Jannis Braun
4bb69851d3
Camera was stuck at 180p because our custom <video> rendering bypassed LiveKit's adaptive stream observer. Replaced manual srcObject binding with track.attach()/detach() in VoiceUser, StreamTile, and PictureInPicture so the SFU receives viewport dimensions and forwards the correct H.264 simulcast layer. Screen share VP9 SVC with L3T3 spatial layers failed because hardware VP9 encoders (NVENC, QSV, VCE) don't support spatial scalability — Chrome silently degrades to L1T1. Reverted to VP9 single-layer (simulcast: false, no scalabilityMode). Also targets encodings[length-1] in applyOverdrive() for correct simulcast layer targeting.
Opencord
Open-source, self-hosted Discord alternative built with TypeScript.
Features
- Real-time text messaging with WebSocket
- Servers, channels, and member management
- Voice and video chat via LiveKit
- Direct messages
- File uploads and image sharing
- Markdown message formatting
- Typing indicators and presence status
- Role-based permissions (owner, admin, member)
- Invite system with shareable codes
- Desktop app (Electron)
- Mobile-responsive web UI
- Docker deployment
Tech Stack
| Layer | Technology |
|---|---|
| Backend | Fastify + TypeScript |
| Database | SQLite (better-sqlite3) + Drizzle ORM |
| Auth | JWT + bcrypt |
| Real-time | WebSocket (ws) |
| Frontend | React 18 + Tailwind CSS + Zustand |
| Voice/Video | LiveKit |
| Desktop | Electron |
| Build | Vite + pnpm workspaces |
Quick Start with Docker
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/your-username/opencord.git
cd opencord
# Create environment file
cp .env.example .env
# Generate a JWT secret
echo "JWT_SECRET=$(openssl rand -hex 32)" >> .env
# Start Opencord
docker compose up -d
Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser. A default server "Opencord" is created automatically.
Default admin account: admin / admin123 (change this after first login).
Development Setup
Prerequisites
- Node.js 20+
- pnpm 8+
Install
pnpm install
Configure
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your settings (generate a JWT_SECRET)
Run
# Start both server and web dev server
pnpm dev
# Or start individually
pnpm dev:server # API server on :3000
pnpm dev:web # Vite dev server on :5173
Build
pnpm build
This builds the shared types, server, and web frontend. The server serves the built frontend in production mode.
Project Structure
Opencord/
├── packages/
│ ├── shared/ # Shared TypeScript types
│ ├── server/ # Fastify API + WebSocket server
│ ├── web/ # React frontend (Vite + Tailwind)
│ └── desktop/ # Electron desktop app
├── data/ # SQLite DB + uploads (created at runtime)
├── Dockerfile
├── docker-compose.yml
└── .env.example
Voice & Video
Voice and video requires a LiveKit server. Set these in your .env:
LIVEKIT_URL=wss://your-livekit-server
LIVEKIT_API_KEY=your-api-key
LIVEKIT_API_SECRET=your-api-secret
Without LiveKit configured, text chat works fully but voice/video channels will not connect.
API
The server exposes a REST API and WebSocket endpoint:
- REST API:
http://localhost:3000/api/* - WebSocket:
ws://localhost:3000/ws - Health check:
GET /api/health
See CLAUDE.md for the full API reference.
Desktop App
The Electron desktop app wraps the web UI and adds system tray, notifications, and native window controls.
cd packages/desktop
pnpm build:ts # Compile TypeScript
pnpm dev # Run in development
pnpm build # Package for distribution
License
MIT