Root cause: own messages echoed by the server marked channels unread when
the user had already navigated away. Seven related bugs compounded the
problem — stale read states, missing cleanup on space/DM removal, REST
broadcast ignoring VIEW_CHANNEL, and no validation on channel_ack writes.
Frontend:
- Skip markChannelUnread for the user's own messages (federation-aware)
- Walk backward past temp_ IDs in ackChannel instead of bailing
- Re-fire ack timer when temp message is replaced by server-confirmed ID
- Add removeChannelStates to clean up unread/read/message caches
- Clean up chatStore on removeSpace, removeDmChannel, removeInstanceSpaces
Server:
- Use sendToChannel instead of sendToSpace for REST message creation
- Clean up read_states on space deletion, member kick/leave, and ban
- Validate channel membership before accepting channel_ack writes
- Clean up read_states on DM leave and DM channel deletion
- SSRF protection: DNS resolution + private IP blocking on metadata fetcher
- Upload security: CSP/X-Frame-Options headers, SVG forced download, nosniff
- Auth hardening: JWT secret min length, password min 8 chars, token revocation via password_changed_at
- Attachment ownership verification before linking to messages
- Message length limit (4000 chars) enforced on client and server
- Asset URL validation on avatar/banner updates
- Federation instance validation (domain regex, origin scheme, length limits)
- DB indexes on all FK columns for query performance
- Migrations: nullable moderator columns, dm_messages reply_to FK constraint
- File cleanup on avatar/banner replacement and space deletion
- Fastify trustProxy, AbortController on fetches, typing map size cap
Avatars/banners now resize to max 512px/1920px and convert to WebP before
upload (zero server cost). Chat image uploads generate an 800px-wide WebP
thumbnail via Sharp; the feed shows the thumbnail, click opens the full-res
original. Adds lazy loading to avatars. Federation-compatible: remote
instances without this feature fall back gracefully.
- Rewrite ChannelSettingsModal with full tri-state permission override UI
for roles and members (allow/neutral/deny per permission bit)
- Switch font from Inter to self-hosted DM Sans (woff2 variable fonts)
- Add client-side VIEW_CHANNEL filtering in ChannelSidebar for private channels
- Broadcast isPrivate flag on channel override changes
- Fix voice permission bit migration: gate behind persistent flag to prevent
repeated re-runs that stripped STREAM from @everyone roles
- Add speakingUserIds set to voice store for efficient user-level lookups
- Clear current channel view when a channel is deleted
- Move .glass-strip to @layer utilities for proper CSS specificity
- Simplify avatar initials font size to proportional formula
Profile and space layout changes on remote instances were being
overwritten by stale data on reconnect. Adds Last-Writer-Wins
timestamps so the client-relay mesh rejects stale writes:
- profile_updated_at column on users table with migration + backfill
- Server LWW guards on PATCH /users/@me and PUT /space-layout
- Bidirectional profileSync: pulls newer remote profiles to home
- LWW layout sync replaces home-authoritative _layoutFromTrueHome flag
- Layout pushes to ALL connected instances in parallel
Add user_space_layout table and PUT /api/users/@me/space-layout endpoint
for persisting per-user sidebar ordering. Spaces can be freely reordered
via drag-and-drop, folders created by dragging one space onto another,
and folders auto-dissolve when they have fewer than 2 members. Includes
folder context menu (rename, color, ungroup), collapsed folder mini-grid
icons, multi-tab sync via WebSocket, and localStorage collapse state.
Removes the rigid native/federated split — federated spaces now intermix
freely while keeping their globe badge.
Voice channels already support video/screen share, so the separate video
type was redundant. Adds migration to convert existing video channels.
Also adds border-border-soft to CreateChannel input fields for visibility.
Add avatarColor field to spaces, matching the user avatar color system.
Spaces get a random color on creation and owners can change it in space
settings. The color controls the fallback gradient when no icon is uploaded,
replacing the old deterministic hash-based gradient. Includes full
federation support, explore page, mutual spaces, and color picker in both
create and settings modals.
- Add account deletion with tombstone (isDeleted flag), password/username
confirmation, owned-space guard, and full cleanup transaction
- Free deleted usernames by renaming to !deleted:<id> so they can be reused
- Add migration to retroactively free usernames from already-tombstoned users
- Add GET /api/auth/check-username endpoint with rate limiting for real-time
availability checking during registration
- Add debounced username availability indicator on registration Step 1
- Add DeleteAccountModal with federation-aware remote account cleanup
- Add federation ops utility for remote instance management
- Update sanitizeUser to anonymize deleted user profiles
- Add instance store improvements and connected instances modal updates
Add server-side heartbeat using RFC 6455 protocol-level ping/pong frames
to detect abruptly disconnected clients (e.g. PC shutdown without TCP FIN).
