icey-server Operator Workflow

This is a portable skill document for agents working in nilstate/icey-cli. Use it to preserve the repo's build, validation, packaging, and operator bring-up conventions.

The file is useful as plain project documentation. Tools that understand SKILL.md, including runx, can optionally pair it with execution, verification, and receipts.

Evidence Sources

This workflow is grounded in these repo files:

• README.md: native quick start, Docker demo path, repo workflow, runtime modes, endpoints, browser smoke notes, and bring-up order.
• CMakeLists.txt: C++20 project shape, ICEY_SOURCE_DIR, icey component requirements, install layout, and web UI install destination.
• CMakePresets.json: dev and release configure/build presets using a sibling ../icey checkout.
• Makefile: canonical wrapper targets for configure, build, web, install, package, release, Docker, package-manager validation, and the macOS-only facetime-demo helper.
• web/package.json: Vite build and Playwright smoke commands for Chromium, Firefox, WebKit, and Docker smoke.
• .github/workflows/ci.yml: Linux CI contract using Ubuntu 24.04, GCC 13, pinned ICEY_VERSION, web build, staged install, browser smoke, and package-manager cutover.
• .github/workflows/release.yml: release package, Docker image, GitHub release assets, and optional package-manager publication flow.
• .github/workflows/publish-package-managers.yml: Homebrew, AUR, APT, and rendered manifest publication gates.
• packaging/README.md: package-manager model, artifact names, generator scripts, and validation expectations.
• docker/README.md: fastest demo path, host-networking assumptions, runtime overrides, and Compose source path.
• docs/facetime-on-macbook.md: macOS realtime path. Single-process bring-up via the avfoundation: URL scheme dispatched by MediaCapture::openFile. Covers permission prompts, audio resampler bring-up, and the speaker default-mute.
• scripts/facetime-demo.sh: one-command single-process bring-up of icey-server --source 'avfoundation:0:none' on macOS, fronted by the make facetime-demo target.
• VERSION and ICEY_VERSION: release context for this repo and the pinned core nilstate/icey dependency.

At generation time this repo declared icey-server 0.2.3 and pinned icey 2.4.9.

When To Use This Skill

Use this skill when an agent needs to:

• change icey-server C++ server behavior, CLI flags, config handling, operator endpoints, or install layout
• update the bundled web UI or browser smoke expectations
• validate native builds against a sibling nilstate/icey checkout
• modify Docker demo behavior or runtime environment variables
• modify packaging, release metadata, package-manager manifests, or publication workflows
• help an operator bring up stream, record, relay, TURN, RTSP, or TLS paths without mixing failure domains

Do not use this skill to change core media primitives in nilstate/icey; that belongs in the core repo. This repo consumes the pinned core release through ICEY_VERSION.

Inputs To Inspect First

Always inspect these before planning changes:

• README.md for the public operator contract and CLI option list
• Makefile for preferred local commands
• CMakePresets.json and CMakeLists.txt for build shape and dependency wiring
• ICEY_VERSION before assuming core API behavior
• .github/workflows/ci.yml before changing validation expectations
• web/package.json before changing browser smoke behavior
• packaging/README.md and scripts/*release* before changing release or package-manager output
• docker/README.md and docker/* before changing demo behavior

If a requested change touches release output, inspect VERSION, CHANGELOG.md, scripts/validate-release-metadata.sh, and scripts/package-manager-check.sh in the same pass.

Safe Operating Rules

• Keep the express demo path simple: docker run --rm --network host 0state/icey-server:latest, then http://localhost:4500.
• Do not claim Safari support from Linux Playwright WebKit results; the README explicitly withholds that claim until Apple-platform validation exists.
• Keep runtime bring-up staged: local stream without TURN, then record, then relay, then TURN-enabled external or NAT testing.
• Treat --doctor as the first machine-readable preflight for operator-facing runtime changes.
• Preserve the pinned ICEY_VERSION model. Do not silently float to nilstate/icey main in release or CI paths.
• Keep package-manager output tied to real artifacts. Do not emit placeholder manifests for package managers without a matching archive and checksum.
• Do not weaken CI coverage when changing C++, web UI, packaging, or release surfaces.
• Do not add hosted service assumptions; the README positions the app as one binary plus local ports.

Workflow

1. Classify The Change

Map the request to one or more surfaces:

• server: C++ server, CLI flags, config, endpoints, runtime modes
• web: Vite UI, Symple client/player integration, browser smoke
• docker: published image, Compose source path, host-networking demo
• packaging: staged layout, tar/zip/deb/APT/package-manager manifests
• release: VERSION, ICEY_VERSION, changelog, GitHub release assets, Docker Hub
• docs: README, docker README, packaging README, operator instructions

If the change crosses surfaces, plan validation for each touched surface before editing.

2. Build Or Configure Locally

Preferred source-backed path with the sibling icey checkout:

cmake --preset dev
cmake --build --preset dev

Equivalent Makefile path:

make configure
make build

If the sibling checkout is not at ../icey, pass ICEY_SOURCE_DIR=/path/to/icey explicitly.

3. Validate Runtime Readiness

Use --doctor before claiming the server is runnable:

./build-dev/src/server/icey-server --doctor

For RTSP paths, start from the tracked example:

cp config.rtsp.example.json config.local.json
$EDITOR config.local.json
./build-dev/src/server/icey-server --config config.local.json --doctor
./build-dev/src/server/icey-server --config config.local.json

For a browser-visible local app, build the web UI first:

make web-install
make web-build
./build-dev/src/server/icey-server --web-root web/dist --source /path/to/video.mp4

4. Validate Browser And Demo Paths

For UI changes or media-path claims, run the Chromium smoke path that CI treats as authoritative:

npm --prefix web ci
npm --prefix web run build
npm --prefix web run test:smoke:chromium

For the published-image demo contract, keep the public command stable:

docker run --rm --network host 0state/icey-server:latest

For local source-backed Docker validation:

docker compose -f docker/compose.yaml up --build

For the macOS realtime FaceTime path, exercise the dedicated helper. It runs a single icey-server process that opens AVFoundation directly via the avfoundation: URL scheme; Ctrl-C tears it down:

make facetime-demo

That target wraps scripts/facetime-demo.sh. macOS-only because of the avfoundation input. Setup details, including the device permission prompt, the audio capture default, and the speaker default-mute, are documented in docs/facetime-on-macbook.md.

5. Validate Packaging Or Release Changes

For staged app layout changes:

make install

For release metadata only:

make release-metadata-check

For the full package-manager cutover contract:

make package-managers

This must validate Linux tar/zip archives, Debian package contents, APT repo archive, Homebrew formula, AUR PKGBUILD, Nix expression, SHA256SUMS, and Windows-facing manifests only when real Windows artifacts exist.

6. Report Results

A useful agent result should report:

• changed surfaces
• commands run
• whether ICEY_VERSION was relevant
• browser engine used for smoke va