peertube-plugin-livechat/support/documentation/content/technical/thirdparty/_index.en.md

+++ title="Third party" description="Displaying the livechat with 3rd party software." weight=20 chapter=false +++

{{% notice warning %}} This page describes experimental features. These features are available with the plugin version >= 7.2.0. {{% /notice %}}

Introduction

Peertube is part of the Fediverse. So Peertube video can be watched from other Peertube instances, and from various other softwares:

• from a Mastodon (or other fediverse application) instance,
• from a mobile app (Fedilab, Tusky, ...),
• from desktop fediverse app,
• ...

This livechat plugin is using well known standards, so it is possible to join chat rooms even when not viewing the video on Peertube.

There are basically 2 ways to join the chat room associated to a video:

• opening a web page (with an url like https://yourinstance.tld/plugins/livechat/router/webchat/room/8df24108-6e70-4fc8-b1cc-f2db7fcdd535),
• using a XMPP client (and joining a room like xmpp://8df24108-6e70-4fc8-b1cc-f2db7fcdd535@room.yourinstance.tld?join)

{{% notice warning %}} Joining the chat using a XMPP client is not always possible. It requires some DNS and server configuration. It will only be possible if instance's admins have correctly setup the external XMPP clients connection feature. {{% /notice %}}

{{% notice warning %}} Don't try to gues these url and connection methods yourself. Please report to next chapters. {{% /notice %}}

Chat discovery

Using ActivityPub

The livechat plugin adds some data in Video ActivityPub objects, so that the chat can be discovered.

{{% notice info %}} This requires Peertube >= 5.1 {{% /notice %}}

This follows the FEP-1970 recommendations.

{{% notice warning %}} At the time of the writing, this FEP is in draft status, and the livechat plugin is a Proof-of-concept. Until the FEP is adopted, the specification can change, and the livechat plugin will be adapted accordingly. {{% /notice %}}

Basically, the chat will be declared as attachments on the Video object, using the discussion relation.

By default, here is an example of what you will get:

{
  "@context": [
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams",
    "https://w3id.org/security/v1",
    {
      "RsaSignature2017": "https://w3id.org/security#RsaSignature2017"
    },
    {
      // ...
    }
  ],
  "to": [
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public"
  ],
  "cc": [
    "https://yourinstance.tld/accounts/root/followers"
  ],
  "type": "Video",
  "id": "https://yourinstance.tld/videos/watch/8df24108-6e70-4fc8-b1cc-f2db7fcdd535",
  "name": "The video title",
  // ...
  "url": [ /* ... */ ],
  "attachment": [
    {
      "type": "Link",
      "name": "Chat for live stream: The video title",
      "rel": "discussion",
      "href": "https://yourinstance.tld/plugins/livechat/router/webchat/room/8df24108-6e70-4fc8-b1cc-f2db7fcdd535"
    }
  ]
}

In case the instance has activated the external XMPP clients connection feature:

{
  "@context": [
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams",
    "https://w3id.org/security/v1",
    {
      "RsaSignature2017": "https://w3id.org/security#RsaSignature2017"
    },
    {
      // ...
    }
  ],
  "to": [
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public"
  ],
  "cc": [
    "https://yourinstance.tld/accounts/root/followers"
  ],
  "type": "Video",
  "id": "https://yourinstance.tld/videos/watch/8df24108-6e70-4fc8-b1cc-f2db7fcdd535",
  "name": "The video title",
  // ...
  "url": [ /* ... */ ],
  "attachment": [
    {
      "type": "Link",
      "name": "Chat for live stream: The video title",
      "rel": "discussion",
      "href": "https://yourinstance.tld/plugins/livechat/router/webchat/room/8df24108-6e70-4fc8-b1cc-f2db7fcdd535"
    },
    {
      "type": "Link",
      "name": "Chat for live stream: The video title",
      "rel": "discussion",
      "href": "xmpp://8df24108-6e70-4fc8-b1cc-f2db7fcdd535@room.yourinstance.tld?join"
    }
  ]
}

Algorithm

If you want to display the chat in a web page or in an iframe, here is what you should do:

• get the Video ActivityPub object,
• if there is no attachment key, stop.
• loop through the attachment values (if `attachment is not an array, just iterate on this single value)
• search for an entry with rel === discussion, and with href using the https scheme (that begins with https://)
• if found, open this href

If you want to open the chat room using the XMPP protocol:

• get the Video ActivityPub object,
• if there is no attachment key, stop.
• loop through the attachment values (if `attachment is not an array, just iterate on this single value)
• search for an entry with rel === discussion, and with href using the xmpp scheme (that begins with xmpp://)
• if found, open this xmpp uri with your client, or connect to the XMPP room at that address

Additional notes

In the ActivityPub object, there is also a peertubeLiveChat entry. Don't use the content of this entry. This is specific to the livechat plugin, and can be changed or removed in a near future. It is currently required for some endpoint discovery.

Using RSS

{{% notice warning %}} This part is not implemented yet, but should be available for v7.2.0 release. {{% /notice %}}

{{% notice info %}} This requires Peertube >= 5.2 {{% /notice %}}