DEV Community: Cody Marsengill

marchat v0.5.0-beta.2 Release Announcement

Cody Marsengill — Sun, 31 Aug 2025 13:59:46 +0000

We are pleased to announce the release of marchat v0.5.0-beta.2.

Key Updates in This Release

Extended Message Limit: Messages can now be up to 2000 characters, allowing for longer, uninterrupted conversations.
Improved Help System: Press Ctrl+H to access a dedicated help screen with all keyboard shortcuts documented.
Plugin Enhancements: Plugin checksum validation is fixed, and the registry now automatically selects the correct binary for your platform.
Cross-Platform Installation: A single install script is available for Linux, macOS, Windows, and Android/Termux, with configuration files stored in OS-appropriate directories.

This release also includes various technical improvements and backward compatibility fixes for encryption and keystore handling.

Download and Resources

GitHub: https://github.com/Cod-e-Codes/marchat
Latest Release: https://github.com/Cod-e-Codes/marchat/releases/latest
Docker Hub: https://hub.docker.com/r/codecodesxyz/marchat
Pull Latest Docker Image:

docker pull codecodesxyz/marchat:latest

marchat v0.3.0-beta.4 — Terminal Chat With Plugins, Encryption, and Docker Support

Cody Marsengill — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 14:47:38 +0000

Release Date: 15 Aug 2025

TL;DR: marchat is now fully beta 0.3.0, featuring remote plugin loading, end-to-end encryption, flexible TLS options, and a Docker image for easy deployment.

What's New in v0.3.0-beta.4:

Plugins: Registry integration fixed. Plugins can now be loaded directly from GitHub releases. Added MARCHAT_PLUGIN_REGISTRY_URL environment variable for custom registries.
TLS Support: Client-side verification bypass flag --skip-tls-verify for development and self-signed certificates.
End-to-End Encryption: Messages can now be sent fully encrypted using the --e2e flag. Keys are scoped per conversation for maximum isolation.
Configuration Enhancements: Environment variables and server config updated to support plugins, ban history gaps, and TLS options.
Docker Image: codecodesxyz/marchat:v0.3.0-beta.4 ready for deployment. Compatible with previous volumes, no migration required.

Technical Improvements:

Server: CLI help extended to show new options, registry paths are fully configurable.
Client: TLS options configured on WebSocket dialer, integrated E2E encryption, improved decryption error handling.
Plugin Registry: Echo plugin updated with correct GitHub release URLs and metadata.

Getting Started:

Server: ./marchat-server
Client: ./marchat-client --skip-tls-verify --server wss://localhost:8080/ws (for self-signed TLS)
Enable Encryption: ./marchat-client --e2e
Plugin Store: :store inside chat; install plugins with :plugin install <name>

Docker:

docker run -it --rm -p 8080:8080 codecodesxyz/marchat:v0.3.0-beta.4

Next Steps:

Expand plugin ecosystem.
Improve Docker setup with volume and network examples.
Continue stabilizing E2E encryption and TLS workflow.

Check out the full release notes for a detailed changelog and download links.

A full-featured terminal chat app in just 6 MB — with mobile support

Cody Marsengill — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 13:09:06 +0000

Built with Go, deployable anywhere

Just wrapped some real-world testing of marchat, my terminal-native chat app.

A user ran the server in Docker while clients connected 60–70 miles away through an nginx reverse proxy — no hiccups.

Performance at a glance:

Server: ~6 MB RAM
Android client (Termux): 30–45 MB RAM, ~5% CPU
File sharing: smooth, even over the distributed setup
Reverse proxy setup guide coming soon

Why it stands out:

Self-hosted with SQLite (PostgreSQL/MySQL support planned)
Real E2E encryption (X25519 / ChaCha20-Poly1305)
Works on mobile via Termux
Plugin-friendly for custom features

It’s been running for a week straight without a crash — perfect for dev teams who want to skip Slack’s bloat or run something anywhere, from servers to phones.

File Sharing	Theme Switching

marchat running on Android via Termux, demonstrating file transfer through reverse proxy and real-time theme switching

GitHub: https://github.com/Cod-e-Codes/marchat

Docker: https://hub.docker.com/r/codecodesxyz/marchat

Running something similar? Drop your setup in the comments — I’d love to see it.

How I Built My 12.8 KB Terminal-Themed Portfolio Site (and Template)

Cody Marsengill — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 13:20:58 +0000

Most personal sites are overengineered. I wanted something lean, fast, and fun—so I built my own tiny web template that powers my portfolio and weighs in at just 12.8 KB total.

This post explains:

Why I built it
How it works
How you can use it
What happened after I launched

The Problem with Modern Personal Sites

You know the story: framework bloat, 2MB+ bundles, SPAs for a static page with a headshot and 4 links. It feels unnecessary.

I wanted a site that:

Loads instantly, even on slow connections
Works without JS (mostly)
Looks like a terminal (because I live in one)
Uses only vanilla HTML, CSS, and a bit of JS
Can be repurposed easily by others

Enter: `lilweb-template`

GitHub: Cod-e-Codes/lilweb-template
Demo: cod-e-codes.github.io/lilweb-template (deployed on GitHub Pages)

This template is a no-framework, no-build-step, ultra-lightweight web starter with:

Terminal-themed aesthetic (monospace, green-on-black, blinking cursor)
All CSS and JS inline inside index.html
JS fetches GitHub API data (repos, stars, etc.)
Easily configurable via a small inline config object

Everything lives in a single index.html. No external stylesheets, no external scripts. That's it.

And thanks to its minimal footprint, it scores 100/100 on all Lighthouse metrics—even on low-end mobile devices over slow 4G connections.

My Own Site: A Real-World Demo

My portfolio cod-e-codes.com uses the template, with:

Live repo data from GitHub
A list of open source tools I built
No frameworks, libraries, or trackers
Fully static and cacheable

All in under 13KB total size.

What Happened When I Posted It to Hacker News

On August 6, I shared the template on Hacker News:

Show HN: Minimal terminal-style portfolio template (~13KB) with GitHub API data

I linked the GitHub repo and mentioned my own site as a live demo at the top.

Results (so far):

300+ unique visitors to my personal site within 24 hours
GitHub stars and clones increased
Some traffic trickled into my portfolio from the demo
I haven’t received feedback from other developers yet
No signs of adoption or forks so far

Still, not bad for a zero-dependency web page!

Why This Worked

The site is authentic—I use it myself.
It solves a real problem: bloated personal sites.
The repo is immediately usable.
It looks different (terminal aesthetic stands out).

Want to Use It?

Getting started is simple:

Fork the repo: lilweb-template
Customize it using the README and TEMPLATE_GUIDE
Deploy it on GitHub Pages, Netlify, or any static host

Done. No build step, no framework, no nonsense.

What's Next?

I’m planning to:

Add simple theming (light/dark toggle?)
Support more social links (Mastodon, etc.)
Help others fork and showcase their versions

If you try it, let me know—I'd love to see what you build.

Thanks for reading! You can find me at cod-e-codes.com or GitHub: @Cod-e-Codes.

marchat v0.2.0: Terminal Chat Now With Plugins and Encryption

Cody Marsengill — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 23:21:39 +0000

A lot has changed since I first introduced marchat.
What started as a minimalist, terminal-first group chat has evolved into a more secure, extensible platform for real-time messaging — still fully self-hosted and still built for the command line.

This update brings plugin support, optional end-to-end encryption, a revamped admin system, and better deployment tooling.

What’s New in v0.2.0-beta.3

Plugin ecosystem (:plugin, :store)
Optional end-to-end encryption (X25519/ChaCha20-Poly1305)
Docker and Docker Compose support
New admin commands: :ban and :kick
SQLite-based local persistence with improved config handling
Updated themes, user list display, and security hardening

Overview

marchat is a self-hosted, terminal-based group chat application designed for developers who prefer the command line. It offers real-time messaging over WebSockets, a full-featured TUI client, and optional encryption — all backed by a local SQLite database.

It now supports a plugin system that makes it easy to extend the experience with community-built enhancements like ANSI image sharing, text filters, or custom commands.

Key Features

Feature	Description
Terminal UI	Built with Bubble Tea, fully keyboard-navigable
Real-time Chat	WebSocket-based, low-latency communication
Plugin System	Install via `:plugin install`, browse with `:store`
E2E Encryption	Optional encryption with X25519/ChaCha20
File Sharing	Transfer files up to 1MB using `:sendfile`
Admin Controls	Kick, ban, wipe database, manage users
Docker Support	Run easily with Docker or Docker Compose
Cross-platform	Linux, macOS, and Windows binaries available

Getting Started

You can get started using prebuilt binaries or the Docker image.
For full instructions, see the GitHub README.