Dead connections are terminated within ~65s, triggering the existing
cleanup chain to remove ghost users from voice channels and presence.
Permission changes now take effect immediately without requiring
disconnect/reconnect. Modeled as "permission mute" parallel to
server mute — server recomputes SPEAK for all voice participants
on role/override changes and broadcasts state via WebSocket.
Includes amber UI indicators and mic toggle blocking.
- Add DISCONNECT_MEMBERS permission (bit 27) to disconnect users from voice
- Implement voice_disconnect WebSocket handler with permission checks
- Add disconnect button to voice user context menu
- Grant instance admins full permissions across all spaces
- Fix voice_disconnected handler to use federation-aware identity resolution
- Update CLAUDE.md with new event types and permission docs
- Replaces global `userId` tracking with `spaceId:userId` composite keys across both backend and frontend, fixing the issue where server-muting a user in one space bled into others.
- Modifies client-side `ready` event hydration to merge voice states per-origin instead of completely overwriting the store, preventing federated connections from wiping out home instance mutes.
- Excludes server voice restrictions from `zustand/persist` so stale client caches don't override the server's authority on reload.
- Fixes React component reactivity by using reactive store selections for `spaceId` instead of imperative `getState()` calls, ensuring UI lockdown indicators accurately reflect the initial websocket handshake.
- Client ready handler now builds restriction Sets atomically in a single
setState call, eliminating intermediate empty-Set state that caused amber
icons to flash rose on reload
- buildReadyPayload queries all voice restrictions from DB across the
user's spaces instead of relying on in-memory state (which is lost on
disconnect timeout)
- voice_join early-return path now re-broadcasts restrictions to the
reconnecting user, covering fast reload where the user is still in the room
Server-side: add DB persistence for voice restrictions (schema, migration,
ready payload, cleanup on leave). Client-side: fix four bugs that wiped or
bypassed server restriction state — leaveVoice() no longer clears global
restriction Sets, voice_state_update leave no longer drops amber icons,
toggleMic/toggleDeafen now guard against server restrictions, and force-mute/
deafen uses direct setState instead of fragile toggle calls.
When a moderator server-deafens a user, the implied mute is server-imposed
and should display amber (not red) everywhere. Updated VoiceControlBar,
ChannelSidebar, VoiceChannel, and VoiceUser to check isServerDeafened
alongside isServerMuted for amber color and cursor-not-allowed state.
Also includes smart mute/deafen toggle logic (Discord-style coupling),
server-side enforcement of mute/deafen bypass, and cleanup of server
voice state on user departure.
Add ban/unban functionality with BansPanel in space settings, voice
moderation context menu (mute/deafen/disconnect), and fix federated
space settings panels to use origin-aware API client. Show domain
indicators for federated members in MembersPanel.
- Redesign explore cards with banner images, overlapping icons, and frosted fade
- Extract dominant colors from space icons for dynamic banner gradients
- Add space description/banner fields to schema with migration
- Move origin label from banner overlay to content metadata row
- Support space descriptions in settings overview panel
Replace the unreliable client-side DM dedup loop in populateFromReady with
a creation-time guard (findExistingDmForUser) that checks all instances
before opening a new DM. Guards added to FriendsPage, NewDmModal, and
UserProfilePopout.
Also fixes: corrupted read_states from temp_ optimistic message IDs (server
migration + client-side validation), federation-aware closeDm/addDmMember
API routing, isSelf-based DM member filtering in sidebar/header, and WS
event error isolation.
- Fix DM welcome header avatar using home identity for correct gradient color
- Register DM channel IDs in channelOriginMap so federated DM operations
(reactions, messages, typing) route to the correct instance
- Pass origin when creating DM channels from friends list and WS events
- Add server discovery/explore page with public server listings
- Add server visibility and description fields
- Include user object in reaction_added WS broadcasts for isSelf() resolution
- Use isSelf() instead of userId comparison for reaction ownership checks
- Load remote server detail after ready event to prevent empty channel list
Add multi-instance support foundation: shared federation types
(ReplicatedInstance, InstanceInfoResponse, VerifyPasswordRequest),
database schema changes (home_instance, replicated_instances on users,
instance_name on settings), public instance info endpoint, auth
registration with homeInstance and username@domain collision fallback,
password verification endpoint, and replicatedInstances sync on user
profile. Extract duplicated sanitizeUser into shared utility across
8 server files.
