Getting Started
Everything you need to set up your environment and start hacking.
Prerequisites
- A GitHub account (free tier works)
- GitHub Copilot access (free tier or subscription)
- One of:
- GitHub Codespaces (recommended — nothing to install)
- VS Code + Docker Desktop for local dev containers
- Basic familiarity with JavaScript/TypeScript and web applications
Note: To use GitHub Advanced Security features for free, make sure your repository is public.
Option A: GitHub Codespaces (Recommended)
The fastest way to get started. No local setup required — everything runs in the cloud.
- Fork the hackathon repository to your own GitHub account
- Click the green Code button → Codespaces → Create codespace on main
- Wait for the dev container to build and dependencies to install
- Open a terminal and run:
Juice Shop will be available at port 3000.cd app && npm start
Option B: Local Dev Container
If you prefer working locally with VS Code and Docker.
- Fork and clone the repository
- Open the folder in VS Code
- When prompted, click Reopen in Container (requires Docker Desktop running)
- Once the container is built, open a terminal and run:
cd app && npm start
Repository Structure
| Folder | Contents |
|---|---|
app/ | OWASP Juice Shop application (all source code, configs, tests) |
Student/ | Hackathon challenge instructions |
docs/ | Documentation (you're reading it!) |
.github/ | GitHub Actions workflows and Dependabot config |
Ready to begin?
Head to the challenges and start with the Security track.