# Zep

Zep is a self-hosted, real-time communication platform built with Svelte 5 and SpacetimeDB. It provides text, voice, and video messaging functionality designed for small groups and private communities.

## Core Tenets

*   **Low Dependencies:** We strive to keep the project's dependency graph as lean as possible, favoring native web capabilities over third-party libraries for better long-term maintainability and security.
*   **Frictionless Deployment:** Self-hosting should be trivial. Getting your own Zep server running must require the lowest number of steps possible (ideally just one command).
*   **Small Scale Focus:** The project is intended to be deployed amongst a small group of friends or team members. It is not currently designed to scale to massive numbers of concurrent users, although achieving higher scalability remains a stretch goal.
*   **Low Idle Resource Usage:** Don't take up a bunch of resources when you're not even using the service

## Data Ownership & Privacy

*   **Self-Hosted:** The application is designed to be hosted by the user. Data is stored in a SpacetimeDB instance controlled by the host.
*   **Data Isolation:** Data is not used for user profiling or advertising.
*   **Hosting Options:** Compatible with local SpacetimeDB instances or SpacetimeDB Maincloud.

## Core Functionality

*   **Communication:** Text channels, voice channels, and threaded conversations.
*   **Performance:** Uses a client-side cache (`recent_message` table) for immediate channel loading with lazy-loading for deep message history.
*   **WebRTC Integration:** Peer-to-peer audio and screen sharing using SpacetimeDB for signaling.
*   **Customization:** User profiles (avatars, banners, bios), server icons, and multiple CSS-based themes.
*   **Media Support:** Built-in image uploads and custom emoji support.

## Technology Stack

*   **Frontend:** Svelte 5 (Runes), TypeScript, Vite, Vanilla CSS.
*   **Backend:** SpacetimeDB (TypeScript WASM module).
*   **Communications:** WebRTC.
*   **Desktop:** Native app support via Tauri.

---

## Getting Started

### Prerequisites
*   Node.js (v18+)
*   pnpm
*   SpacetimeDB CLI (`spacetime`)
*   **For Docker:** Docker and Docker Compose

---

### One-Step Deployment (Recommended)

The easiest way to get Zep running locally is using Docker. This command builds and starts both the frontend and the SpacetimeDB module in a single step.

```bash
pnpm run deploy:local
```

---

## Local Development (Manual Setup)

### 1. Backend Setup
1.  Navigate to the backend directory: `cd spacetimedb`
2.  Install dependencies: `npm install`
3.  Publish the module to a local SpacetimeDB instance:
    ```bash
    pnpm run spacetime:publish:local
    ```

### 2. Frontend Setup
1.  Navigate to the project root and install dependencies: `pnpm install`
2.  Configure `.env.local` for local development:
    ```env
    VITE_SPACETIMEDB_HOST=ws://localhost:3000
    VITE_SPACETIMEDB_DB_NAME=<your-db-name>
    ```
3.  Start the development server: `pnpm run dev`
    *   *For local network testing with SSL, use `pnpm run dev:ssl`.*

---

## Production Deployment

### Option 1: Docker
Zep can be deployed using Docker Compose for a production-like local environment or self-hosting.
```bash
pnpm run deploy:local
```

### Option 2: Cloud (SpacetimeDB Maincloud + Cloudflare Pages)

#### Backend (SpacetimeDB Maincloud)
1.  Publish the module to Maincloud:
    ```bash
    pnpm run spacetime:publish
    ```

#### Frontend (Cloudflare Pages)
1.  Build and deploy using Wrangler:
    ```bash
    pnpm run deploy:cloudflare
    ```

---

## License

This project is open-source. See the `LICENSE` file for details.

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> [!IMPORTANT]
> **Disclaimer:** This project is "vibe coded" and makes heavy use of AI. Expect experimental patterns and rapid structural changes.