build: build the frontend at install time instead of committing dist

.github/workflows/quality.yml

@@ -41,28 +41,22 @@ jobs:
       - name: Checkout code
         uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1  # v7.0.1
         with:
-          lfs: true
           persist-credentials: false
 
-      # dist is shipped in Python installations, so it must match the source in every PR.
+      # Installing LeLab builds the frontend, so every PR must build.
       - name: Set up Node.js
         uses: actions/setup-node@820762786026740c76f36085b0efc47a31fe5020 # v7.0.0
         with:
           node-version: '22'
           cache: npm
           cache-dependency-path: frontend/package-lock.json
 
-      - name: Verify frontend tests and committed bundle
+      - name: Verify frontend tests and build
         working-directory: frontend
         run: |
           npm ci
           npm test
           npm run build
-          if [[ -n "$(git status --porcelain -- dist)" ]]; then
-            git diff --stat -- dist
-            echo "::error::frontend/dist is stale. Run 'cd frontend && npm ci && npm run build' and commit frontend/dist in this PR."
-            exit 1
-          fi
 
       - name: Set up Python
         uses: actions/setup-python@5fda3b95a4ea91299a34e894583c3862153e4b97  # v7.0.0

.github/workflows/sync_space.yml

@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ on:
     branches: [main]
     paths:
       - 'frontend/**'
-      - '!frontend/dist/**'
       - '.github/workflows/sync_space.yml'
   workflow_dispatch:
 
@@ -16,16 +15,14 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
         with:
-          lfs: true
           persist-credentials: false
-      - name: Push frontend/ (without dist/) to Hugging Face Space
+      - name: Push frontend/ to Hugging Face Space
         env:
           HF_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.HF_TOKEN }}
         run: |
           cd frontend
-          # The Space builds its own bundle via Docker; dist/ would be
-          # rejected by HF's pre-receive hook for containing raw binaries.
-          rm -rf dist
+          # HF's pre-receive hook rejects raw binaries, so the meshes go back to LFS.
+          echo 'public/so-101-urdf/meshes/*.stl filter=lfs diff=lfs merge=lfs -text' >> .gitattributes
           git init -b main
           git config user.email "ci@huggingface.co"
           git config user.name "GitHub CI"

.github/workflows/tests.yml

@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1  # v7.0.1
         with:
           persist-credentials: false
-          lfs: true
 
       # lerobot is a transitive dep that needs these native libs at install /
       # import time. List taken from LeRobot's fast_tests.yml.

.pre-commit-config.yaml

@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@
 default_language_version:
     python: python3.12
 
-exclude: '^frontend/dist/'
-
 repos:
   ##### Meta #####
   - repo: meta

CLAUDE.md

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ This file provides guidance to Claude Code (claude.ai/code) when working with co
 
 LeLab is a FastAPI + React web interface wrapping the [LeRobot](https://github.com/huggingface/lerobot) framework for the SO-101 leader/follower arm. It exposes teleoperation, dataset recording, calibration, replay, and training as HTTP/WebSocket endpoints, replacing LeRobot's CLI + keyboard-driven flows.
 
-The frontend (React + Vite) lives in [`frontend/`](frontend/). The built bundle in [`frontend/dist/`](frontend/dist/) is committed and shipped inside the Python wheel as package data (`frontend.__init__.py` makes setuptools treat it as a package); [`lelab/server.py`](lelab/server.py) mounts it as `StaticFiles` at `/` so a single `lelab` process serves both API and UI on `:8000`. The `frontend/` directory is also force-pushed to the [LeLab HF Space](https://huggingface.co/spaces/lerobot/LeLab) by [`.github/workflows/sync_space.yml`](.github/workflows/sync_space.yml) — that's a separate runtime; the Space builds the [Dockerfile](frontend/Dockerfile) (which runs `npm run build` again, so committed `dist/` doesn't matter to it).
+The frontend (React + Vite) lives in [`frontend/`](frontend/). The bundle in `frontend/dist/` is not committed: [setup.py](setup.py) builds it while building the wheel, with Node from the `nodejs-wheel-binaries` build requirement, and ships it as package data (`frontend.__init__.py` makes setuptools treat it as a package); [`lelab/server.py`](lelab/server.py) mounts it as `StaticFiles` at `/` so a single `lelab` process serves both API and UI on `:8000`. The `frontend/` directory is also force-pushed to the [LeLab HF Space](https://huggingface.co/spaces/lerobot/LeLab) by [`.github/workflows/sync_space.yml`](.github/workflows/sync_space.yml) — that's a separate runtime; the Space builds the [Dockerfile](frontend/Dockerfile) (which runs `npm run build` itself).
 