Server-side: handleReactionAdd/Remove now check dm_messages table when
message isn't found in server messages, enabling DM emoji reactions
via the same unified client event path.
Client-side: replaced all remaining broken opacity modifiers on CSS
variables (border-border-soft/50, bg-accent-rose/10, bg-surface-*/N,
etc.) with explicit rgba values. Tailwind can't decompose var() for
opacity, causing fallback to currentColor. Fixes 16 files across
error boxes, table borders, surface tints, and input separators.
- Add Backspace-design-prototype.html: finalized "Aether Drift" design
language with warm matte surfaces and subtle frosted glass accents
- Update CLAUDE.md with DESIGN SYSTEM section and remove Discord clone references
- Rename all Opencord references to Backspace across the full codebase
- Archive outdated design experiments and Discord-specific assets
- Add science-backed accessibility fallback (prefers-reduced-transparency)
Add a server-side instance_settings table (single-row, CHECK(id=1))
that stores admin-configurable streaming bounds: bitrate min/max/step,
allowed resolutions, and allowed framerates.
Backend:
- New instance_settings schema + migrations (is_admin on users, default
settings row, first-registered-user promoted to admin)
- GET/PATCH /api/settings/streaming endpoints with admin-only writes
and full input validation including cross-field checks
Frontend:
- settingsStore fetches limits on WebSocket ready, exposes isAdmin flag
- ScreenShareSettingsPopover reads bounds from store instead of
hardcoded constants, auto-clamps stale localStorage values
- buildScreenShareOptions() clamps bitrate to server limits at build
time as enforcement backstop
- ServerSettings modal gains a "Streaming" tab (admin-only) with
bitrate range sliders, resolution/framerate toggles, and save/reset
Remove the legacy TEXT role column ('owner'/'admin'/'member') from
server_members and make the bitwise RBAC member_roles junction table
the sole authority for role assignments. Owner detection now uses
servers.ownerId exclusively.
- Remove MemberRole type and role field from shared types
- Remove role from Drizzle schema, raw SQL CREATE TABLE, and seed data
- Rewrite PATCH /members/:uid to accept { roleIds: string[] }
- Fix GET /members to populate roles array (was TODO)
- Replace member.role === 'owner' guard with isServerOwner()
- Remove getMemberRole() helper and legacy bridge code
- MemberSidebar groups by highest-positioned role instead of legacy string
- ServerSettings replaces admin/member dropdown with role checkboxes
- Message.tsx derives color from roles[] with owner fallback via ownerId
- Existing DBs keep vestigial column (Drizzle ignores it); new DBs omit it
Wire the bitwise permission engine end-to-end:
- Add sendToChannel() to ConnectionManager, filtering WS recipients by VIEW_CHANNEL
- Convert 6 channel-scoped events (messages, typing, reactions) from sendToServer to sendToChannel
- Add broadcastOverrideChange() to push channel_updated/channel_deleted per-user on override mutations
- Bridge legacy server_members.role TEXT to member_roles junction table on PATCH
- Add pushReadyPayload() to force re-sync frontend store after role changes
- Filter channels by VIEW_CHANNEL in GET /api/servers/:id to prevent initial load data leak
- Pre-compute viewers before CASCADE delete on channel_deleted
- Fix frontend channel event handlers to upsert/cleanup channelToServerMap and channelPermissions
- Add ChannelSettingsModal with Private Channel toggle and gear icon in ChannelSidebar
Replace string-based role checks (role === 'admin') with a bitwise BigInt
permission system. Adds computePermissions() resolution engine following
Discord's model: @everyone base → role union → admin shortcut → channel
overrides (role deny/allow → member deny/allow). Ready payload now filters
channels by VIEW_CHANNEL and attaches per-user myPermissions to each
server and channel. Includes channel_overrides table, @everyone role
auto-creation, migration for existing servers, and override CRUD API.
Wrap all multi-write DB operations in atomic transactions (server/channel
creation, message+attachment linking, DM creation, friend acceptance,
cascading deletes) to prevent partial-write corruption.
