realtimecursor/SELF_HOSTING.md

Real-time collaboration system with cursor tracking and approval workflow

# Self-Hosting Guide

This guide explains how to self-host the RealtimeCursor backend server.

## Requirements

- Node.js 14+ 
- npm or yarn
- Git (optional)

## Quick Start

### 1. Get the Code

```bash
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/sourabhpunase/realtimecursor.git
cd realtimecursor

# Or download and extract the ZIP file
```

### 2. Install Dependencies

```bash
npm install
```

### 3. Start the Server

```bash
npm start
```

The server will start on port 3000 by default. You can change this by setting the `PORT` environment variable:

```bash
PORT=8080 npm start
```

## Configuration

### Environment Variables

- `PORT`: The port to run the server on (default: 3000)
- `FRONTEND_URL`: Allowed origins for CORS (default: http://localhost:5173,http://localhost:8000)

### Custom Configuration

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

```
PORT=8080
FRONTEND_URL=https://yourdomain.com
```

## Docker Deployment

### Using docker-compose

```bash
# Build and start the containers
docker-compose up -d
```

### Using Docker directly

```bash
# Build the Docker image
docker build -t realtimecursor .

# Run the container
docker run -p 3000:3000 realtimecursor
```

## Integrating with Your Application

Update your client-side code to point to your self-hosted server:

```javascript
const cursorClient = new RealtimeCursor({
  apiUrl: 'https://your-server-url.com',
  projectId: 'your-project-id',
  user: {
    id: 'user-123',
    name: 'John Doe'
  }
});
```

## Securing Your Server

For production use, consider:

1. Adding SSL/TLS (HTTPS)
2. Setting up a reverse proxy (Nginx, Apache)
3. Implementing proper authentication
4. Rate limiting requests

## Troubleshooting

### Connection Issues

If clients can't connect to your server:

1. Check that your server is running
2. Verify that the `FRONTEND_URL` includes your client's origin
3. Check for firewall or network issues
4. Ensure your server is accessible from the client's network

### Performance Optimization

For high-traffic applications:

1. Use a process manager like PM2
2. Set up load balancing
3. Consider using Redis for socket.io adapter
4. Monitor server resources

## Support

If you need help with self-hosting, please:

1. Check the [GitHub issues](https://github.com/sourabhpunase/realtimecursor/issues)
2. Join our [Discord community](https://discord.gg/realtimecursor)
3. Contact us at support@realtimecursor.com