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BitRiver Live Wiki

Welcome to the BitRiver Live Wiki.

This wiki is the operator and contributor guide for BitRiver Live — a self-hosted live-streaming platform built around one clear deployment bundle instead of a grab bag of loosely connected services.

BitRiver Live packages a Go control-plane API, a Next.js viewer, ingest and transcoding services, and stateful dependencies into a single Docker Compose deployment driven by one root .env file.

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What BitRiver Live is

BitRiver Live is designed around a simple mental model:

• one deployment bundle
• one canonical Docker Compose contract
• one shared environment file
• multiple launch surfaces that converge on the same runtime behavior

In practice, that means installer-backed launchers, source-based CLI commands, and wrapper scripts all feed the same deployment pipeline:

1. doctor checks
2. .env bootstrap and validation
3. OvenMediaEngine config render
4. database migrations
5. docker compose up
6. readiness checks
7. admin bootstrap

This project is intentionally optimized for clarity, repeatability, and operator control.

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What BitRiver Live is not

BitRiver Live is not:

• a managed SaaS platform
• a single-binary app with no external services
• a Kubernetes-first deployment
• a “magic” zero-ops platform that removes operator responsibility

The documented strength of BitRiver Live is a clear, operator-managed deployment model with a consistent runtime contract.

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Who this wiki is for

This wiki is written for four audiences:

Evaluators

People deciding whether BitRiver Live fits their use case.

Operators

People deploying, upgrading, securing, and maintaining a running instance.

Developers

People working in the codebase or extending the platform.

Contributors

People opening issues, proposing improvements, or contributing code and docs.

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Start here

I want to understand the project

Start with:

• the repository README.md
• the project mental model
• current status and production stance
• architecture overview

Recommended wiki pages:

• Project Overview
• Architecture Overview
• Feature Status
• FAQ

I want to get it running

Start with:

• Quickstart
• Environment Configuration
• TLS and HTTPS Setup
• Reverse Proxy Guide

I want to operate it in production

Start with:

• Production Deployment
• Operations Guide
• Security and Hardening
• Upgrades
• Monitoring and Health Checks
• Troubleshooting

I want to contribute

Start with:

• Development Guide
• Testing Guide
• Contributing
• Release Process

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Recommended wiki structure

This wiki works best when organized into a few top-level sections.

Product and Overview

High-level pages that explain what BitRiver Live is, what it is not, who it is for, and how the platform fits together.

Suggested pages:

• Home
• Project Overview
• Architecture Overview
• Feature Status
• FAQ

Deployment

Practical setup and installation material for first-time operators.

Suggested pages:

• Quickstart
• Installation Paths
• Environment Configuration
• Reverse Proxy Guide
• TLS and HTTPS Setup
• Production Deployment

Operations

Runbooks and day-2 operational guidance.

Suggested pages:

• Operations Guide
• Health Checks and Status
• Backups and Restores
• Upgrades
• Logs and Troubleshooting
• Monitoring

Security

Security expectations and operator hardening guidance.

Suggested pages:

• Security and Hardening
• Secrets Management
• Hardening Checklist
• Responsible Disclosure

Development

Material for developers and maintainers.

Suggested pages:

• Development Guide
• Repo Layout
• Testing Guide
• Viewer Development
• CLI and Control Plane Notes

Release and Contribution

Public-maintainer-facing material for collaboration and release quality.

Suggested pages:

• Contributing
• Code Style and Conventions
• PR Expectations
• Release Process
• Changelog Policy

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Documentation principles

This wiki should complement the repository docs, not compete with them.

BitRiver Live documentation should stay aligned with the actual runtime contract:

• prefer one canonical deployment story over multiple conflicting ones
• document what works today, not aspirational behavior
• be honest about operator responsibilities
• treat docs and runbooks as part of the product
• keep experimental planning clearly separated from supported behavior

When in doubt, stable docs and operational runbooks should take precedence over experimental planning notes.

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Current platform stance

BitRiver Live is currently best understood as:

• self-hosted
• operator-managed
• Compose-first
• single-host production-capable within its documented scope

That means the project can be used seriously today, but its guarantees should be described honestly and within the boundaries of the documented deployment contract.

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Suggested first pages to create

To make this wiki useful quickly, create these pages first:

1. Quickstart
2. Architecture Overview
3. Operations Guide
4. Security and Hardening
5. Upgrades
6. Troubleshooting
7. Contributing
8. Release Process

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External references

The repository remains the canonical source for code and versioned documentation:

• Main repository README
• docs/quickstart.md
• docs/architecture.md
• docs/security.md
• docs/operations.md
• docs/upgrades.md
• production deployment and release docs in docs/

Use this wiki as the human-friendly navigation layer for operators, contributors, and evaluators.

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Next steps

If you're new here, go to Quickstart.

If you're evaluating the platform, go to Project Overview.

If you're planning to run BitRiver Live in production, go to Production Deployment.