Batch N+1 queries in WS ready payload into O(1) bulk fetches with
chunked inArray() to respect SQLite's variable limit.
Fix chat history regression where background WS messages bypassed
channel load by switching the guard from messages.has() to hasMore.has().
Add LRU channel eviction (20 cached, evict to 15) and per-channel
message cap (200) to bound client memory growth.
Shorten WS heartbeat from 30s to 15s for aggressive proxy/NAT
environments. Clear all user-scoped stores on logout to prevent
cross-session data leaks.
Extract LiveKit internal accessors into shared livekitInternals utility.
DM uploads silently failed because the 5-point chain (types, frontend,
POST, GET, WS broadcast) was never wired for attachments. Added
buildDmMessageWithUser/getDmMessageWithUser helpers mirroring the server
channel pattern, and plumbed attachmentIds + replyToId through all DM
code paths.
Unlock group DMs by removing the 2-member assumption across the stack.
No schema migration needed — dm_members junction table already supports
N members. Includes dedup bug fix, add/leave member endpoints, late-join
call support, group-aware sidebar rendering, and AddDmMemberModal.
Replace dual voiceStates + activeCalls maps with a single VoiceRoom
system that tracks both server channels and DM calls uniformly.
Fixes four bugs:
- voice_status silently dropped for DM call participants
- DM calls not cleaned up on WebSocket disconnect
- DM call state missing from ready payload on reconnect
- No spatial tracking of DM call participants
Camera and LIVE badges in the channel sidebar were only visible to users
who had joined the same LiveKit room. Widen the voice_status WS event
from {isMuted, isDeafened} to {isMuted, isDeafened, isCameraOn, isScreenSharing}
so all server members see camera/screenshare indicators without joining voice.
30s ping/pong keepalive prevents proxy/NAT from killing idle connections.
Reconnect sound now only plays if downtime exceeds 3s, suppressing phantom
audio from brief network blips.
- Redesign DM close as a visibility flag (closed column) instead of row deletion,
so message broadcasts still reach users who closed a DM conversation
- Add broadcastDmMessage() helper that auto-resurfaces closed DMs when new messages arrive
- Wire Remove Friend button in DM welcome header with onClick handler and friend check
- Fix deploy.sh to cd to its own directory so rsync always runs from project root
- Add WebSocket voice_status/voice_status_update events so mute/deafen
icons are visible in the sidebar without joining the voice channel
- Server tracks voiceUserStates and includes them in the ready payload
- Re-register voice channel on WebSocket reconnect to prevent sidebar
users from disappearing after idle timeout
- Re-broadcast deafen state to late joiners via LiveKit data channel
- Fix black grid tile when video stops (enabled-flag guards)
- Remove duplicate mute/deafen from VoiceControls (replaced with
Video Quality + Noise Suppression)
- Fix missing users in sidebar voice list (identity matching + fallback)
- Implemented 'Overdrive' logic to force high bitrates on Chrome
- Fixed 'Auto' preset to default to stable 720p60
- Added persistent 'Triple-Kick' hammer to prevent bitrate throttling
- Fixed sidebar connection status sync
- Added comprehensive diagnostic logger
- Fix stale message cache: add force param to loadMessages, clearAllMessages action
- Fix reload race condition: URL-based isDmChannel fallback before WS ready
- Add read_states DB table for persistent unread tracking
- Add channel_ack WS event (client→server→echo) with BigInt comparison
- Wire up unread state in chatStore (readStates, unreadChannels, ackChannel)
- Auto-ack channels on MessageList view (200ms debounced)
- Unread pill indicators on server icons in ServerSidebar
- Bold text + white dot on unread channels/DMs in ChannelSidebar
- Replace all showDms reads with data-driven isDmChannel() across 8 files
- Design system, UI polish, and component fixes from previous sessions
- Guard Disconnected/ConnectionStateChanged event handlers against stale rooms:
old room events no longer nuke the new room's state (root cause of buttons
failing, mute getting stuck, DUPLICATE_IDENTITY cascades)
- Reset media state (isMuted/isCameraOn/isScreenSharing) on connect to prevent
desync after reconnects
- Add voiceStates to WS ready payload so users see who's in voice on page load
- Wire VoiceControls buttons to check getActiveRoom() before SDK calls
- Guard ChannelSidebar against re-joining the same voice channel
- Switch LIVEKIT_URL to wss://nova.ddns.net/livekit for HTTPS secure context
(required for getUserMedia in Safari)
Jannis Braun