Self-host the server

outbrief-server does one thing: it relays ciphertext between your computer and your devices. It has no key and cannot read reports, briefs, or replies. It deletes ciphertext when a call ends, and it never calls an LLM.

Run exactly one instance

Presence, live pushes, settings relay, and rate limits live in process memory. Keep the replica count at 1 and turn off autoscaling.

To release, stop the old process, then start the new one (Kubernetes strategy: Recreate). A rolling or blue-green deploy runs two versions at once and drops calls. See ADR 0009.

Deploy

Run it directly

You need Node ≥ 22.18, pnpm 9, and MySQL 8.

1. Get the code and install dependencies:

   git clone https://github.com/outbriefapp/outbrief-server
   cd outbrief-server
   pnpm install

2. Start it. The deployment injects the connection string; the user and password below are placeholders:

   OUTBRIEF_DATABASE_URL='mysql://USER:PASSWORD@HOST:3306/outbrief' PORT=8787 pnpm start

   Tables are created and migrated on startup.

3. Find the claim code in the log and write it down:

   Claim code: XXXX-XXXX-XXXX

4. Health check: GET /healthz

Railway

The repo’s railway.json sets the health check and restart policy. Set the rest in Railway:

1. Add a MySQL 8 service (image mysql:8.4, volume on /var/lib/mysql). Private network only; no public TCP proxy.
2. Set the server’s variables:
   • OUTBRIEF_DATABASE_URL referencing ${{MySQL.MYSQL_URL}}. Never write the connection string into the repo
   • PORT=8787
   • OUTBRIEF_FCM_SERVICE_ACCOUNT for call pushes (see below)
3. Set replicas to 1 and attach a volume to the server (for example /data; the code never touches it). Railway does not let two deployments hold the same volume, so a release stops the old one before starting the new one, which is exactly the single-instance rule.
4. For a custom domain, add the CNAME and _railway-verify TXT records Railway gives you. On Cloudflare, keep it DNS only (gray cloud) so Railway can issue the certificate.

Tip

Back up MySQL.

Who can create an account

Deployment	Setting	Behavior
Private (default)	OUTBRIEF_OPEN_SIGNUP=false	The first device enters the claim code from the log. After that, signup closes and other devices join with pairing codes
Public cloud	OUTBRIEF_OPEN_SIGNUP=true	Anyone can create an account, no claim code, rate limited

Environment

Nothing is required, and there is no .env file to create.

Variable	Default	Meaning
OUTBRIEF_DATABASE_URL	The local docker outbrief database	MySQL connection string, injected by the platform
PORT	8787	Listen port
OUTBRIEF_OPEN_SIGNUP	false	Open signup, see above
OUTBRIEF_FCM_SERVICE_ACCOUNT	Unset	Firebase service account key for call pushes, as the whole JSON or a file path. If set but unreadable, the server fails to start

Danger

Keep the connection string and the Firebase key out of the repo.

Call pushes (optional)

Without pushes, calls arrive over the event stream while the app is open. To ring an Android phone after the app is swiped away, set up pushes:

1. In the Firebase console, create a project and add an Android app with package ai.outbrief.app.
2. Put that project’s service account key (the whole JSON) in the server’s OUTBRIEF_FCM_SERVICE_ACCOUNT.
3. Build the Android app with the same project’s google-services.json; see Android package.

A push carries no content, only the call id. The phone then fetches the ciphertext with its own token, decrypts, and rings. Without a receipt the server pushes again every 10 seconds, up to 3 times. Design: ADR 0010.

Next

• Run it locally for development: Development and builds
• Every endpoint: Server API (Chinese)