**Deployed at [chat.lotusguild.org](https://chat.lotusguild.org)** | Forked from [Cinny](https://github.com/cinnyapp/cinny), synced through v4.12.3
The source code is licensed under [AGPLv3](LICENSE), the same license as the upstream Cinny project. The source for this fork is public at [code.lotusguild.org/LotusGuild/cinny](https://code.lotusguild.org/LotusGuild/cinny).
- Threads: reply in a thread and read/write the whole conversation in a side panel — root messages show a "N replies" chip with an unread badge (threaded replies live in the panel now, not inline in the room)
- Slack-style thread notifications: by default you're only pinged for threads you're in or where you're @mentioned; set any thread to All / Mentions-only / Mute from the panel's bell menu (muted threads stop bumping badges; syncs across devices)
- On-device message translation — foreign-language messages show a "Translate" action, then an inline "Translated from <language> · Show original" toggle. Runs entirely on your device via the browser's built-in translation models, so message text never leaves your device or touches a cloud service (no Google/DeepL/Microsoft) — preserving end-to-end encryption. Pick your target language and optionally auto-translate incoming messages at Settings → General → Messages. Chromium desktop (Chrome/Edge 138+) and the Lotus desktop app only; hidden where unavailable (Firefox, Safari, mobile)
- Inline media embeds — play videos and posts in place instead of opening a browser tab: YouTube/Shorts, Vimeo, Dailymotion, Streamable, Twitch, Loom, and Kick as video players; TikTok, X/Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, and Bluesky as inline posts; Spotify, SoundCloud, Apple Music, and Tidal as a built-in audio player. A privacy-friendly facade shows the homeserver's cached thumbnail and only loads the third-party player when you press play. Toggle at Settings → General → "Inline Media Players" (on by default)
- Voice channel user limit: admins can cap how many people can be in a room's call — enforced server-side for every Matrix client (not just Lotus Chat); others see "Channel Full" until a spot opens
- Soundboard: upload your own short audio clips (like custom emojis — they sync across your devices) and play them into a call so everyone hears them
- Call quality settings: cap your microphone bitrate, screenshare bitrate, and screenshare framerate — handy on a slow connection (Settings → Calls)
- Room call permissions: admins can turn off screen sharing or make a room audio-only (no cameras) — enforced server-side for every Matrix client, and it stops an in-progress share within seconds of being switched off
- 5 animated chat backgrounds: Digital Rain, Star Drift, Grid Pulse, Aurora Flow, Fireflies (with improved per-layer looping, phosphor-flicker rain, fluid aurora sweep, and organic firefly bioluminescence)
- 11 seasonal & holiday theme overlays — Halloween, Christmas, New Year, Autumn, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Earth Day, Lunar New Year, April Fools', Deep Space, and Retro Arcade; auto-selected by date with a manual override in Settings → Appearance
- Avatar decorations — 99 animated APNG overlays (Gaming, Cyber, Space, Fantasy, Nature, Spooky, Cozy, and more) that frame your avatar across the timeline, members list, and @mention autocomplete; visible to all Lotus Chat users; select in Settings → Account → Avatar Decoration
Lotus Chat has a desktop app for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It wraps the same web client in a native window with automatic background updates — no need to reinstall for new versions.
When you first run the installer on Windows, you may see a popup that says **"Windows protected your PC"** with the app listed as an unknown publisher. This is normal.
**Why it happens:** Windows SmartScreen flags any app that does not have an expensive commercial code-signing certificate from a major CA. Lotus Chat is signed with its own key for update verification, but that key is not in Microsoft's pre-approved list.
Beyond the web client, the desktop app adds native OS integration (Windows-focused; graceful no-ops elsewhere). See [`LOTUS_FEATURES.md`](./LOTUS_FEATURES.md#desktop-app-features) for detail.
- **Native rich notifications** — Windows toasts you can click to open the room or reply to inline, right from the toast.
- **Focus Assist sync** — Lotus silences its own notifications while Windows Focus Assist / Quiet Hours is on.
- **Windows Jump List** — right-click the taskbar icon for quick access to your most-active rooms.
- **Taskbar call controls** — Mute / Deafen / End Call buttons on the taskbar thumbnail during a call, plus call status in the volume flyout (SMTC).
- **Stays awake in calls** — the system won't sleep or dim during a voice/video call.
- **Network awareness** — reconnects promptly when Windows connectivity changes.
- **Custom window chrome** (opt-in) — a Lotus-styled title bar in place of the OS one.
- **Recursive folder drag-drop** — drop a whole folder onto the composer to upload everything inside it.
- **Automatic background updates** with a one-click update toast.
The source code lives in `/root/code/cinny`. All changes should be made on the `lotus` branch. Push to `origin/lotus` and CI will automatically build and deploy to [chat.lotusguild.org](https://chat.lotusguild.org) in approximately 11 minutes — no manual build or deploy steps required.
Lotus Chat is a **pure client — there is no backend of its own to run.** It talks directly to a Matrix homeserver (Synapse) over HTTPS, so the only thing you run locally is the Vite dev server; it connects to a real homeserver for all data. If you were looking for "the backend to pair with it," there isn't one — that's the homeserver.
**Prerequisites:** Node 20+ (CI builds on Node 24) and npm.
```bash
npm ci # deps; @lotusguild/* come from our Gitea npm registry (public read — no auth/token needed)
npm start # Vite dev server → http://localhost:8080
```
The dev server defaults to **port 8080** (`vite.config.js`); if 8080 is already in use it falls through to 8081+, so check the "Local:" URL Vite prints on startup. If it boots but the page renders blank, it's almost always a failed module/asset resolution, not a "missing backend" — open the devtools console and read the first error.
**Which homeserver / logging in:**`config.json` sets `defaultHomeserver: 0` → `matrix.lotusguild.org`, so you sign in with your normal `@you:matrix.lotusguild.org` account. That homeserver is **live production** — anything you send is real, so keep test traffic to a DM with yourself or a throwaway room. To develop fully isolated instead, point `config.json` at a throwaway `matrix.org` account (already in `homeserverList`) or a local Synapse.
- **SSO / OIDC works from localhost.** Login goes through Authelia via OIDC dynamic registration; the provider redirects back to `http://localhost:8080/…` and the client registers that redirect on the fly, so no server-side allow-listing is needed. After the callback you may see a `GET …/_matrix/media/v1/thumbnail/… 404` — that's just a missing avatar thumbnail, **not** a login failure.
