ISC Steam

ISC Steam is a Steam-style web store and desktop launcher for games made by ISC students at HES-SO Valais. Students submit a Git repository, the platform reads an optional isc.json manifest, compiles Scala sources, packages the game, stores the build in MongoDB GridFS, and makes it available to signed-in players.

The app is built with:

• React 18 + Vite 6 for the web client
• Express 4 + Mongoose 8 for the API
• MongoDB + GridFS for app data, media, packages, avatars, banners, and chat images
• Socket.IO for friends, chat, presence, and playtime updates
• Electron for the desktop launcher
• Scala/JDK tooling for compiling and packaging submitted games

The visual identity uses the ISC logo assets from ISC-HEI/isc-logos.

Quick Start

Requirements:

• Node.js >= 20
• npm
• git
• Scala 2.13 on PATH for local game builds
• Java/JDK tooling for packaging games
• Docker, if you want the provided local MongoDB

npm install
cp .env.example server/.env
npm run db:up
npm run dev

Then open http://localhost:5173.

The API runs on http://localhost:5174. The first registered account becomes the admin. Students become publishers by registering with PUBLISHER_CODE from server/.env.

If MongoDB is not available, the server still starts and /api/health reports the database state. Data-backed routes return 503 until MongoDB connects.

Environment

Copy .env.example to server/.env for local development.

Important variables:

Variable	Purpose
PORT	API port, defaults to 5174.
MONGODB_URI	MongoDB connection string.
CLIENT_ORIGIN	Allowed browser origin for CORS and Socket.IO.
JWT_SECRET	Secret used to sign account tokens. Change this.
PUBLISHER_CODE	Registration code that grants the student/publisher role.
SCALA_LIBRARY_JAR	Optional explicit path to scala-library.jar.
GAME_DEPENDENCY_JARS	Optional fallback jars for submitted games.
WINDOWS_JDK_JMODS	Required on Linux/macOS when cross-building Windows game runtimes.
JAVAFX_JMODS	Windows JavaFX jmods for JavaFX games.
JAVAFX_JMODS_LINUX	Linux JavaFX jmods for Linux game packages.

For multiple Scala installations, the builder can use versioned variables such as SCALAC_2_12, SCALA_2_12_HOME, and SCALA_LIBRARY_JAR_2_12 before falling back to PATH.

Scripts

Command	What it does
npm run dev	Runs the API and client together with hot reload.
npm run dev:client	Runs only the Vite client.
npm run dev:server	Runs only the API with Node watch mode and server/.env.
npm run build	Builds the production client into client/dist.
npm run start	Starts the API; serves client/dist too when present.
npm run db:up	Starts local MongoDB through Docker Compose.
npm run db:down	Stops the local Docker Compose stack.

Product Flow

Roles

• Visitor: can register, browse the public catalog, and view public game pages.
• Player: any signed-in account can add games to the library, download packages, review games, manage a profile, add friends, and chat.
• Student/publisher: can submit Git repositories, inspect metadata, trigger rebuilds, edit game pages, and read build logs on /dashboard.
• Admin: first registered account, or a user promoted later. Admins moderate games, feature/publish entries, manage accounts, and edit the site announcement on /admin.

Publishing

1. A student submits a Git repository on /dashboard.
2. The server clones the repository and reads isc.json when present. Without a manifest, it infers basic metadata from README files, Scala sources, build.sbt, .scala-version, and dependency jar names.
3. The build pipeline imports cover art and screenshots into GridFS, resolves dependencies, compiles .scala sources, creates runnable packages, and saves the full build log.
4. An admin publishes or features the game. Published games appear in the store and can be added to a player's library.

See docs/ISC_MANIFEST.md for the complete manifest format and docs/examples/isctaker.isc.json for an example.

Game Build Pipeline

The pipeline lives in server/src/services/pipeline.js. It builds one game at a time.

