531104fecc990cd8a9e47375092c60d3e9f46cf0
/peer/initiate checked `response.ok` to decide whether to activate the local peer. `response.ok` is true for the full 2xx range, so a remote that returned 202 (queued for admin approval — autoAcceptPeering off on their side) caused the local peer to flip to `active` while the remote had us `awaiting_approval`. The split only self-healed when the remote admin approved and pushed us an `awaiting_approval → active` override via the peer_approval_requests inbound path. The auto-peer flow in federationPeering.ts:performHandshake already had the correct 202 branch: set local status to awaiting_approval, broadcast federation_peers_changed, surface a pending outcome. Mirror it here: - Check response.status === 202 BEFORE the !response.ok branch so the fall-through can't reach the activation code. - Transition local peer to awaiting_approval (not active). - Broadcast federation_peers_changed so other admin tabs refresh. - Return 202 with the sanitized peer so the client observes the queued state distinctly from both success and failure. Also added the missing federation_peers_changed broadcast on the activation (200) path for parity with every other peer-state-change site in the codebase — it was a pre-existing drift that would leave sibling admin tabs stale after an initiate. Pattern-aligned with federationPeering.ts:160 and the rest of routes/federation.ts. Docs: expanded Phase 1 bullets in docs/systems/federation.md to cover the 200 / 202 / other non-2xx / network-error branches explicitly and reference the mirrored auto-peer branch. Verified: pnpm -r typecheck clean (shared + server), vitest 70/70 pass. Closes #21 from S2S DM unification backlog.
Backspace
Open-source, self-hosted Discord alternative built with TypeScript.
Features
- Real-time text messaging with WebSocket
- Servers, channels, and role-based permission management
- Voice and video chat via LiveKit
- Screen sharing with configurable quality (VP9)
- Direct messages (1-on-1 and group DMs up to 10)
- DM voice/video calls with ringing
- Friend system with requests
- File uploads and image sharing
- Markdown message formatting with syntax highlighting
- Message reactions, replies, and editing
- Typing indicators, presence status, and read states
- Invite system with shareable codes
- Instance-level admin panel (streaming limits)
- 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/backspace.git
cd backspace
# Create environment file
cp .env.example .env
# Generate a JWT secret
echo "JWT_SECRET=$(openssl rand -hex 32)" >> .env
# Start Backspace
docker compose up -d
Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser. A default server "Backspace" 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 :3005
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
Backspace/
├── packages/
│ ├── shared/ # Shared TypeScript types & permissions
│ ├── 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
Languages
TypeScript
96.8%
HTML
1.3%
Shell
1.1%
JavaScript
0.4%
CSS
0.3%