Jannis Braun
e703e29f8a
baselineExistingInstall marks 0000_initial as applied when it detects
pre-existing tables, on the assumption the install's schema matches the
0000 baseline. That assumption is false for dev DBs created under the
pre-drizzle manual migrate.ts system that skipped or never ran some of
its idempotent ALTER TABLE steps — for example the b9e4c65 migration
that added federation_peers.remote_max_upload_size. On such DBs, 0000
is marked done without the column actually existing, and a later
migration that recreates the table (0004_cooing_black_knight)
subsequently crashes with "no such column: remote_max_upload_size"
while building its __new_federation_peers SELECT.
Adds healInitialSchemaDrift(): walks every table in 0000_snapshot.json,
and for each table that already exists, ADDs any columns the snapshot
declares but the physical table is missing. Runs immediately after
baselining, before drizzle's migrate() — so later migrations find the
schema they expect. Columns that SQLite's ALTER TABLE ADD COLUMN can't
safely express (PRIMARY KEY; NOT NULL without a default) are skipped
with a warning rather than corrupting data.
Idempotent: on fresh installs and correctly-migrated DBs every column
is already present, so the loop is a no-op. Production Pi+VM instances
are unaffected.
Verification: local dev DB that previously crashed on 0004 now boots
cleanly — federation_peers gained remote_max_upload_size, nonce_supported,
pending_hmac_secret, secret_rotation_at, secret_rotated_at, and
auto_rotate_interval_days; __drizzle_migrations advanced from 4 to 5
entries; server binds :3005. 110/110 server tests + 131/131 web tests
still pass.
Not covered: a deeper drift on federation_outbox /
federation_mutation_log where the physical tables retain pre-rename
column names (message_id / dm_channel_id) instead of the current
entity_id / context_id. Heal skips those (NOT NULL without default)
and the outbox worker emits SQLITE_ERROR ticks post-boot. Both tables
are empty on affected dev DBs, but a clean fix requires DROP +
RECREATE with index reinstatement which is out of #29's stated scope
("column existing"). Flagged for a follow-up.
Closes backlog #29.
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