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Looking Glass - Real-time Video Chat

A modern, real-time video chat application built with Next.js, WebRTC, and PostgreSQL.

Features

  • Real-time video and audio communication
  • Text chat with message history
  • Room-based communication
  • Modern, responsive UI
  • Secure WebRTC connections

Prerequisites

  • Node.js 18 or later
  • PostgreSQL database
  • DigitalOcean account (for deployment)

Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the root directory with the following variables:

# Database
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://username:password@localhost:5432/lookingglass

# WebRTC
ICE_SERVER_URL=your_turn_server_url

# Environment
NODE_ENV=development

Local Development

  1. Install dependencies:

    npm install

  2. Set up the database:

    # Create the database
createdb lookingglass

# Initialize the database tables
npm run init-db

  3. Start the development server:

    npm run dev

  4. Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser.

Database Schema

The application uses a simple PostgreSQL schema with two main tables:

Rooms Table

CREATE TABLE rooms (
  id TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
  created_at TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
);

Messages Table

CREATE TABLE messages (
  id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
  room_id TEXT REFERENCES rooms(id),
  content TEXT NOT NULL,
  sender TEXT NOT NULL,
  created_at TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
);

Deployment to DigitalOcean

  1. Create a DigitalOcean account if you haven't already.

  2. Create a new PostgreSQL database:

    • Go to Databases in your DigitalOcean dashboard
    • Create a new database cluster
    • Note down the connection details

  3. Deploy the application:

    • Push your code to GitHub
    • Create a new app in DigitalOcean App Platform
    • Connect your GitHub repository
    • Set the environment variables:
      • DATABASE_URL
      • ICE_SERVER_URL
      • NODE_ENV=production

  4. The application will be automatically deployed and available at your DigitalOcean app URL.

Troubleshooting

Database Connection Issues

  • Verify your DATABASE_URL is correct
  • Ensure the database is running and accessible
  • Check database user permissions

WebRTC Issues

  • Verify your TURN server is working
  • Check browser console for WebRTC errors
  • Ensure you're using HTTPS in production

Deployment Issues

  • Check DigitalOcean App Platform logs
  • Verify environment variables are set correctly
  • Ensure all dependencies are in package.json

Contributing

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Create your feature branch
  3. Commit your changes
  4. Push to the branch
  5. Create a new Pull Request

License

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

Acknowledgments