# A real-time collaborative editor for the web Docker Pulls [![Travis (.com)](https://api.travis-ci.com/ether/etherpad-lite.svg?branch=develop)](https://travis-ci.com/github/ether/etherpad-lite) ![Demo Etherpad Animated Jif](doc/images/etherpad_demo.gif "Etherpad in action") # About Etherpad is a real-time collaborative editor [scalable to thousands of simultaneous real time users](http://scale.etherpad.org/). It provides [full data export](https://github.com/ether/etherpad-lite/wiki/Understanding-Etherpad's-Full-Data-Export-capabilities) capabilities, and runs on _your_ server, under _your_ control. **[Try it out](https://video.etherpad.com)** # Installation ## Requirements - `nodejs` >= **10.17.0**. ## GNU/Linux and other UNIX-like systems ### Quick install on Debian/Ubuntu ``` curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_14.x | sudo -E bash - sudo apt install -y nodejs git clone --branch master https://github.com/ether/etherpad-lite.git && cd etherpad-lite && src/bin/run.sh ``` ### Manual install You'll need git and [node.js](https://nodejs.org) installed (minimum required Node version: **10.17.0**). **As any user (we recommend creating a separate user called etherpad):** 1. Move to a folder where you want to install Etherpad. Clone the git repository: `git clone --branch master git://github.com/ether/etherpad-lite.git` 2. Change into the new directory containing the cloned source code: `cd etherpad-lite` 3. run `src/bin/run.sh` and open in your browser. To update to the latest released version, execute `git pull origin`. The next start with `src/bin/run.sh` will update the dependencies. [Next steps](#next-steps). ## Windows ### Prebuilt Windows package This package runs on any Windows machine, but for development purposes, please do a manual install. 1. [Download the latest Windows package](https://etherpad.org/#download) 2. Extract the folder Run `start.bat` and open in your browser. You like it? [Next steps](#next-steps). ### Manually install on Windows You'll need [node.js](https://nodejs.org) and (optionally, though recommended) git. 1. Grab the source, either - download - or `git clone --branch master https://github.com/ether/etherpad-lite.git` 2. With a "Run as administrator" command prompt execute `src\bin\installOnWindows.bat` Now, run `start.bat` and open in your browser. Update to the latest version with `git pull origin`, then run `src\bin\installOnWindows.bat`, again. If cloning to a subdirectory within another project, you may need to do the following: 1. Start the server manually (e.g. `node src/node/server.js`) 2. Edit the db `filename` in `settings.json` to the relative directory with the file (e.g. `application/lib/etherpad-lite/var/dirty.db`) 3. Add auto-generated files to the main project `.gitignore` ## Docker container Find [here](doc/docker.md) information on running Etherpad in a container. # Next Steps ## Tweak the settings You can modify the settings in `settings.json`. If you need to handle multiple settings files, you can pass the path to a settings file to `src/bin/run.sh` using the `-s|--settings` option: this allows you to run multiple Etherpad instances from the same installation. Similarly, `--credentials` can be used to give a settings override file, `--apikey` to give a different APIKEY.txt file and `--sessionkey` to give a non-default SESSIONKEY.txt. **Each configuration parameter can also be set via an environment variable**, using the syntax `"${ENV_VAR}"` or `"${ENV_VAR:default_value}"`. For details, refer to `settings.json.template`. Once you have access to your `/admin` section settings can be modified through the web browser. If you are planning to use Etherpad in a production environment, you should use a dedicated database such as `mysql`, since the `dirtyDB` database driver is only for testing and/or development purposes. ## Secure your installation If you have enabled authentication in `users` section in `settings.json`, it is a good security practice to **store hashes instead of plain text passwords** in that file. This is _especially_ advised if you are running a production installation. Please install [ep_hash_auth plugin](https://www.npmjs.com/package/ep_hash_auth) and configure it. If you prefer, `ep_hash_auth` also gives you the option of storing the users in a custom directory in the file system, without having to edit `settings.json` and restart Etherpad each time. ## Customize functionalities with plugins ![Basic install](doc/images/etherpad_basic.png "Basic Installation") ![Full Features](doc/images/etherpad_full_features.png "You can add a lot of plugins !") Etherpad is very customizable through plugins. Instructions for installing themes and plugins can be found in [the plugin wiki article](https://github.com/ether/etherpad-lite/wiki/Available-Plugins). ## Getting the full features Run the following command in your Etherpad folder to get all of the features visible in the demo gif: ``` npm install ep_headings2 ep_markdown ep_comments_page ep_align ep_font_color ep_webrtc ep_embedded_hyperlinks2 ``` ## Customize the style with skin variants Open in your browser and start playing ! ![Skin Variant](doc/images/etherpad_skin_variants.gif "Skin variants") ## Helpful resources The [wiki](https://github.com/ether/etherpad-lite/wiki) is your one-stop resource for Tutorials and How-to's. Documentation can be found in `doc/`. # Development ## Things you should know You can debug Etherpad using `src/bin/debugRun.sh`. You can run Etherpad quickly launching `src/bin/fastRun.sh`. It's convenient for developers and advanced users. Be aware that it will skip the dependencies update, so remember to run `src/bin/installDeps.sh` after installing a new dependency or upgrading version. If you want to find out how Etherpad's `Easysync` works (the library that makes it really realtime), start with this [PDF](https://github.com/ether/etherpad-lite/raw/master/doc/easysync/easysync-full-description.pdf) (complex, but worth reading). ## Contributing Read our [**Developer Guidelines**](https://github.com/ether/etherpad-lite/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md) # Get in touch The official channel for contacting the development team is via the [Github issues](https://github.com/ether/etherpad-lite/issues). For **responsible disclosure of vulnerabilities**, please write a mail to the maintainers (a.mux@inwind.it and contact@etherpad.org). Join the official [Etherpad Discord Channel](https://discord.com/invite/daEjfhw) # HTTP API Etherpad is designed to be easily embeddable and provides a [HTTP API](https://github.com/ether/etherpad-lite/wiki/HTTP-API) that allows your web application to manage pads, users and groups. It is recommended to use the [available client implementations](https://github.com/ether/etherpad-lite/wiki/HTTP-API-client-libraries) in order to interact with this API. OpenAPI (previously swagger) definitions for the API are exposed under `/api/openapi.json`. # jQuery plugin There is a [jQuery plugin](https://github.com/ether/etherpad-lite-jquery-plugin) that helps you to embed Pads into your website. # Plugin Framework Etherpad offers a plugin framework, allowing you to easily add your own features. By default your Etherpad is extremely light-weight and it's up to you to customize your experience. Once you have Etherpad installed you should [visit the plugin page](https://static.etherpad.org/) and take control. # Translations / Localizations (i18n / l10n) Etherpad comes with translations into all languages thanks to the team at [TranslateWiki](https://translatewiki.net/). If you require translations in [plugins](https://static.etherpad.org/) please send pull request to each plugin individually. # FAQ Visit the **[FAQ](https://github.com/ether/etherpad-lite/wiki/FAQ)**. # License [Apache License v2](http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.html)