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Development Documentation

Welcome to the MeshCentral development documentation. This section covers everything you need to contribute to, extend, and run MeshCentral in a development environment.

Overview

MeshCentral is a Node.js application using Express as its HTTP framework. The codebase is organized into:

  • Server-side modules — Express web server, database abstraction, agent handler, relay, AMT management, certificate operations, and plugin system
  • Client-side assets — noVNC (RFB/VNC), Xterm.js terminal, RDP virtual channels, Bootstrap UI, and custom JavaScript components
  • Agent runtime — MeshCore.js and companion modules that run on managed devices

Documentation Index

Document Description
Environment Setup IDE configuration, development tools, and editor extensions
Local Development Cloning, running locally, debugging
Architecture Overview System design, component map, data flow
Security Guidelines Authentication, encryption, secrets management
Testing Guide Running tests, test structure, coverage
Contributing Guidelines Code style, PR process, commit conventions

Technology Stack

MeshCentral uses the following core technologies:

Layer Technology
Runtime Node.js 16+
HTTP Framework Express 4.x
WebSockets ws (server), express-ws (integration)
Template Engine Express Handlebars
Default Database NeDB (@seald-io/nedb)
Cryptography node-forge, otplib, native crypto module
Remote Desktop (browser) noVNC (RFB protocol, custom fork)
Terminal (browser) Xterm.js
UI Framework Bootstrap (bundled)
Body Parsing body-parser, multiparty
Compression compression (gzip middleware)
Session Management cookie-session

Quick Navigation

New to the codebase? Start here:

  1. Read the Architecture Overview to understand the system design
  2. Set up your Development Environment
  3. Follow the Local Development Guide to run the server locally
  4. Review Security Guidelines before making changes
  5. Check the Contributing Guidelines before submitting a PR

Repository Structure

meshcentral/
├── meshcentral.js           ← Main server entry point
├── webserver.js             ← Express HTTP/HTTPS server
├── meshagent.js             ← Agent WebSocket handler
├── meshrelay.js             ← Client-device relay sessions
├── db.js                    ← Database abstraction layer
├── amtmanager.js            ← Intel AMT device manager
├── webauthn.js              ← FIDO2/WebAuthn module
├── letsencrypt.js           ← ACME/Let's Encrypt integration
├── certoperations.js        ← TLS/AMT certificate operations
├── package.json             ← Dependencies and entry point
├── agents/                  ← Agent-side runtime modules
│   ├── meshcore.js          ← Primary agent core
│   ├── meshcmd.js           ← MeshCMD command-line tool
│   └── modules_meshcore/    ← Agent extension modules
├── amt/                     ← Intel AMT protocol modules
├── rdp/                     ← RDP protocol implementation
├── public/                  ← Browser-side assets
│   ├── novnc/               ← noVNC (RFB/VNC client)
│   ├── scripts/             ← Bundled JS libraries
│   └── mstsc/               ← Microsoft RDP client assets
├── plugins/                 ← Plugin system and OpenFrame plugin
├── views/                   ← Handlebars templates
└── translate/               ← i18n localization engine

Community

Development questions and discussions happen in the OpenMSP Slack community: