# Synapsis

**Your node. Your network. Your identity.**

Synapsis is an open-source federated social network built around sovereign DIDs, portable user-owned media storage, and the Swarm network.

## Run a node on a VPS

Synapsis runs directly under systemd. It does not require Docker, PostgreSQL, or a bundled reverse proxy.

Prerequisites:

- A Linux VPS with systemd
- Node.js 20 or newer
- Git, npm, and OpenSSL
- Your own nginx, Caddy, Traefik, or other reverse proxy

Install from a checkout:

```bash
sudo bash deploy/install.sh
sudo nano /etc/synapsis.env
sudo bash /opt/synapsis/deploy/update.sh
```

The service binds only to `127.0.0.1:43821`. Point your reverse proxy at that address and terminate TLS there. `PORT` can be overridden in `/etc/synapsis.env` if needed.

The installer creates:

- Application checkout: `/opt/synapsis`
- Environment file: `/etc/synapsis.env`
- Embedded Turso database: `/var/lib/synapsis/synapsis.db`
- Service: `synapsis.service`
- Mandatory update timer: `synapsis-update.timer`

Every node checks `origin/main` about once per minute. When a new commit is available, Synapsis fast-forwards the checkout, replaces the single `backups/latest` database snapshot, installs dependencies, runs migrations, builds, and restarts automatically. The currently deployed commit is shown in the Network Info card and exposed by `/api/version`.

For a node installed before automatic updates existed, bootstrap the timer once with:

```bash
sudo -u synapsis git -C /opt/synapsis pull --ff-only
sudo /opt/synapsis/deploy/update.sh
```

Useful commands:

```bash
sudo systemctl status synapsis
sudo systemctl status synapsis-update.timer
sudo journalctl -u synapsis -f
sudo journalctl -u synapsis-update -f
sudo /opt/synapsis/deploy/update.sh
sudo /opt/synapsis/deploy/uninstall.sh
```

Uninstalling preserves the database and environment by default. Pass `--purge-data` only when you intentionally want to remove both.

## Storage and account portability

The node database is a local embedded Turso/SQLite file. Media remains in storage controlled by each user, so exported accounts retain portable media URLs and can move between Synapsis nodes without requiring the old node to transfer a shared upload directory.

Stuffbox is the default integration. New installs use `https://stuffbox.xyz`; set `STUFFBOX_URL` to a different public URL when using another or self-hosted Stuffbox service. Synapsis uses a consent and PKCE flow, keeps the resulting tokens encrypted with `AUTH_SECRET`, and sends file bytes directly from the user's browser to Stuffbox.

User-owned S3-compatible storage remains available as an advanced fallback. Supported providers include AWS S3, Cloudflare R2, Backblaze B2, Wasabi, and Contabo.

## Development

```bash
git clone https://githop.xyz/GnosysLabs/Synapsis.git
cd Synapsis
npm install
cp .env.example .env
npm run db:migrate
npm run dev
```

The development database defaults to `./data/synapsis.db`. No separate database server is needed.

Common commands:

```bash
npm run type-check
npm test
npm run db:generate
npm run db:migrate
npm run build
```

## Architecture

- **Framework:** Next.js 16 and React 19
- **Database:** embedded Turso with Drizzle ORM's relational-query v2 API
- **Identity:** DIDs and per-user signing keys
- **Media:** user-owned Stuffbox or S3-compatible storage
- **Federation:** Synapsis Swarm discovery and signed interactions
- **Deployment:** native Node.js process managed by systemd

## License

Licensed under the [Apache License 2.0](LICENSE).