Binary Installation

# Linux
wget https://github.com/Cod-e-Codes/marchat/releases/download/v0.2.0-beta.3/marchat-v0.2.0-beta.3-linux-amd64.zip
unzip marchat-v0.2.0-beta.3-linux-amd64.zip

# macOS
wget https://github.com/Cod-e-Codes/marchat/releases/download/v0.2.0-beta.3/marchat-v0.2.0-beta.3-darwin-amd64.zip
unzip marchat-v0.2.0-beta.3-darwin-amd64.zip

Docker

docker pull codecodesxyz/marchat:v0.2.0-beta.3

docker run -d \
  -p 8080:8080 \
  -e MARCHAT_ADMIN_KEY=$(openssl rand -hex 32) \
  -e MARCHAT_USERS=admin1,admin2 \
  codecodesxyz/marchat:v0.2.0-beta.3

Example Usage

Start Server

export MARCHAT_ADMIN_KEY=your-key
export MARCHAT_USERS=admin1

./marchat-server

Connect Client

./marchat-client --username admin1 --admin --admin-key your-key --server ws://localhost:8080/ws

Encryption Support

To enable end-to-end encryption:

./marchat-client \
  --username alice \
  --e2e \
  --keystore-passphrase your-passphrase \
  --server ws://localhost:8080/ws

Use commands like :showkey, :addkey, and :encrypt to manage keys.

Plugin Ecosystem

The new plugin system allows for on-demand extensibility without changing core code.

Available commands:

:plugin list
:plugin install <name>
:plugin uninstall <name>
:store (to browse available plugins)

Security Best Practices

Generate a secure admin key using openssl rand -hex 32
Do not use the default changeme key
Restrict access to production instances
Use wss:// when exposing marchat over the internet
Secure config and database files with appropriate file permissions

Contributing

marchat is open source under the MIT license.
Whether you want to report bugs, suggest features, or build plugins, contributions are welcome.

GitHub repo: https://github.com/Cod-e-Codes/marchat
Plugin starter guide: PLUGIN_ECOSYSTEM.md

Final Thoughts

marchat v0.2.0 is the first step toward making terminal chat collaborative, secure, and truly customizable. If you enjoy self-hosted tools or want to build your own chat plugins, give it a spin and let me know what you think.

ASCII Colorizer: Convert Images and Videos into Colored Terminal Art

Cody Marsengill — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 19:36:45 +0000

View on GitHub

ASCII Colorizer is a Python-based command-line tool for converting images and videos into colorful ASCII art, rendered directly in your terminal using ANSI escape sequences. It supports both CPU and GPU processing and runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows.

This tool is built for developers, system tweakers, terminal hobbyists, or anyone who wants to animate or visualize media in a unique, resourceful way without leaving the terminal.

Key Features

Image & Video Input: Supports JPG, PNG, GIF, MP4, AVI, WebM, and more
TrueColor & 256-Color Support: Works with modern terminals
GPU Acceleration (Optional): Leverage CUDA with PyTorch for performance
Adaptive Optimization: Frame skipping and detail control for smooth playback
CLI First: Fully scriptable and configurable through the command line
Cross-Platform: Runs on Python 3.12+ across all major operating systems

Getting Started

git clone https://github.com/Cod-e-Codes/ascii-colorizer.git
cd ascii-colorizer
pip install -r requirements.txt
pip install -e .

Optional GPU support (requires NVIDIA CUDA):

pip install torch torchvision --index-url https://download.pytorch.org/whl/cu121

Example Usage

Convert an Image

ascii-colorizer --file image.png --width 100

Play a Video as ASCII Animation

ascii-colorizer --file clip.mp4 --fps 15

Use GPU Acceleration

ascii-colorizer --file clip.mp4 --gpu

Save Output to File

ascii-colorizer --file image.jpg --save ascii_output.txt

Performance Tuning

You can improve rendering speed and quality by adjusting playback parameters or enabling GPU mode:

ascii-colorizer --file video.mp4 --fast --adaptive
ascii-colorizer --file video.mp4 --gpu --gpu-batch-size 8

