AlexaDorkNet — december-2020-12-18
This is the December 2020.12.18 branch of DorkNet — a self-hostable reimplementation of the Rec Room backend tuned to the wire protocol of the Rec Room 2020.12.18 client build.
⚠️ Not affiliated with Rec Room Inc. or Against Gravity. See DISCLAIMER. DorkNet ships no Rec Room game assets or modified binaries — you supply your own legally-acquired Rec Room 2020.12.18 install.
If you're not sure which DorkNet branch you want, start at the main branch's chart. The launcher on main also auto-detects your install.
What this branch targets
| Client build | Rec Room 2020.12.18 |
Version key (sent as X-DorkNet-Version header) |
december_2020_12_18 |
| Version plugin | DorkNet.Server/Versions/Late2020/Late2020VersionPlugin.cs |
| Schema | One EF Initial migration; SQLite + Postgres both work |
Diverges from march-2020-03-10 by |
~170 files |
Subsystems present on this branch that the March branch doesn't have:
- Chat threads + group DMs (
ChatThreads,ChatThreadMembers) - Clubs surface (
clubs.{apex}/*— announcements, categories, subscriptions) - Playlists (curated + user-created)
- Weekly challenges
- Room keys (purchasable room access)
- Room roles (per-room co-owner / moderator / host grants)
- Leaderboard channel metadata
- Loading-screen tips
Quickstart
1. Install .NET 9 SDK and (optionally) dotnet-ef:
dotnet tool install --global dotnet-ef
2. Clone this branch:
git clone --branch december-2020-12-18 https://github.com/DorkSquadRR/DorkNet
cd DorkNet
3. Configure secrets. Drop in DorkNet.Server/appsettings.Local.json
(gitignored) or export environment variables:
| Config key | Env var | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Jwt:Secret |
Jwt__Secret |
yes | ≥64 random chars |
Photon:AppId |
Photon__AppId |
yes | Photon Realtime AppId (free at dashboard.photonengine.com) |
Photon:VoiceAppId |
Photon__VoiceAppId |
no | only if voice chat |
Photon:CloudRegion |
Photon__CloudRegion |
no | defaults to us |
Database:Provider |
Database__Provider |
no | sqlite (default) or postgres |
ConnectionStrings:Default |
ConnectionStrings__Default |
postgres-only | full Npgsql connection string |
ConnectionStrings:Redis |
ConnectionStrings__Redis |
no | enables SignalR backplane |
Domain:Apex |
DORKNET_DOMAIN |
no | defaults to localhost; set for production |
4. Boot:
dotnet run --project DorkNet.Server
First boot creates bin/Debug/net9.0/data/dorknet.db, runs every
LegacyUpgrades pass, seeds canonical rooms / store catalog / club
categories / playlists, and starts listening. You should see
Application started. in the log; curl http://localhost:8080/healthz
returns 200.
For a full Docker / VPS deploy, see main's Advanced setup guide.
Patching your client
.\tools\install-melon.ps1 `
-RecRoomPath "C:\Path\To\Recroom_Release_Data" `
-PhotonAppId "<your-photon-realtime-app-id>" `
-PhotonVoiceAppId "<your-photon-voice-app-id>"
This installs the MelonLoader mod (DorkNet.ClientMod) into the
client's Mods/ folder and writes its config to
MelonLoader/UserData/dorknet-clientmod.json. The mod rewrites all
*.rec.net URIs to your configured DorkNet apex, swaps the Photon
AppIds, and bypasses TLS verification on the client's HTTPS calls so
self-signed certs work. (First run prints "launch the game once"; do
that, then re-run with -ResumeBuild to finish — see the script's
-? help.)
Debug console (opt-in)
The 2020 client ships a built-in dev console
(RecRoom.Debugging.DebugConsole) with commands like SetTimeScale,
Fly, Teleport, GoToRoom, and KillAllEnemies — normally locked to
developer accounts. Set "EnableDebugConsole": true in
dorknet-clientmod.json and relaunch: the mod force-toggles the console
UI on a hotkey ("DebugConsoleToggleKey", default BackQuote = the ~
key) and silences CheatManager so the movement/time commands don't drop
you to the dorm. Both default off.
