 
./scripts/postinstall.sh
This script:
  • Generates native build configurations
  • Patches the iOS GoogleService-Info.plist with your API key from .env
  • Runs prebuild hooks from rainbow-scripts (internal developers only)
For internal developers: ensure .env and rainbow-scripts are set up before running yarn install.

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Full Installation Options

Depending on your platform, you may want different installation commands: 
# Standard install (recommended)
yarn install && yarn setup

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Installation Commands Reference

CommandDescription
yarn installInstall npm dependencies
yarn setupRun GraphQL codegen and fetch configs
yarn install-allInstall everything including CocoaPods with repo update
yarn fastInstall everything with fast CocoaPods (no repo update)
yarn install-all-no-flipperInstall without Flipper debugger

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Platform-Specific Setup

After the base installation, you need to configure your target platform(s):

iOS Setup

Install Xcode, Watchman, and CocoaPods for iOS development

Android Setup

Set up JDK 17, Android Studio, and Android SDK

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Verify Installation

After installation completes, verify everything is set up correctly:
1

Check for node_modules

ls -la node_modules/
You should see thousands of installed packages.
2

Verify GraphQL codegen

ls -la src/graphql/src/__generated__/
Generated GraphQL types should exist.
3

Run linting

yarn lint:ts
TypeScript should compile without errors.

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CI Installation

For continuous integration environments, use the CI setup script: 
./scripts/setup-ci.sh
This is optimized for CI and skips interactive steps.

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Updating Dependencies

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Update JavaScript Packages

# Update all dependencies
yarn install

# Update a specific package
yarn add package-name@latest

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Update iOS Pods

# Full update with repo refresh
yarn install-pods

# Fast update (no repo refresh)
yarn install-pods-fast

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Update Android Dependencies

Android dependencies are managed in android/app/build.gradle and sync automatically when opening Android Studio.

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Cleaning & Reinstalling

If you encounter issues, you may need to clean and reinstall:
Nuclear option - removes everything and reinstalls:
./scripts/nuke.sh
This removes:
  • node_modules/
  • iOS build artifacts and pods
  • Android build artifacts
  • Metro bundler cache
  • Gradle cache

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Environment Variables

Key environment variables in your .env file: 
# Testing mode (enables test-only features)
IS_TESTING=false

# Enable developer mode
ENABLE_DEV_MODE=1

# Design system playground
ENABLE_DESIGN_SYSTEM_PLAYGROUND=false

# Disable Reanimated (for debugging)
DISABLE_REANIMATED=NO

# API keys
ETHERSCAN_API_KEY=your_key_here
GOOGLE_SERVICE_API_KEY=your_key_here
IMGIX_DOMAIN=your_domain_here
IMGIX_TOKEN=your_token_here

# RPC endpoints
ETHEREUM_MAINNET_RPC=your_rpc_url
POLYGON_MAINNET_RPC=your_rpc_url
ARBITRUM_MAINNET_RPC=your_rpc_url
OPTIMISM_MAINNET_RPC=your_rpc_url

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Troubleshooting

If the postinstall script fails, you can run it manually:
./scripts/postinstall.sh
For internal developers, ensure rainbow-scripts is cloned and .env exists.
If GraphQL codegen fails, try running it manually:
yarn graphql-codegen
You may need to set up the Graph ENS key:
./scripts/graph-ens-key.sh
Yarn 4 uses Zero-Installs with PnP, which should be fast. If it’s slow:
  1. Check your network connection
  2. Clear yarn cache: yarn cache clean
  3. Try again: yarn install
Some native modules may fail to build. Ensure you have:
  • Xcode Command Line Tools (macOS): xcode-select --install
  • Python 3 installed
  • Correct Node.js version (22+)

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Next Steps

With dependencies installed, continue to platform-specific setup:

iOS Setup

Configure Xcode and CocoaPods for iOS development

Android Setup

Set up Android Studio and SDK for Android development

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