Need to benchmark your system?

ascii-colorizer --file image.jpg --gpu --benchmark

When to Use This

Display system logos and short videos in your terminal
Create media-rich terminal dashboards or ambient art
Animate media while running tools like neofetch or htop
Generate colorful ASCII output for fun or live demos
Turn large displays or LED matrices into live ASCII screens

Requirements

Python 3.12+
A terminal with ANSI TrueColor support
Optional: CUDA-compatible GPU (for acceleration)

Try It

This project is actively maintained and open to contributions. If you're interested in terminal graphics, performance benchmarking, or novel input/output interfaces, give ASCII Colorizer a try.

GitHub: https://github.com/Cod-e-Codes/ascii-colorizer

Introducing marchat: A Real-Time Terminal-Based Chat App in Go

Cody Marsengill — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 03:00:00 +0000

I’m excited to share marchat, a minimalist, terminal-based group chat application built with Go. Designed for developers and enthusiasts who prefer the command line, marchat offers a fast, distraction-free chat experience suitable for pair programming, remote LAN parties, or simple terminal conversations.

What is marchat?

marchat is a self-hosted chat server and client with a text-based user interface (TUI) built on Bubble Tea. It uses WebSockets for real-time communication, making it lightweight and responsive. Its core goals are simplicity, extensibility, and terminal-native usability.

Key Features

Real-time terminal chat with a clean, scrollable interface
File sharing support for small files (under 1MB)
Configurable themes via JSON, including patriot, retro, and modern
Basic admin controls for managing users and clearing data
Self-hosted server that you can run locally or expose remotely
Clipboard support for convenient copy/paste operations in the terminal
@Mention highlighting and live user list for collaborative interaction

Current Status

marchat is in early beta (v0.1.0-beta.2) with prebuilt binaries for Linux, Windows, and macOS (amd64). It’s actively under development, and feedback at this stage is crucial for shaping the project.

Getting Started

You can quickly try marchat by downloading prebuilt binaries from the GitHub releases page. Running the server and client is straightforward, and configuration is flexible via flags or a JSON config file.

For detailed installation and usage instructions, please see the marchat README.

Why build marchat?

This project started as a way to share coding and collaboration joy in a terminal environment — inspired by simple, retro tools and a love for command-line workflows. If you appreciate lightweight, self-hosted solutions and real-time terminal apps, marchat might be a great fit.

Contributing and Feedback

I welcome contributions, bug reports, and feature requests. No prior Go experience is required to help out — feel free to check the good first issues or open a new issue for feedback.

Repository

Explore the source code, download releases, and learn more:

https://github.com/Cod-e-Codes/marchat

Thank you for your interest in marchat. I’m eager to hear your thoughts and suggestions.

This post is part of an ongoing project in early beta — please consider providing feedback to help improve the app.

DEV Community: Cody Marsengill

marchat v0.5.0-beta.2 Release Announcement

Key Updates in This Release

Download and Resources

marchat v0.3.0-beta.4 — Terminal Chat With Plugins, Encryption, and Docker Support

A full-featured terminal chat app in just 6 MB — with mobile support

How I Built My 12.8 KB Terminal-Themed Portfolio Site (and Template)

The Problem with Modern Personal Sites

Enter: lilweb-template

My Own Site: A Real-World Demo

What Happened When I Posted It to Hacker News

Results (so far):

Why This Worked

Want to Use It?

What's Next?

marchat v0.2.0: Terminal Chat Now With Plugins and Encryption

What’s New in v0.2.0-beta.3

Overview

Key Features

Getting Started

Binary Installation

Docker

Example Usage

Start Server

Connect Client

Encryption Support

Plugin Ecosystem

Security Best Practices

Contributing

Final Thoughts

ASCII Colorizer: Convert Images and Videos into Colored Terminal Art

Key Features

Getting Started

Example Usage

Convert an Image

Play a Video as ASCII Animation

Use GPU Acceleration

Save Output to File

Performance Tuning

When to Use This

Requirements

Try It

Introducing marchat: A Real-Time Terminal-Based Chat App in Go

What is marchat?

Key Features

Current Status

Getting Started

Why build marchat?

Contributing and Feedback

Repository

Enter: `lilweb-template`