Glowing Bear

Glowing Bear is a lightweight, purely client‑side web frontend that turns any WeeChat instance into a responsive, mobile‑friendly chat interface. From a developer’s standpoint, it eliminates the need for a dedicated backend server: the browser establishes a WebSocket connection directly to WeeChat’s relay plugin, which forwards all IRC traffic. This design keeps the deployment footprint minimal while preserving full access to WeeChat’s feature set (buffers, plugins, scripting) from any device that can load the page.

Architecture & Technical Stack

• Frontend: Vanilla JavaScript, HTML5, CSS3. No framework dependencies beyond the CDN‑hosted cdnjs.cloudflare.com libraries for polyfills and UI components.
• Communication: WebSocket protocol negotiated with WeeChat’s relay plugin (default port 9001). Supports both plain and TLS‑encrypted sockets; encryption is optional but strongly recommended for external access.
• Backend: None beyond WeeChat itself. All logic, message rendering, and media embedding (images, YouTube links, etc.) occur in the browser.
• Data Persistence: Relies on WeeChat’s own buffer history and localStorage for UI state (theme, layout). No external database is required.

Core Capabilities & APIs

• Rich Media Rendering: Automatic detection and inline display of URLs pointing to images, videos, or other media.
• Message History & Search: Full buffer history is available through the WebSocket stream; developers can hook into onmessage events to build custom search or analytics tools.
• Event Hooks: The client exposes a lightweight event bus (glowingBear.on(event, callback)) for reacting to user actions (join/part, message send, etc.).
• Custom Filters: Users can define regex filters that hide or highlight specific messages; the API allows programmatic manipulation of these rules.
• Theme & Layout APIs: JSON‑based theme objects can be swapped at runtime, enabling dynamic UI theming or integration with enterprise branding.

Deployment & Infrastructure

• Self‑Hosting: A simple static file server (nginx, Apache, or even python -m http.server) suffices. No Docker image is bundled, but the project can be containerized trivially by mounting the static assets into a lightweight image.
• Scalability: Since each client opens its own WebSocket to WeeChat, scaling is limited by the relay’s capacity. For multi‑user deployments, a dedicated WeeChat instance per user or a load‑balanced relay cluster can be employed.
• Security: The default setup uses an unencrypted WebSocket, which is acceptable on trusted LANs but not over the internet. Developers can enable TLS by configuring WeeChat’s relay with a certificate (Let’s Encrypt is recommended) and ensuring the web page is served over HTTPS to avoid mixed‑content errors.

Integration & Extensibility

• Plugin System: While Glowing Bear itself is minimal, it can be extended by injecting custom JavaScript modules that hook into the existing event bus.
• Webhooks & External Services: Because all traffic flows through WeeChat, developers can leverage existing WeeChat plugins (e.g., plugin:irc, plugin:scripts) to forward messages to external APIs or trigger CI/CD pipelines.
• Custom Relay Backends: The relay plugin can be wrapped with a Node.js or Go proxy that adds authentication, rate limiting, or analytics before forwarding to the browser client.

Developer Experience

• Documentation: The README provides clear guidance on setting up the relay, configuring encryption, and troubleshooting common connection issues.
• Community Support: Active discussion on libera.chat’s #glowing-bear channel and a public GitHub issue tracker facilitate quick assistance.
• Configuration Simplicity: Only two WeeChat commands are required (/relay add and /set relay.network.password) to expose the client. No additional services or credentials are needed beyond what WeeChat already manages.

Use Cases

1. Remote IRC Access – Developers who run a personal or team WeeChat instance can expose it to mobile devices without installing native IRC clients.
2. Embedded Chat in Web Apps – A web application can embed Glowing Bear as an iframe, providing real‑time IRC communication within a larger dashboard.
3. Testing & Automation – Automated scripts can spawn a headless browser that connects to Glowing Bear, allowing end‑to‑end testing of IRC interactions.
4. Educational Projects – Students learning about WebSockets, real‑time communication, or IRC can use Glowing Bear as a hands‑on example with minimal setup.

Advantages Over Alternatives

• Zero Backend Overhead – No server‑side code or database, reducing attack surface and maintenance.
• Native WeeChat Integration – Full access to WeeChat’s advanced features without re‑implementing them.
• Cross‑Platform Reach – Works on any device with a modern browser, including tablets and smartphones.
• Open Source & MIT Licensed – No licensing costs or vendor lock‑in, encouraging community contributions.

For developers seeking a lightweight, extensible, and fully client‑side IRC frontend that plugs directly into their existing WeeChat setup, Glowing Bear offers a compelling blend of simplicity and power.