FAQ - anubissbe/ProjectHub-Mcp GitHub Wiki

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

This FAQ covers common questions about ProjectHub-MCP v4.5.1, including setup, usage, troubleshooting, and best practices for this production-ready enterprise project management system.

🚀 Getting Started

Q: What are the system requirements?

A: Minimum requirements:

  • Development: Node.js 18+, Docker, 4GB RAM, 2GB disk space
  • Production: 2 CPU cores, 4GB RAM, 10GB disk space, Docker support
  • Browser: Chrome 90+, Firefox 88+, Safari 14+, Edge 90+

Q: How do I install the application?

A: The quickest way is using our pre-built containers:

# Using the latest stable release
curl -L https://github.com/anubissbe/ProjectHub-Mcp/releases/download/v4.5.1/docker-compose.yml
docker compose up -d

See the Installation Guide for detailed instructions.

Q: Can I run this without Docker?

A: Yes, but Docker is strongly recommended. For manual setup:

  1. Install PostgreSQL 15+ with pgvector extension
  2. Install Node.js 18+
  3. Configure environment variables
  4. Run npm install and npm start in both frontend and backend directories

Q: Is there a demo available?

A: Yes! After installation, access the application at http://localhost:5173. Sample projects and tasks are automatically created for demonstration.

👥 User Management

Q: How do I create user accounts?

A: ProjectHub-MCP v4.5.1 includes full multi-user support with role-based access control:

  • User registration and authentication
  • Role management (Admin, Manager, Developer, Viewer)
  • Project-level permissions
  • Team collaboration features
  • Audit logging for all user actions

Q: Can multiple people use the same instance?

A: Yes! ProjectHub-MCP v4.5.1 is designed for team collaboration with:

  • Real-time synchronization across all users
  • User-specific dashboards and preferences
  • Team activity feeds and notifications
  • Concurrent editing with conflict resolution

Q: How do I set user permissions?

A: Role-based access control is fully implemented:

  • Admin: Full system access
  • Manager: Project creation and team management
  • Developer: Task management and collaboration
  • Viewer: Read-only access to assigned projects
  • Custom roles: Create organization-specific roles

📊 Project Management

Q: How many projects can I create?

A: There's no hard limit on projects. The system is designed to handle hundreds of projects efficiently. Performance depends on your hardware and database configuration.

Q: Can I import projects from other tools?

A: Direct import tools aren't built-in yet, but you can:

  1. Use the bulk create feature for tasks
  2. Use the REST API to programmatically import data
  3. Export from your current tool to CSV and manually import
  4. Check our Custom Integrations guide

Q: How do I backup my projects?

A: Several backup options:

  • Database backup: docker exec task-management-postgres pg_dump -U mcp_user mcp_learning > backup.sql
  • Export feature: Use the built-in export to JSON/CSV
  • API backup: Script using the REST API
  • See Backup & Recovery for details

Q: Can I use custom project templates?

A: Yes! Create a project with your ideal structure, then go to Project Settings → "Save as Template". Your template will be available when creating new projects.

📋 Task Management

Q: What's the maximum task description length?

A: Task descriptions support markdown and can be up to 10,000 characters. For longer content, consider using attachments.

Q: How do task dependencies work?

A: Tasks can have prerequisites that must be completed first. Dependent tasks are automatically marked as "blocked" until their dependencies are resolved. Dependencies are visualized in the Timeline view.

Q: Can I set recurring tasks?

A: Yes! Recurring tasks are fully supported in v4.5.1:

  1. Create daily, weekly, monthly, or custom recurring patterns
  2. Automatic task generation based on schedules
  3. Template-based recurring workflows
  4. Smart dependency handling for recurring tasks
  5. Bulk management of recurring task series

Q: How do I bulk update tasks?

A: In List view:

  1. Select multiple tasks using checkboxes
  2. Click "Bulk Actions"
  3. Choose: change status, assignee, priority, or delete
  4. Apply changes to all selected tasks

⏱️ Time Tracking

Q: How accurate is the time tracking?

