LAN Text Chat VS Code Extension

VS Code client for the Rust-backed LAN Text Chat system.

The extension connects to one Rust chat server using WebSocket. It no longer opens a local listening port, discovers peers with UDP multicast, or sends messages directly to target IPs. The server owns routing, groups, online status, and read receipt broadcast.

Security Notice

LAN Text Chat uses plain WebSocket (ws://) by default. Messages and metadata are clear text and are not encrypted or authenticated by this project. Use it only on trusted networks and do not send sensitive content unless you have added suitable protection such as VPN, SSH tunneling, or a TLS reverse proxy.

Server

Start the Rust backend before connecting clients:

cd lan-text-chat-server
cargo run -- 0.0.0.0:38991

Configure the extension with the server WebSocket URL:

ws://127.0.0.1:38991/ws

The default is ws://127.0.0.1:38991/ws. If the server runs on another LAN machine, replace 127.0.0.1 with that machine's LAN IP address. Open inbound TCP port 38991 on the server machine's firewall. Other VS Code clients on the LAN only need outbound access to that server address and port.

Settings

{
  "lanTextChat.serverUrl": "ws://127.0.0.1:38991/ws",
  "lanTextChat.username": "",
  "lanTextChat.offlineMode": false,
  "lanTextChat.enableReadReceipts": true,
  "lanTextChat.enableNotifications": true,
  "lanTextChat.autoReconnect": true,
  "lanTextChat.reconnectIntervalMs": 3000,
  "lanTextChat.maxSavedMessages": 1000
}

lanTextChat.username may be left empty; the extension uses the operating system username. lanTextChat.userId may also be left empty; the extension creates a stable UUID in VS Code globalState.

lanTextChat.maxSavedMessages limits locally saved messages across all conversations. lanTextChat.enableNotifications controls whether incoming messages show VS Code notifications.

Deprecated peer-to-peer settings (targetIps, port, serviceAddress) are ignored by the new client.

Commands

LAN Chat: Connect Server
LAN Chat: Disconnect Server
LAN Chat: Toggle Offline Mode
LAN Chat: Send Direct Message
LAN Chat: Create Group
LAN Chat: Rename Group
LAN Chat: Invite User to Group
LAN Chat: Leave Group
LAN Chat: Delete Group
LAN Chat: Clear Local History

Build

npm install
npm run compile

Notes

The Webview is UI-only and communicates with the extension host through postMessage. It uses a nonce and a Content Security Policy. Messages are rendered with DOM text nodes rather than untrusted innerHTML.

LAN Text Chat

liangjw