Desktop Screen Sharing FPS (opt-in)
The Maker Pen "Desktop Sharing Screen"
(RecRoom.Tools.Productivity.DesktopScreenSharingDisplay) broadcasts at a
baked refresh rate (~5 fps). Set "DesktopScreenShareFps" in
dorknet-clientmod.json (e.g. 30) and relaunch to override it — the mod
rewrites the gadget's screenShareImageRefreshFrequency at runtime and,
when "DesktopScreenShareRaisePhotonRate" is true (default), lifts
PhotonNetwork.SendRate/SerializationRate to match so the frames
actually transmit (the image streams over OnPhotonSerializeView, capped
at the serialization rate otherwise). This is global — it raises every
object's network sync rate, so back it off on a busy room.
"DesktopScreenShareResolution"/"DesktopScreenShareQuality" (both 0 =
keep the prefab value) trade per-frame size for bandwidth if a high FPS
saturates the link. Only the player sharing needs the override. Default
0 (off).
Code map
| Folder | Purpose |
|---|---|
DorkNet.Server/ |
ASP.NET Core backend (controllers, services, data, hubs, middleware) |
DorkNet.Models/ |
DTOs shared between server and client mod |
DorkNet.ClientMod/ |
MelonLoader IL2CPP mod — the client patcher |
tools/ |
Installers (install-melon.ps1, install-legacy-client.ps1, remove-eac.ps1), Cloudflare tunnel templates |
See docs/architecture.md for the full mental model (project layout, request lifecycle, watch-mirror controller pattern, where to start contributing).
Database & migrations
One EF migration (Migrations/<timestamp>_Initial.cs) captures the
schema. SQLite dev DBs apply it via Database.Migrate(); Postgres uses
EnsureCreated() behind a transaction-scoped advisory lock. The
entity model is the single source of truth — to add a column, edit the
entity, boot, done (on SQLite — Postgres prod needs a migration).
Data transforms that can't be schema (seed renames, computed backfills)
go in DorkNet.Server/Data/LegacyUpgrades.cs.
See DorkNet.Server/Data/MIGRATIONS.md
for the full discipline.
Tables added after the consolidated Initial migration (e.g.
SignupCodes / PendingDevices) are created by an idempotent
CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS step in
Startup/DatabaseBootstrap.cs
so both providers pick them up on existing DBs without a new migration
(the Postgres path is EnsureCreated-only and never replays migrations).
Signup codes
When account creation is disabled (admin Settings → Server), the only
way in is an admin-issued single-use signup code: generate one in the
admin panel's Settings → Signup codes tab (with a descriptor + optional expiry),
hand it to the player, and they redeem it on the site's /join page —
which creates their account bound to the device their game client
reported, so the next launch logs straight in.
Everyone-is-friends toggle
For small servers where searching + friend-requesting each other is
friction, admin Settings → Server → "Everyone is friends" makes every
account a friend of every other account. It writes no relationship
rows — the friend graph is synthesized at read time
(RelationshipQueries.EffectiveFriendIdsAsync, gated on
ServerSettings.GlobalFriendsEnabled), so flipping it off reverts
instantly. Blocks are still honored and the system/coach account is
excluded. Flipping it broadcasts RelationshipsInvalid to every connected
watch, which calls Relationships.RefreshList and re-pulls
api/relationships/v2/get — so players see everyone appear (or disappear)
without relogging. It covers the friends list, the friends-online HUD,
and room-move presence fan-out.
Contributing
See main's CONTRIBUTING guide for the project-wide rules.
Branch-specific: schema changes on this branch don't flow to
march-2020-03-10 automatically. If a fix applies to both, cherry-pick
it across. Don't rebase across branches.
License
AGPL-3.0. Hosted forks must publish their source.