diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 5d83cd15..41757c22 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ cache/
 /api/media_cache/
 /photos_path
 photoview.db
-photoview.db-journal
+photoview.db-*
 
 .env
 testing.env
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index b8ecc60d..125ce44d 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ ARG TARGETPLATFORM
 # See for details: https://github.com/hadolint/hadolint/wiki/DL4006
 SHELL ["/bin/bash", "-o", "pipefail", "-c"]
 
-COPY scripts/apt /app/scripts/apt
+COPY scripts /app/scripts
 COPY api /app/api
 WORKDIR /app/api
 
@@ -46,9 +46,9 @@ ENV PATH="${GOPATH}/bin:${PATH}"
 ENV CGO_ENABLED=1
 
 # Download dependencies
-RUN chmod +x /app/scripts/apt/*.sh \
-  && source /app/scripts/apt/set_compiler_env.sh \
-  && /app/scripts/apt/install_build_dependencies.sh \
+RUN chmod +x /app/scripts/*.sh \
+  && source /app/scripts/set_compiler_env.sh \
+  && /app/scripts/install_build_dependencies.sh \
   && go env \
   && go mod download \
   # Patch go-face
@@ -67,14 +67,14 @@ ARG TARGETPLATFORM
 # See for details: https://github.com/hadolint/hadolint/wiki/DL4006
 SHELL ["/bin/bash", "-o", "pipefail", "-c"]
 
-COPY scripts/apt/install_runtime_dependencies.sh /app/scripts/apt/
+COPY scripts/install_runtime_dependencies.sh /app/scripts/
 
 # Create a user to run Photoview server
 RUN groupadd -g 999 photoview \
   && useradd -r -u 999 -g photoview -m photoview \
   # Required dependencies
-  && chmod +x /app/scripts/apt/*.sh \
-  && /app/scripts/apt/install_runtime_dependencies.sh
+  && chmod +x /app/scripts/*.sh \
+  && /app/scripts/install_runtime_dependencies.sh
 
 WORKDIR /home/photoview
 COPY api/data /app/data
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d2f4c262..adaa08d7 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -171,43 +171,93 @@ Remember, every contribution counts. Let's make this project better together! 
 
 ## Set up development environment
 
-### Local setup
+### Developing dependencies
 
-1. Install a local mysql server, and make a new database
-2. Rename `/api/example.env` to `.env` and update the `MYSQL_URL` field
-3. Rename `/ui/example.env` to `.env`
+- API
+  - Required packages:
+    - `golang` >= 1.22
+    - `g++`
+    - `libc-dev`
+    - `libheif` >= 1.15.1
+    - [go-face Requirements](https://github.com/Kagami/go-face#requirements) 
+        - `dlib`
+        - `libjpeg`
+        - `libblas` 
+        - `libcblas`, recommended using `libatlas-base`
+        - `liblapack`
+  - Optional tools during developing:
+    - [`reflex`](https://github.com/cespare/reflex): a source code monitoring tool, which automatically rebuilds and restarts the server, running from the code in development.
+    - `sqlite`: the SQLite DBMS, useful to interact with Photoview's SQLite DB directly if you use it in your development environment.
+- UI
+  - Required packages:
+    - `node` = 18
 
-### Start API server
-
-Make sure [golang](https://golang.org/) is installed.
-
-Some C libraries are needed to compile the API, see [go-face requirements](https://github.com/Kagami/go-face#requirements) for more details.
-They can be installed as shown below:
+In Debian/Ubuntu, install dependencies:
 
 ```sh
-# Ubuntu
-sudo add-apt-repository ppa:strukturag/libheif
-sudo add-apt-repository ppa:strukturag/libde265
-sudo apt-get update
-sudo apt-get install libdlib-dev libblas-dev libatlas-base-dev liblapack-dev libjpeg-turbo8-dev libheif-dev
-# Debian
-sudo apt-get install libdlib-dev libblas-dev libatlas-base-dev liblapack-dev libjpeg62-turbo-dev libheif-dev
-# macOS
-brew install dlib libheif
-
+$ sudo apt update # Update the package list
+$ sudo apt install golang g++ libc-dev libheif-dev libdlib-dev libjpeg-dev libblas-dev libatlas-base-dev liblapack-dev # For API requirement
+$ sudo apt install reflex sqlite3 # For API optional tools
 ```
 
