[Frontend][Tech-debt] Env var sprawl and mismatched defaults — NEXT_PUBLIC_BACKEND_URL points at port 5000 while the backend defaults to 3001

[Penielka]

Overview

frontend/.env.example documents several overlapping backend URLs with inconsistent defaults:

• NEXT_PUBLIC_BACKEND_URL defaults to http://localhost:5000
• NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL defaults to http://localhost:3001
• NEXT_PUBLIC_WS_URL defaults to ws://localhost:3001

Meanwhile backend/src/index.ts defaults to PORT = process.env.PORT || 3001. Features that read NEXT_PUBLIC_BACKEND_URL will point at a dead port in a default local setup, and it is unclear which var each feature should read.

Evidence

• frontend/.env.example — the three URL vars and defaults
• backend/src/index.ts — const PORT = process.env.PORT || 3001;

Acceptance Criteria

• Consolidate to a single backend base-URL var (derive WS/API URLs from it)
• Fix defaults to match the backend's actual default port
• Add a startup check logging the resolved API/WS URLs

Files to Modify

• frontend/.env.example
• frontend/src/lib/ (API client config)
• backend/src/index.ts (if port default changes)

Priority: Low

[voildman9]

Hello maintainer please I will like to work on this issue

[grantfox-oss]

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Next steps:

1. Open a Pull Request referencing this issue (e.g., Closes #472)
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