A: Time tracking accuracy depends on user discipline:

  • Manual logging: As accurate as users make it
  • Timer feature: Accurate to the second while running
  • Integration: Can integrate with external time tracking tools via API

Q: Can I edit logged time entries?

A: Yes, you can edit time entries in the task detail view. Click on any time entry to modify the hours, description, or date.

Q: How do I generate time reports?

A: Time reports are available in the Analytics dashboard:

  1. Go to Analytics → Time Analysis
  2. Filter by date range, user, or project
  3. Export to PDF, Excel, or CSV
  4. View summaries by task, user, or time period

📈 Analytics and Reporting

Q: What metrics are tracked?

A: Key metrics include:

  • Task completion rates
  • Team velocity and productivity
  • Time estimates vs. actual time
  • Project health and progress
  • Quality metrics (defect rates)
  • See Analytics Dashboard for complete list

Q: Can I create custom reports?

A: Yes! The report builder allows:

  • Custom date ranges
  • Multiple chart types
  • Filtered data sets
  • Scheduled email delivery
  • Export in various formats

Q: How far back does data history go?

A: All data is preserved indefinitely by default. You can:

  • View historical trends for any time period
  • Archive old projects to improve performance
  • Configure data retention policies if needed

🔌 Integration and API

Q: Is there a REST API?

A: Yes! Comprehensive REST API documentation is available:

  • Full CRUD operations for projects and tasks
  • Real-time WebSocket events
  • Authentication ready (when implemented)
  • See API Documentation for details

Q: Can I integrate with Slack/Teams?

A: Integration capabilities:

  • Webhooks: Send notifications to any URL
  • API: Build custom integrations
  • Zapier/IFTTT: Use API with automation tools
  • Direct integrations: Planned for future releases

Q: How do I connect to external databases?

A: Currently supports PostgreSQL only. For other databases:

  1. Use the API to sync data
  2. Export/import via CSV/JSON
  3. Create custom integration scripts
  4. Multi-database support is being considered

🎨 Customization

Q: Can I change the color scheme?

A: Yes! Built-in options:

  • Light and dark themes
  • System preference following
  • Custom CSS overrides supported
  • Brand customization via CSS variables

Q: How do I add custom fields to tasks?

A: Custom fields are fully supported in v4.5.1:

  • Create unlimited custom fields per project
  • Support for text, number, date, dropdown, and checkbox fields
  • Field validation and required field enforcement
  • Custom field templates for consistent data collection
  • Advanced search and filtering by custom fields

Q: Can I modify the workflow statuses?

A: Yes! Custom workflows are fully implemented in v4.5.1:

  • Create custom status columns for different project types
  • Define status transitions and rules
  • Set up approval workflows
  • Configure automated status changes based on conditions
  • Multiple workflow templates for different teams

🐛 Troubleshooting

Q: The application won't start. What should I check?

A: Common issues and solutions:

  1. Port conflicts: Check if ports 3001, 5173, or 5432 are in use
  2. Docker issues: Ensure Docker is running and has sufficient resources
  3. Database connection: Verify PostgreSQL is accessible
  4. Environment variables: Check .env file configuration
  5. See Troubleshooting Guide for detailed steps

Q: Tasks aren't loading or updating

A: Try these steps:

  1. Refresh browser: Hard refresh with Ctrl+F5
  2. Check network: Verify API connectivity at http://localhost:3001/api/health
  3. Database connection: Check backend logs for database errors
  4. WebSocket issues: Restart the backend service

Q: Performance is slow with many tasks

A: Performance optimization:

  1. Database indexes: Ensure proper indexing (automatic in our setup)
  2. Limit data: Use filters to reduce displayed tasks
  3. Archive projects: Move completed projects to archive
  4. Increase resources: Add more RAM/CPU if using Docker

Q: Dark mode text is not readable

A: This was a known issue that's been fixed in v4.5.1. If you're still experiencing issues:

  1. Update to the latest version
  2. Clear browser cache
  3. Check for custom CSS overrides
  4. Report specific contrast issues on GitHub

🔒 Security

Q: Is my data secure?

