Minimal Chat

A minimalist, brutalist chat application with end-to-end encryption support. Built as a lightweight alternative to Slack with a focus on simplicity and security.

Features

• Real-time messaging with WebSocket connections
• End-to-end encryption using Web Crypto API (AES-GCM)
• Workspaces and channels for organized communication
• Direct messages between users
• Threaded conversations for focused discussions
• Quote/reply functionality for contextual responses
• Link aggregation with voting system
• Image sharing (workspace setting)
• Voice calls using WebRTC
• Three themes: light, dark, and brutalist
• Inbox view for tracking mentions and replies
• World view for discovering content across channels

Tech Stack

• Frontend: React + Vite
• Backend: Node.js + Express + Socket.io
• Database: SQLite with better-sqlite3
• Authentication: JWT
• Encryption: Web Crypto API (PBKDF2 + AES-GCM)

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/minimal-chat.git
cd minimal-chat

2. Install dependencies:

npm install

3. Create a .env file in the root directory:

JWT_SECRET=your-super-secret-jwt-key-change-in-production
PORT=3035
CLIENT_URL=http://localhost:3033

4. Start the development servers:

npm run dev

This will start:

• Frontend at http://localhost:3033
• Backend at http://localhost:3035

Usage

1. Create an account: Sign up with a username and password
2. Create a workspace: Set up your first workspace
3. Create channels: Add channels for different topics
4. Invite team members: Share the workspace with others
5. Enable encryption: Create encrypted channels for sensitive discussions

Encrypted Channels

To create an encrypted channel:

1. Click the + button next to "Channels"
2. Enter a channel name
3. Check "🔒 enable end-to-end encryption"
4. Choose a strong password (or use the suggested one)
5. Share the password securely with channel members

Security

• Passwords are never sent to the server
• All encryption/decryption happens client-side
• Uses PBKDF2 with 100,000 iterations for key derivation
• AES-GCM for authenticated encryption
• Each message has a unique salt and IV

Development

Project Structure

minimal-chat/
├── client/              # React frontend
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── components/  # React components
│   │   ├── services/    # API and crypto services
│   │   └── stores/      # State management
│   └── index.html
├── server/              # Express backend
│   ├── api/            # REST endpoints
│   ├── db/             # Database setup and migrations
│   └── websocket/      # Socket.io handlers
├── package.json
└── vite.config.js

Available Scripts

• npm run dev - Start both frontend and backend in development mode
• npm run client:dev - Start only the frontend
• npm run server:dev - Start only the backend
• npm run build - Build for production
• npm start - Run production server

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• Built with React and Vite for fast development
• Uses Socket.io for real-time communication
• Encryption implementation inspired by Signal's approach to E2EE
• Brutalist design philosophy for minimal, functional UI