Update README.md

To reflect the fact that you can now sensibly deploy from a package (ie. be able to configure the app). Make the first thing be downloading a prebuilt package so people who only read the first part don't end up running npm start in production and complain about needing npm.
This commit is contained in:
David Baker 2016-06-14 15:12:35 +01:00
parent a5986ade51
commit b643d8ff6a

View file

@ -3,8 +3,23 @@ Vector/Web
Vector is a Matrix web client built using the Matrix React SDK (https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-react-sdk).
Getting started
Getting Started
===============
Vector is a modular webapp built with modern ES6 and requires and npm build system to build.
Instructions for building are below, but building from source shouldn't be necessary
for simple deployments.
1. Download the latest version from https://vector.im/packages/
1. Untar the tarball on your web server
1. Move (or symlink) the vector-x.x.x directory to an appropriate name
1. If desired, copy `config.sample.json` to `config.json` and edit it
as desired. See below for details.
1. Enter the URL into your browser and log into vector!
Building From Source
====================
If you do wish to build vector from source:
1. Install or update `node.js` so that your `npm` is at least at version `2.0.0`
1. Clone the repo: `git clone https://github.com/vector-im/vector-web.git`
@ -13,19 +28,21 @@ Getting started
1. If you are using the `develop` branch of vector, you will probably need to
rebuild one of the dependencies, due to https://github.com/npm/npm/issues/3055:
`(cd node_modules/matrix-react-sdk && npm install)`
1. Start the development builder and a testing server: `npm start`
1. Wait a few seconds for the initial build to finish (the command won't
terminate: it's running a web server for you).
1. Open http://127.0.0.1:8080/ in your browser to see your newly built Vector.
1. Configure the app by modifying the `config.json` file (see below for details)
1. `npm run package` to build a tarball to deploy. Untaring this file will give
a version-specific directory containing all the files that need to go on your
web server.
With `npm start`, any changes you make to the source files will cause a rebuild so
your changes will show up when you refresh. This development server also disables
caching, so do NOT use it in production.
Note that `npm run package` is not supported on Windows, so Windows users can run `npm
run build`, which will build all the necessary files into the `vector`
directory. The version of Vector will not appear in Settings without
using the package script. You can then mount the vector directory on your
webserver to actually serve up the app, which is entirely static content.
Configuring
config.json
===========
Configure the app by modifying the `config.json` file:
You can configure the app by modifying the `config.json` file:
1. `default_hs_url` is the default home server url.
1. `default_is_url` is the default identity server url (this is the server used
@ -33,31 +50,13 @@ Configure the app by modifying the `config.json` file:
registering with an email address or adding an email address to your account
will not work.
You will need to re-run `npm run build` after editing `config.json`.
Deployment
==========
On a Unix-based OS, run `npm run package` to build a tarball package. Untaring
this file will give a version-specific directory containing all the files that
need to go on your web server.
The package script is not supported on Windows, so Windows users can run `npm
run build`, which will build all the necessary files into the `vector`
directory. Note that the version of Vector will not appear in Settings without
using the package script. You can then mount the vector directory on your
webserver to actually serve up the app, which is entirely static content.
Development
===========
For simple tweaks, you can work on any of the source files within Vector with
the setup above, and your changes will cause an instant rebuild.
However, much of the functionality in Vector is actually in the
`matrix-react-sdk` and `matrix-js-sdk` modules. It is possible to set these up
in a way that makes it easy to track the `develop` branches in git and to make
local changes without having to manually rebuild each time.
Much of the functionality in Vector is actually in the `matrix-react-sdk` and
`matrix-js-sdk` modules. It is possible to set these up in a way that makes it
easy to track the `develop` branches in git and to make local changes without
having to manually rebuild each time.
[Be aware that there may be problems with this process under npm version 3.]
@ -102,7 +101,8 @@ Finally, build and start vector itself:
+ 1013 hidden modules
```
Remember, the command will not terminate since it runs the web server
and rebuilds source files when they change.
and rebuilds source files when they change. This development server also
disables caching, so do NOT use it in production.
1. Open http://127.0.0.1:8080/ in your browser to see your newly built Vector.
When you make changes to `matrix-js-sdk` or `matrix-react-sdk`, you will need