Supported inputs:

• Scala sources under manifest-defined source directories, defaulting to src
• resources such as sprites, sounds, and levels
• repo-local dependency jars
• fallback dependency jars from server/vendor
• Maven dependencies declared with sbt-style syntax in build.sbt or README text
• FunGraphics, gdx2d, JavaFX, and plain Scala projects when the required jars or jmods are available

Package output:

• Windows package: always the primary package, served by default from /api/games/:slug/download
• Linux package: produced on Linux build servers when the required Linux runtime tooling is available, served with ?platform=linux

Local game builds need compatible Scala and Java tooling. The production Docker image installs git, a JDK, Scala 2.13, Windows JDK jmods, and JavaFX jmods so it can compile and package student submissions in the container.

Web Features

Core pages:

• /: public store catalog with tags, search, featured games, and game cards
• /game/:slug: game detail page, screenshots, reviews, authors, downloads
• /library: signed-in user's library and playtime
• /dashboard: publisher tools for submissions and rebuilds
• /admin: admin moderation, users, games, stats, and announcement controls
• /user/:username: Steam-style profile page
• /docs/manifest: in-app manifest reference
• /style-guide: local design-system reference

Profiles include avatar and banner uploads, bio, status, stat cards, showcase panels, activity, friends, recent games, reviews, screenshot gallery, and comments with likes.

The social dock provides friends, one-to-one chat, image messages, online/in-game presence, unread state, and playtime reporting. Socket.IO is initialized by the API server; production proxies must forward /socket.io/ with WebSocket upgrades.

Desktop App

desktop/ is an Electron launcher for the hosted web app. It loads the server URL configured in desktop/package.json under iscsteam.url, so normal web changes do not require a desktop rebuild.

Unlike the browser version, the desktop app can install, unzip, and launch games from the Library page. It also reports playtime and "playing" presence back to the web app. Discord Rich Presence is configured with iscsteam.discordClientId in desktop/package.json.

cd desktop
npm install
ISCSTEAM_URL=http://localhost:5173 npm start
npm run dist

npm run dist builds Windows artifacts by default. The package config also defines a Linux AppImage target, used by the GitHub release workflow.

Pushing a tag such as v2.2.3 triggers .github/workflows/release-desktop.yml. The workflow builds:

• Windows installer: ISCSteam-Setup-<version>.exe
• Windows portable executable: ISCSteam.exe
• Linux AppImage: ISCSteam-<version>.AppImage
• updater metadata for Electron auto-update

git tag v2.2.3
git push origin v2.2.3

API Overview

All client calls use /api.