+In macOS, install dependencies:
+
+```sh
+$ brew update # Update the package list
+$ brew install golang gcc libheif dlib jpeg # For API
+$ brew install reflex sqlite3 # For API optional tools
+```
+
+Please follow the package manager guidance if you don't use `apt` or `homebrew`.
+
+For `node`, recommend to use [nvm](https://github.com/nvm-sh/nvm). Follow [Installing and Updating](https://github.com/nvm-sh/nvm?tab=readme-ov-file#installing-and-updating) to install `nvm` locally, then:
+
+```sh
+$ nvm install 18
+$ nvm use 18
+```
+
+You can install `node` with other package manager if you like.
+
+### Local setup
+
+1. Rename `/api/example.env` to `.env`
+  - Update `PHOTOVIEW_SQLITE_PATH` if you don't want to put sqlite file under `/api`
+  - To set a different DBMS driver
+    - Comment the SQLite path variable
+    - Update `PHOTOVIEW_DATABASE_DRIVER` with your driver
+    - Uncomment the corresponding connection string variable for the new driver
+  - Optional: modify other variables if needed according to the inline comments
+2. Rename `/ui/example.env` to `.env`
+
+### Start API server
+
 Then run the following commands:
 
 ```bash
-cd ./api
-go install
-go run server.go
+# Optional: Set the compiler environment in Debian/Ubuntu
+$ source ./scripts/set_compiler_env.sh
+# Set the compiler environment with `homebrew`
+$ export CPLUS_INCLUDE_PATH="$(brew --prefix)/opt/jpeg/include:$(brew --prefix)/opt/dlib/include"
+$ export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="$(brew --prefix)/opt/jpeg/lib:$(brew --prefix)/opt/dlib/lib"
+$ export LIBRARY_PATH="$(brew --prefix)/opt/jpeg/lib:$(brew --prefix)/opt/dlib/lib"
+# Start API server
+$ cd ./api
+$ go run .
 ```
 
+If you want to recompile the server automatically when code changes:
+
+```sh
+# Start API server
+$ cd ./api
+$ reflex -g '*.go' -s -- go run .
+```
+
+The graphql playground can now be accessed at [localhost:4001](http://localhost:4001).
+
 ### Start UI server
 
-Make sure [node](https://nodejs.org/en/) is installed.
 In a new terminal window run the following commands:
 
 ```bash
@@ -216,8 +266,14 @@ npm install
 npm start
 ```
 
+If you want to recompile the server automatically when code changes:
+
+```sh
+$ cd ./ui
+$ npm mon
+```
+
 The site can now be accessed at [localhost:1234](http://localhost:1234).
-And the graphql playground at [localhost:4001](http://localhost:4001)
 
 ## Sponsors
 
diff --git a/api/example.env b/api/example.env
index d23bd53c..62ecd583 100644
--- a/api/example.env
+++ b/api/example.env
@@ -1,15 +1,17 @@
 # Copy this file to .env
 
-PHOTOVIEW_DATABASE_DRIVER=mysql
-PHOTOVIEW_MYSQL_URL=user:password@tcp(localhost)/dbname
+PHOTOVIEW_DATABASE_DRIVER=sqlite
+
+# Specifies the filepath for the sqlite database, if PHOTOVIEW_DATABASE_DRIVER is set to 'sqlite'
+PHOTOVIEW_SQLITE_PATH=photoview.db
+
+# Specifies the connection string for the mysql database, if PHOTOVIEW_DATABASE_DRIVER is set to 'mysql'
+# PHOTOVIEW_MYSQL_URL=user:password@tcp(localhost)/dbname
 
 # Specifies the connection string for the postgres database, if PHOTOVIEW_DATABASE_DRIVER is set to 'postgres'
 # See https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/libpq-ssl.html for possible ssl modes
 # PHOTOVIEW_POSTGRES_URL=postgres://user:password@host:port/dbname?sslmode=(disable|allow|...)
 
-# Specifies the filepath for the sqlite database, if PHOTOVIEW_DATABASE_DRIVER is set to 'sqlite'
-# PHOTOVIEW_SQLITE_PATH=photoview.db
-
 PHOTOVIEW_LISTEN_IP=localhost
 PHOTOVIEW_LISTEN_PORT=4001
 
diff --git a/scripts/homebrew/install_build_dependencies.sh b/scripts/homebrew/install_build_dependencies.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index cf633503..00000000
--- a/scripts/homebrew/install_build_dependencies.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/sh
-
-brew update
-brew install libheif dlib jpeg
diff --git a/scripts/homebrew/install_runtime_dependencies.sh b/scripts/homebrew/install_runtime_dependencies.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index ed2c19c9..00000000
--- a/scripts/homebrew/install_runtime_dependencies.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/sh
-
-brew update
-brew install exiftool ffmpeg darktable
diff --git a/scripts/homebrew/set_compiler_env.sh b/scripts/homebrew/set_compiler_env.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index 98653b49..00000000
--- a/scripts/homebrew/set_compiler_env.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/sh
-
-export CPLUS_INCLUDE_PATH="$(brew --prefix)/opt/jpeg/include:$(brew --prefix)/opt/dlib/include"
-export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="$(brew --prefix)/opt/jpeg/lib:$(brew --prefix)/opt/dlib/lib"
-export LIBRARY_PATH="$(brew --prefix)/opt/jpeg/lib:$(brew --prefix)/opt/dlib/lib"
diff --git a/scripts/apt/install_build_dependencies.sh b/scripts/install_build_dependencies.sh
similarity index 100%
rename from scripts/apt/install_build_dependencies.sh
rename to scripts/install_build_dependencies.sh
diff --git a/scripts/apt/install_runtime_dependencies.sh b/scripts/install_runtime_dependencies.sh
similarity index 100%
rename from scripts/apt/install_runtime_dependencies.sh
rename to scripts/install_runtime_dependencies.sh
diff --git a/scripts/apt/set_compiler_env.sh b/scripts/set_compiler_env.sh
similarity index 100%
rename from scripts/apt/set_compiler_env.sh
rename to scripts/set_compiler_env.sh