Chat RH - AI-Powered Chat System

A complete monorepo chat system with admin panel, built with React, Express, TypeScript, and powered by Skald AI.

Features

• Authentication: Secure login/logout with httpOnly cookies
• Chat Interface: ChatGPT-like streaming chat with conversation history
• Admin Panel: User management with create, delete, and password reset
• Responsive Design: Works seamlessly on desktop and mobile
• Containerized: Full Docker support for easy deployment

Tech Stack

Frontend

• React 18 + TypeScript
• Vite
• TailwindCSS + shadcn/ui
• React Router
• Server-Sent Events (SSE) for streaming

Backend

• Express + TypeScript
• MikroORM (PostgreSQL)
• express-session with PostgreSQL store
• Skald AI SDK
• bcrypt for password hashing

Infrastructure

• pnpm workspaces (monorepo)
• PostgreSQL 16
• Docker + docker-compose
• nginx (production frontend)

Project Structure

/
├── packages/
│   ├── backend/         # Express API
│   ├── frontend/        # React app
│   └── shared/          # Shared TypeScript types
├── docker-compose.yml
├── pnpm-workspace.yaml
└── .env

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+
• pnpm 8+
• Docker & Docker Compose (for PostgreSQL)

Development Setup (Recommended)

1. Clone and install dependencies

cd chat-rh
cp .env.example .env
pnpm install

2. Configure environment variables

Edit .env and add your Skald API key:

SKALD_API_KEY=sk_proj_your_actual_key_here

3. Start PostgreSQL

docker-compose up postgres -d

4. Build shared package

cd packages/shared
pnpm build
cd ../..

5. Run database migrations

cd packages/backend
pnpm migration:up

6. Create an admin user

cd packages/backend
pnpm create-admin

Follow the prompts to create your admin account.

7. Start development servers

In the root directory:

pnpm dev

This will start:

• Backend on http://localhost:3001
• Frontend on http://localhost:5173

Your system is now running! Open http://localhost:5173 in your browser.

Production Deployment with Docker

Note: Docker deployment currently has issues with bcrypt native module compilation in Alpine Linux. For production, we recommend deploying the backend and frontend separately or using a Debian-based image. Development mode (above) works perfectly.

Alternative: Run Production Build Locally

1. Build all packages

pnpm build

2. Start PostgreSQL

docker-compose up postgres -d

3. Run migrations

cd packages/backend
pnpm migration:up

4. Start the backend

cd packages/backend
pnpm start

5. Serve the frontend

Use any static file server:

cd packages/frontend
npx serve dist

The application will be available at the configured ports.

Usage

Regular Users

1. Login: Use credentials provided by admin
2. First Login: You'll be prompted to change password
3. Chat: Start conversations with AI assistant
4. History: All conversations are persisted in the database

Admin Users

1. Login: Use admin credentials
2. Access Admin Panel: Click "Admin Panel" button
3. User Management:
   • Create new users (auto-generates temporary password)
   • Delete users
   • Reset user passwords
4. Chat: Admins can also use the chat interface

API Endpoints

Authentication

• POST /api/auth/login - Login
• POST /api/auth/logout - Logout
• GET /api/auth/me - Get current user
• POST /api/auth/change-password - Change password

Admin

• GET /api/admin/users - List all users
• POST /api/admin/users - Create user
• DELETE /api/admin/users/:id - Delete user
• POST /api/admin/users/:id/reset-password - Reset password

Chat

• GET /api/chats - Get user's chats
• GET /api/chats/:id - Get chat with messages
• DELETE /api/chats/:id - Delete chat
• POST /api/stream - Stream chat messages (SSE)

Development Commands

Root

pnpm dev          # Start all packages in dev mode
pnpm build        # Build all packages
pnpm clean        # Clean all dist folders
pnpm type-check   # Type check all packages

Backend

pnpm dev                 # Start dev server
pnpm build              # Build for production
pnpm create-admin       # Create admin user
pnpm migration:create   # Create new migration
pnpm migration:up       # Run migrations

Frontend

pnpm dev      # Start dev server
pnpm build    # Build for production
pnpm preview  # Preview production build

Environment Variables

Backend

• DATABASE_URL - PostgreSQL connection string
• DB_HOST, DB_PORT, DB_NAME, DB_USER, DB_PASSWORD - Database config
• PORT - Backend port (default: 3001)
• NODE_ENV - Environment (development/production)
• SESSION_SECRET - Session encryption key
• SKALD_API_KEY - Skald AI API key

Frontend

• VITE_API_URL - Backend API URL

Architecture Decisions

Session Management

• Uses PostgreSQL-backed sessions for reliability
• httpOnly cookies for security
• 7-day session lifetime

Chat Context

• Conversation history stored in database
• Context included in system prompt for continuity
• New chat_id generated on page refresh (per requirements)

Streaming

• Server-Sent Events (SSE) for real-time responses
• Chunked token delivery for smooth UX
• Automatic reconnection handling

Security

• Password hashing with bcrypt
• Role-based access control (user/admin)
• Forced password change on first login
• CORS configured for credentials

Troubleshooting

Database Connection Issues

# Check if PostgreSQL is running
docker ps

# View logs
docker logs chatrh-postgres

Backend Issues

# View backend logs
docker logs chatrh-backend

# Restart backend
docker-compose restart backend

Frontend Issues

# Clear browser cache
# Check browser console for errors
# Verify API proxy in vite.config.ts

License

MIT