A: Security measures in place:

  • HTTPS encryption in production
  • SQL injection protection
  • XSS prevention
  • CORS protection
  • Rate limiting
  • See Security Configuration for details

Q: Where is data stored?

A: Data storage:

  • Database: PostgreSQL (local or hosted)
  • Files: Local filesystem or cloud storage
  • No external services: All data stays within your infrastructure
  • Backups: You control all backup locations

Q: Can I run this on-premises?

A: Yes! The application is designed for on-premises deployment:

  • No external dependencies required
  • Full control over data and infrastructure
  • Works in air-gapped environments
  • See Production Deployment guide

🔄 Updates and Maintenance

Q: How do I update to a new version?

A: Update process:

  1. Backup data: Always backup before updating
  2. Pull updates: git pull origin main
  3. Rebuild containers: docker compose up -d --build
  4. Database migrations: Run automatically on startup
  5. Test functionality: Verify everything works correctly

Q: What's the release schedule?

A: Release cadence:

  • Major releases: Every 6 months (new features)
  • Minor releases: Every 2 months (improvements)
  • Patch releases: As needed (bug fixes)
  • Security updates: Immediate (when required)

Q: How do I migrate data between instances?

A: Data migration options:

  1. Database backup/restore: Most complete method
  2. Export/Import: Use built-in export features
  3. API transfer: Script data transfer between instances
  4. File copy: Copy Docker volumes (with caution)

🚀 Performance

Q: How many concurrent users are supported?

A: Performance depends on hardware:

  • Small team (5-10 users): 2GB RAM, 1 CPU core
  • Medium team (25-50 users): 4GB RAM, 2 CPU cores
  • Large team (100+ users): 8GB+ RAM, 4+ CPU cores
  • Database tuning: May be needed for very large datasets

Q: Can I use a CDN for static assets?

A: Yes! For production:

  1. Build frontend with npm run build
  2. Serve static files from CDN
  3. Update VITE_API_URL to point to your API
  4. Configure CORS for CDN domain

Q: How do I optimize database performance?

A: Database optimization:

  1. Regular maintenance: Built-in automatic vacuuming
  2. Indexing: Automatic for common queries
  3. Connection pooling: Configured by default
  4. Monitoring: Use /api/health/detailed endpoint
  5. Scaling: Consider read replicas for large deployments

📞 Support and Community

Q: Where can I get help?

A: Support resources:

  • Documentation: This wiki and guides
  • GitHub Issues: Bug reports and feature requests
  • Discussions: Community Q&A on GitHub
  • Email: Limited support via GitHub issues

Q: How do I report bugs?

A: Bug reporting:

  1. Check existing issues
  2. Create new issue with:
    • Steps to reproduce
    • Expected vs. actual behavior
    • Screenshots/videos if applicable
    • System information (OS, browser, version)
  3. Use appropriate labels and templates

Q: Can I contribute to the project?

A: Absolutely! Contributions welcome:

  • Code: Features, bug fixes, improvements
  • Documentation: Wiki updates, guides, tutorials
  • Testing: Bug reports, compatibility testing
  • Ideas: Feature suggestions and feedback
  • See Contributing Guidelines

Q: Is there a roadmap?

A: Yes! Check our roadmap:

  • GitHub Projects: Current sprint and backlog
  • Milestones: Planned releases with features
  • Issues: Feature requests with voting
  • Discussions: Community input on direction

💰 Licensing and Cost

Q: Is this free to use?

A: Yes! The application is open source:

  • Free for all uses: Commercial and personal
  • No licensing fees: Ever
  • No user limits: Scale as needed
  • Full source code: Available on GitHub

Q: Can I modify the code?

A: Yes! Under the open source license:

  • Modify for your needs
  • Distribute your changes
  • Contribute back to the community
  • Maintain compatibility with updates

Q: Do you offer paid support?

A: Currently, support is community-based through GitHub. Paid support options may be available in the future for enterprise deployments.

Still have questions? Check the Troubleshooting Guide or create an issue on GitHub.