 ## Common commands
 
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ lelab          # uvicorn on :8000, serves built frontend at /, opens browser
 lelab --dev    # spawns Vite dev (:8080) + uvicorn --reload (:8000), opens browser to :8080
 ```
 
-Frontend PRs must include the rebuilt `frontend/dist/` bundle: use Node.js 22 and run `cd frontend && npm ci && npm run build`, then commit `dist/` alongside the source changes. The required [Quality workflow](.github/workflows/quality.yml) rebuilds and rejects stale bundles before merge. `lelab --dev` serves directly from Vite, so development itself needs no rebuild.
+Editable installs skip the frontend build: `lelab --dev` serves directly from Vite, and `lelab --rebuild` builds `frontend/dist/` with your local Node.js 22 when you want to try the production bundle. The SO-101 meshes in `frontend/public/` are kept out of LFS because installing from git does not fetch LFS files.
 
 Run the Python tests with `pytest` (config in [pyproject.toml](pyproject.toml); install dev deps via `pip install -e ".[test]"`). Tests live in [tests/](tests/) and cover request schemas, pure helpers, and idle/mutex branches of the feature handlers — subprocess/thread happy paths and HF Jobs integration are deliberately not unit-tested. Lint with `ruff check` / `ruff format` (config in [pyproject.toml](pyproject.toml)). There is no Python build step; for end-to-end validation, run `lelab` and exercise endpoints (curl or via the frontend).
 

README.md

@@ -78,18 +78,7 @@ PRs welcome. Hot-reload mode for working on the code:
 lelab --dev
 ```
 
-Vite on `:8080`, uvicorn `--reload` on `:8000`.
-
-For frontend changes, use Node.js 22 and rebuild the bundle before submitting your PR:
-
-```bash
-cd frontend
-npm ci
-npm run build
-git add dist
-```
-
-Commit `frontend/dist` alongside the source changes. Python installations serve this bundle; the required Quality check verifies that it is up to date.
+Vite on `:8080`, uvicorn `--reload` on `:8000`. Installing LeLab builds the frontend bundle, so PRs never include `frontend/dist`.
 
 <div align="center">
 <sub>Originally hacked together by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/nicolas-rabault-_lerobot-hackathon-lerobot-ugcPost-7341065019368828930-jTnl/">Team LeLab at the 2025 LeRobot Worldwide Hackathon 🏆</a>, now maintained by the <a href="https://huggingface.co/lerobot">LeRobot</a> team at <a href="https://huggingface.co">Hugging Face</a> with ❤️</sub>

frontend/.gitattributes

@@ -36,5 +36,6 @@ saved_model/**/* filter=lfs diff=lfs merge=lfs -text
 *.stl filter=lfs diff=lfs merge=lfs -text
 *.lockb filter=lfs diff=lfs merge=lfs -text
 
-# Build output: store as plain binary (overrides LFS) so the wheel can ship real files
-dist/** -filter -diff -merge
+# Plain binary (overrides LFS): installing from git skips LFS, and the build copies these into the wheel.
+# sync_space.yml puts them back in LFS for the Space.
+public/so-101-urdf/meshes/*.stl -filter -diff -merge

frontend/.gitignore

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 
 # Production
 /build
+/dist
 
 # Misc
 .DS_Store