Route	Access	Purpose
GET /api/health	public	Server and database health.
POST /api/auth/register	public	Create an account; first user becomes admin.
POST /api/auth/login	public	Log in and receive a JWT.
GET /api/auth/me	token	Read the current user.
GET /api/games	public	Published store catalog.
GET /api/games/tags	public	Available tags.
GET /api/games/:slug	public/optional token	Game details.
GET /api/games/:slug/media/:mediaId	public	Cover and screenshot media.
GET /api/games/:slug/download?platform=linux	token	Download a packaged game; omit platform for Windows.
GET /api/games/:slug/reviews	public/optional token	List reviews.
POST /api/games/:slug/reviews	token	Create or update your review.
DELETE /api/games/:slug/reviews	token	Delete your review.
GET /api/games/mine	student/admin	Publisher's games.
POST /api/games/inspect-repo	student/admin	Inspect a repository before publishing.
POST /api/games	student/admin	Create a game entry and package upload/build.
POST /api/games/:slug/rebuild	student/admin	Rebuild a submitted game.
PATCH /api/games/:slug	student/admin	Update game metadata/media/package.
DELETE /api/games/:slug	student/admin	Delete a game.
GET /api/library	token	Current user's library.
POST /api/library/:slug	token	Add a game to the library.
DELETE /api/library/:slug	token	Remove a game from the library.
POST /api/library/:slug/playtime	token	Add tracked playtime.
GET /api/social/friends	token	List friends.
POST /api/social/friends	token	Send a friend request.
POST /api/social/friends/:friendshipId/accept	token	Accept a request.
DELETE /api/social/friends/:friendshipId	token	Remove a friendship/request.
GET /api/social/messages/:userId	token	List one-to-one messages.
POST /api/social/messages/:userId	token	Send a text message.
POST /api/social/messages/:userId/image	token	Send an image message.
POST /api/social/messages/:userId/read	token	Mark a chat as read.
GET /api/social/media/:messageId	token	Fetch chat image media.
GET /api/users/resolve	public	Resolve display names to profile users.
GET /api/users/:username	public/optional token	Public profile.
GET /api/users/:username/activity	public	Profile activity.
PATCH /api/users/me/profile	token	Update your profile.
POST /api/users/me/avatar	token	Upload avatar.
POST /api/users/me/banner	token	Upload banner.
GET /api/users/:username/comments	public/optional token	Profile comments.
POST /api/users/:username/comments	token	Add a profile comment.
DELETE /api/users/:username/comments/:commentId	token	Delete a profile comment.
POST /api/users/:username/comments/:commentId/like	token	Like/unlike a comment.
GET /api/admin/stats	admin	Admin dashboard stats.
GET /api/admin/users	admin	User management.
PATCH /api/admin/users/:id	admin	Change a user role.
DELETE /api/admin/users/:id	admin	Delete a user.
GET /api/admin/games	admin	All games, including unpublished entries.
PUT /api/admin/announcement	admin	Update the site announcement.
GET /api/announcement	public	Active announcement.
GET /api/releases	public	Desktop release metadata.

Project Structure

client/
  src/
    api/              Fetch wrapper and download URLs
    components/       Layout, cards, reviews, social dock, profile widgets
    context/          Auth and social/presence state
    hooks/            Theme hook
    pages/            Store, game detail, library, dashboard, admin, profile
    styles/           Theme tokens and page styles
desktop/
  main.js             Electron shell
  preload.js          Browser bridge for install/launch features
  games.js            Local install and launch helpers
  discord.js          Discord Rich Presence integration
deploy/
  nginx-iscsteam.conf Host nginx reverse-proxy example
  Caddyfile           Optional Caddy reverse-proxy example
docs/
  ISC_MANIFEST.md     isc.json specification
  examples/           Example manifests
server/
  src/
    config/           MongoDB and GridFS setup
    controllers/      Route handlers
    middleware/       Auth, DB guard, error handling
    models/           Mongoose models
    routes/           API route definitions
    services/         Manifest parsing, build pipeline, presence
  vendor/             Checked-in and cached build dependencies
Dockerfile            Production API/client/build-toolchain image
docker-compose.yml    Local MongoDB
docker-compose.prod.yml Production app + Mongo stack

Production Deployment

The included production stack is designed for an Ubuntu VPS where host nginx terminates HTTPS and proxies to the app container on localhost.

git clone <this repo>
cd ISC-Steam
cp .env.example deploy/.env
# edit deploy/.env: DOMAIN, JWT_SECRET, PUBLISHER_CODE, and any build settings
docker compose -f docker-compose.prod.yml --env-file deploy/.env up -d --build

The app container binds to 127.0.0.1:5174. Use deploy/nginx-iscsteam.conf as the host nginx template, including the /socket.io/ WebSocket proxy rules. Certbot or another host-level TLS tool can manage HTTPS certificates.

To update a deployed server:

git pull
docker compose -f docker-compose.prod.yml --env-file deploy/.env up -d --build

deploy/Caddyfile is kept for setups where Caddy handles HTTPS instead of host nginx.

Attribution

The ISC logos are copyrighted by their authors and licensed CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 via ISC-HEI/isc-logos. Keep the attribution in the footer and respect the non-commercial license.

"Steam" is used here as a class-project nickname. This project is not affiliated with Valve.