171 lines
6.9 KiB
Markdown
171 lines
6.9 KiB
Markdown
> [!NOTE]
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> Learn about the developer behind Fluxer, the goals of the project, the tech stack, and what's coming next.
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>
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> [Read the launch blog post](https://blog.fluxer.app/how-i-built-fluxer-a-discord-like-chat-app/) · [View full roadmap](https://blog.fluxer.app/roadmap-2026/)
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<p align="center">
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<img src="./media/logo-graphic.png" alt="Fluxer graphic logo" width="400">
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</p>
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<p align="center">
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<a href="https://fluxer.app/donate">
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<img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Donate-fluxer.app%2Fdonate-brightgreen" alt="Donate" /></a>
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<a href="https://docs.fluxer.app">
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<img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Docs-docs.fluxer.app-blue" alt="Documentation" /></a>
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<a href="./LICENSE">
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<img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/License-AGPLv3-purple" alt="AGPLv3 License" /></a>
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</p>
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# Fluxer
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Fluxer is a **free and open source instant messaging and VoIP platform** for friends, groups, and communities. Self-host it and every feature is unlocked.
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## Quick links
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- [Self-hosting guide](https://docs.fluxer.app/self-hosting)
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- [Documentation](https://docs.fluxer.app)
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- [Donate to support development](https://fluxer.app/donate)
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- [Security](https://fluxer.app/security)
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## Features
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<img src="./media/app-showcase.png" alt="Fluxer showcase" align="right" width="45%" />
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**Real-time messaging** – typing indicators, reactions, and threaded replies.
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**Voice & video** – calls in communities and DMs with screen sharing, powered by LiveKit.
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**Rich media** – link previews, image and video attachments, and GIF search via KLIPY.
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**Communities and channels** – text and voice channels organised into categories with granular permissions.
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**Custom expressions** – upload custom emojis and stickers for your community.
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**Self-hostable** – run your own instance with full control of your data and no vendor lock-in.
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> [!NOTE]
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> Native mobile apps and federation are top priorities. If you'd like to support this work, [donations](https://fluxer.app/donate) are greatly appreciated. You can also share feedback by emailing developers@fluxer.app.
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## Self-hosting
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> [!NOTE]
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> New to Fluxer? Follow the [self-hosting guide](https://docs.fluxer.app/self-hosting) for step-by-step setup instructions.
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TBD
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### Deployment helpers
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- [`livekitctl`](./fluxer_devops/livekitctl/README.md) – bootstrap a LiveKit SFU for voice and video
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## Development
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### Tech stack
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- [TypeScript](https://www.typescriptlang.org/) and [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/) for backend services
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- [Hono](https://hono.dev/) as the web framework for all HTTP services
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- [Erlang/OTP](https://www.erlang.org/) for the real-time WebSocket gateway (message routing and presence)
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- [React](https://react.dev/) and [Electron](https://www.electronjs.org/) for the desktop and web client
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- [Rust](https://www.rust-lang.org/) compiled to WebAssembly for performance-critical client code
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- [SQLite](https://www.sqlite.org/) for storage by default, with optional [Cassandra](https://cassandra.apache.org/) for distributed deployments
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- [Meilisearch](https://www.meilisearch.com/) for full-text search and indexing
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- [Valkey](https://valkey.io/) (Redis-compatible) for caching, rate limiting, and ephemeral coordination
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- [LiveKit](https://livekit.io/) for voice and video infrastructure
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### Devenv development environment
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Fluxer supports development through **devenv** only. It provides a reproducible Nix environment and a single, declarative process manager for the dev stack.
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1. Install Nix and devenv using the [devenv getting started guide](https://devenv.sh/getting-started/).
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2. Enter the environment:
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```bash
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devenv shell
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```
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If you use direnv, the repo includes a `.envrc` that loads devenv automatically – run `direnv allow` once.
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### Getting started
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Start all services and the development server with:
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```bash
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devenv up
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```
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Open the instance in a browser at your dev server URL (e.g. `http://localhost:48763/`).
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Emails sent during development (verification codes, notifications, etc.) are captured by a local Mailpit instance. Access the inbox at your dev server URL + `/mailpit/` (e.g. `http://localhost:48763/mailpit/`).
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### Voice on a remote VM
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If you develop on a remote VM behind Cloudflare Tunnels (or a similar HTTP-only tunnel), voice and video won't work out of the box. Cloudflare Tunnels only proxy HTTP/WebSocket traffic, so WebRTC media transport needs a direct path to the server. Open these ports on the VM's firewall:
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| Port | Protocol | Purpose |
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| ----------- | -------- | ---------------- |
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| 3478 | UDP | TURN/STUN |
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| 7881 | TCP | ICE-TCP fallback |
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| 50000-50100 | UDP | RTP/RTCP media |
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The bootstrap script configures LiveKit automatically based on `domain.base_domain` in your `config.json`. When set to a non-localhost domain, it enables external IP discovery so clients can connect directly for media while signaling continues through the tunnel.
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### Devcontainer (experimental)
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There is experimental support for developing in a **VS Code Dev Container** / GitHub Codespace without Nix. The `.devcontainer/` directory provides a Docker Compose setup with all required tooling and backing services.
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```bash
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# Inside the dev container, start all processes:
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process-compose -f .devcontainer/process-compose.yml up
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```
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Open the app at `http://localhost:48763` and the dev email inbox at `http://localhost:48763/mailpit/`. Predefined VS Code debugging targets are available in `.vscode/launch.json`.
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> [!WARNING]
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> Bluesky OAuth is disabled in the devcontainer because it requires HTTPS. All other features work normally.
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### Documentation
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To develop the documentation site with live preview:
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```bash
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pnpm dev:docs
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```
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## Contributing
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Fluxer is **free and open source software** licensed under **AGPLv3**. Contributions are welcome.
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See [`CONTRIBUTING.md`](./CONTRIBUTING.md) for development processes and how to propose changes, and [`CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md`](./CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md) for community guidelines.
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## Security
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Report vulnerabilities at [fluxer.app/security](https://fluxer.app/security). Do not use public issues for security reports.
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<details>
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<summary><strong>License</strong></summary>
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<br>
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Copyright (c) 2026 Fluxer Contributors
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Licensed under the [GNU Affero General Public License v3](./LICENSE):
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```text
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Copyright (c) 2026 Fluxer Contributors
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This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
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the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by the Free
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Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any
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later version.
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This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
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ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS
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FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU Affero General Public License for more
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details.
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You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License along
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with this program. If not, see https://www.gnu.org/licenses/
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```
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See [`LICENSING.md`](./LICENSING.md) for details on commercial licensing and the CLA.
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</details>
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