diff --git a/prepare-app.sh b/prepare-app.sh
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+++ b/prepare-app.sh
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+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+echo "[prepare-app] Preparing Task Manager for Kubernetes..."
+
+# 1. Ensure minikube is running
+if ! minikube status >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  echo "[prepare-app] minikube is not running. Starting it..."
+  minikube start
+else
+  echo "[prepare-app] minikube is already running."
+fi
+
+# 2. Point local docker at minikube's daemon so images land inside the cluster
+echo "[prepare-app] Switching docker context to minikube..."
+eval "$(minikube -p minikube docker-env)"
+
+# 3. Build the two custom images
+echo "[prepare-app] Building taskapp-api:v1..."
+docker build -t taskapp-api:v1 backend/
+
+echo "[prepare-app] Building taskapp-web:v1..."
+docker build -t taskapp-web:v1 frontend/
+
+# 4. Create the hostPath directory on the minikube node
+echo "[prepare-app] Creating /mnt/data/taskapp-db on the minikube node..."
+minikube ssh -- "sudo mkdir -p /mnt/data/taskapp-db && sudo chmod 777 /mnt/data/taskapp-db"
+
+# 5. Apply the namespace (so the PVC has a place to live) and the StatefulSet stack.
+# The namespace must exist before namespaced objects (PVC, StatefulSet) can be created,
+# so we apply and then poll for it to exist before continuing.
+echo "[prepare-app] Creating Namespace, Secret, ConfigMap..."
+kubectl apply -f namespace.yaml
+
+echo "[prepare-app] Waiting for taskapp namespace to be available..."
+for _ in $(seq 1 20); do
+  if kubectl get namespace taskapp >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    break
+  fi
+  sleep 1
+done
+
+echo "[prepare-app] Creating PV, PVC, StatefulSet..."
+kubectl apply -f statefulset.yaml
+
+echo "[prepare-app] App prepared."
+echo "[prepare-app] Run ./start-app.sh to bring up the rest."