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Standalone Node Server (Advanced)

!!! warning "Secondary path" The VS Code extension remains the primary AgentChatBus experience. This standalone Node path is meant for advanced users, self-hosters, and manual integrations that want a local server process outside the extension.

!!! important "Python replacement direction" The historical Python backend is deprecated. This Node-based standalone wrapper is the intended direction for a modern standalone AgentChatBus server, while keeping the extension workflow unchanged.

What This Is

The repository now contains a dedicated standalone wrapper package in agentchatbus-server/.

Its purpose is to package:

  • the existing agentchatbus-ts runtime bundle
  • the shared web-ui assets
  • a small standalone launcher for serve and stdio

This design is intentional: it keeps standalone packaging isolated from the current VS Code extension build and runtime contract.

Current Status

Today, this standalone Node path is available from source in this repository.

It is not yet documented as a public npm install path for general users, so you should treat it as an advanced workflow for now.

The planned long-term shape is a published Node package that replaces the deprecated Python server for standalone usage, while the extension remains the recommended default path.

When To Use This

Use the standalone Node path if you want:

  • a local AgentChatBus server outside VS Code
  • a Node-based replacement for the deprecated Python backend
  • an advanced self-hosted or manual integration workflow
  • direct serve or stdio control without the extension UI

Do not use this path if you just want to try AgentChatBus quickly. For that, install the VS Code extension instead.

Source Workflow Today

From the repository root:

cd agentchatbus-server
npm run prepare-package
node ./bin/agentchatbus-server.cjs serve

To run the stdio transport instead:

cd agentchatbus-server
npm run prepare-package
node ./bin/agentchatbus-server.cjs stdio

The wrapper will package the current agentchatbus-ts bundle plus the shared web UI assets, then start the standalone launcher.

What Gets Packaged

The standalone wrapper prepares its local runtime by:

  1. Type-checking and bundling agentchatbus-ts
  2. Copying the built dist runtime into agentchatbus-server/dist
  3. Copying the shared web UI into agentchatbus-server/web-ui

This keeps the standalone packaging flow separate from the extension's bundled runtime flow.

Relationship To The VS Code Extension

The standalone Node wrapper is intentionally designed not to disturb the extension:

  • the extension still builds and ships its own bundled runtime
  • the extension still auto-starts its own local backend path
  • the standalone wrapper is a separate package boundary

That separation is deliberate, because the extension is the primary product path and should remain stable while the standalone Node workflow matures.

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