BrowserBox

A browser-based desktop-style workspace: draggable windows, taskbar, and small apps (Welcome, todos, calculator, minesweeper, file explorer, notepad, terminal).

Requirements

• Node.js 20+
• MongoDB (local or Atlas), unless you use Docker Compose (Mongo is included there)

Setup

Copy .env.example to .env and set at least MONGODB_URI and AUTH_SECRET (32+ characters).

npm install
npm run dev

Open http://localhost:3000.

WebSocket protocol summary: docs/websocket.md.

Production

npm run build
npm start

Signed-in sessions use a JWT stored in sessionStorage and sent over the app WebSocket (/api/ws). Use a strong AUTH_SECRET and consider a shorter SESSION_MAX_AGE_SEC in code if you need tighter session lifetime.

Docker

docker compose up -d --build

Requires AUTH_SECRET in .env next to docker-compose.yaml. The stack uses the bundled MongoDB URL by default.