Flok is a web-based, peer-to-peer collaborative editor designed for live coding music and graphics. It targets musicians, visual artists, and developers interested in real-time, shared creative coding experiences, offering a flexible environment for experimenting with various audio and visual synthesis languages.

How It Works

Flok utilizes a modular, monorepo architecture with CodeMirror 6 for its editor and Yjs for real-time collaborative editing. It supports multiple "slots" for different programming languages and tools, allowing users to mix and match environments like TidalCycles, SuperCollider, Hydra, and p5.js within a single session. Code execution is handled via a separate flok-repl process that connects to the web client, enabling evaluation of code against local interpreters or browser-based environments.

Quick Start & Requirements

• Install and run locally: npx flok-web@latest
• Connect REPLs: npx flok-repl@latest -H wss://next.flok.cc -s <session> -t <target> -T user:<name>
• Dependencies: Node.js, npm. Specific targets may require their respective interpreters (e.g., SuperCollider, TidalCycles).
• Setup time: Minimal for web server; REPL setup depends on target interpreter installation.
• Documentation: https://github.com/munshkr/flok

Highlighted Details

• Peer-to-peer collaboration via web sockets.
• Support for numerous audio/visual live coding languages (TidalCycles, SuperCollider, Hydra, p5.js, FoxDot, Mercury, etc.).
• Extensible architecture with modular packages for editor, REPL, and server components.
• Dynamic import of external JS libraries and URL-based session configuration.
• Parent window messaging for embedding Flok into other web applications.

Maintenance & Community

• Active development indicated by monorepo structure and detailed package breakdown.
• Community engagement encouraged via GitHub issues for bug reports and contributions.
• Adheres to the Contributor Covenant code of conduct.

Licensing & Compatibility

• Licensed under GPL 3+.
• GPL 3+ license may impose copyleft restrictions on derivative works, potentially requiring source code sharing if linked or distributed.

Limitations & Caveats

• Public servers carry security risks, as users can execute code on others' machines.
• SuperCollider's sclang target has known issues on Windows; remote_sclang is recommended.
• Some features, like FFT data from Strudel, require manual re-evaluation after code changes.