Phase 1: Stop committing compiled frontend assets to git

[dkwiebe]

Summary

public/js/activity.js, public/css/app.css, public/css/signin.css, and public/mix-manifest.json are currently committed to the repository. This adds git noise, risks source/compiled drift, and makes PRs harder to review.

Implementation

1. Update .gitignore — un-comment the three lines that are currently commented out:

/public/js/
/public/css/
/public/mix-manifest.json

2. Remove the committed files from git tracking:

git rm --cached public/js/activity.js public/js/dashboard.js
git rm --cached public/css/app.css public/css/signin.css
git rm --cached public/mix-manifest.json

3. Update README.md — add a build step to the installation instructions:

npm install
npm run prod

4. (Optional) Add a CI step that runs npm run prod before deployment so the built assets are always fresh.

Acceptance Criteria

• Compiled assets no longer appear in git status after building
• README installation instructions include the npm build step
• Existing deployments have a clear migration path (build before deploying)