Matrix SDK
Matrix SDK is the package-author layer for building Matrix actors, browser surfaces, and broker-connected applications without depending on a managed platform repo.
This repository contains the SDK packages renamed to their publishable
@open-matrix/* package names. The workspace is
proven as a standalone workspace: a fresh clone can install, build, test,
type-check, pack every package, and compile an external consumer against the
packed tarballs.
What You Can Build
- Headless actors with
MatrixActor - Browser custom elements with
MatrixActorHtmlElement - In-memory actor graphs for tests and local development
- NATS-backed transports for broker-connected actors
- Browser host integrations for Matrix web surfaces
- Package-author CLIs and project scaffolds
Matrix SDK is provider-neutral. It does not require a managed platform account, device-link ceremony, host-link implementation, managed host service, local platform install, Postgres database, or provider-owned broker authority. A provider overlay can issue broker credentials and host runtimes on top of the SDK, but the SDK itself must remain usable against any compatible broker.
See STANDALONE-AUDIT.md for the current standalone boundary audit, including the remaining Omega/oracle extraction debt that is not part of the package-author SDK proof.
Packages
| Package | Purpose |
|---|---|
@open-matrix/sdk |
Public umbrella facade for actor/package authors |
@open-matrix/core |
Actor kernel, runtime, transports, serialization, browser actor base classes |
@open-matrix/cli |
Package-author matrix CLI |
@open-matrix/browser-kit |
Browser app shims, theme tokens, Vite helpers, shell components |
@open-matrix/browser-host |
Browser runtime host shell and app-ready integration |
@open-matrix/contracts |
Shared type contracts for placement, service registry, and runtime presence |
@open-matrix/federation |
Cross-realm messaging, MX envelope handling, and routing helpers |
@open-matrix/omega-core |
Narrow Omega interpreter facade used by Matrix membranes |
Prefer narrow imports when possible:
import { MatrixActor } from '@open-matrix/core';
Use the umbrella package when you intentionally want the public SDK facade:
import { MatrixActor } from '@open-matrix/sdk';
Quick Start
git clone git@github.com:matrix-sdk/matrix-sdk.git
cd matrix-sdk
pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
pnpm prove
pnpm prove runs the standalone proof:
clean -> build -> test -> type-check -> pack all packages
For the external-consumer proof:
pnpm prove:external-consumer
That proof packs the SDK packages, creates a temporary consumer outside this
repo, installs the packed tarballs, compiles TypeScript, starts a MatrixActor,
and calls it through the Matrix runtime/transport path.
Minimal Actor
import {
InMemoryBroker,
InMemoryTransport,
MatrixActor,
MatrixRuntime,
TopicRouter,
} from '@open-matrix/core';
class EchoActor extends MatrixActor {
static accepts = {
echo: {},
};
onEcho(payload: { message?: string }) {
return {
ok: true,
message: payload.message ?? null,
};
}
}
const broker = new InMemoryBroker();
const transport = new InMemoryTransport(broker, { name: 'demo' });
const runtime = new MatrixRuntime({ transport, logging: false });
await runtime.create(EchoActor, 'demo.echo');
const replyTo = '$replies.demo';
const response = new Promise((resolve) => {
const unsubscribe = transport.subscribe(replyTo, (value) => {
unsubscribe();
resolve(value);
});
});
transport.publish(TopicRouter.inbox('demo.echo'), {
op: 'echo',
payload: { message: 'hello' },
replyTo,
correlationId: 'demo-1',
});
console.log(await response);
await runtime.shutdown();
CLI
The SDK CLI package owns the package-author matrix binary.
matrix init [dir]
matrix add actor <name>
matrix actor <name>
matrix configure --key <key> --cloud <url> --space <space>
matrix run <entry> --mount <mount>
matrix invoke <mount> <op> [json]
The current SDK CLI acceptance proof is:
pnpm prove:cli-uat
The command name uses uat, but its scope is only the SDK package-author CLI
flow. It is not managed-platform product UAT, browser signup/login UAT,
API-key UI UAT, or live deployment proof.
The CLI is intended to let a package author initialize a folder, add actors,
configure broker access, run actors, and invoke them without importing provider
overlay packages into the SDK layer. Managed-host promotion is optional and is
only exercised when MATRIX_SDK_RUNTIME_HOST_BIN is supplied.
Repository Layout
packages/
browser-host/
browser-kit/
cli/
contracts/
core/
federation/
omega-core/
sdk/
scripts/
prove-external-consumer.mjs
prove-sdk-cli-uat.mjs
Current Status
Done and proven:
- The SDK packages build independently from their original source monorepo.
- Package identities use final
@open-matrix/*names. @open-matrix/sdkre-exports the public actor facade.- A fresh clone passes
pnpm install --frozen-lockfile && pnpm prove. - A temporary external consumer can install packed SDK tarballs, compile, start
a
MatrixActor, and call it through Matrix runtime/transport.
Still planned:
- Provider-neutral credential resolution for
matrix configureand SDK users. - Provider login commands that write the same config shape as
matrix configure. - Direct broker mode with explicit broker URL/JWT/seed credentials.
- Managed-provider mode where an overlay issues scoped broker credentials.
- Publishing the packages to npm after the provider-login contract is complete.
Relationship To Provider Overlays
Matrix SDK is the provider-neutral actor SDK.
Provider overlays can provide account management, namespaces, API keys, broker credential issuance, runtime hosting, package distribution, and operator UI. SDK users should still be able to connect to another broker directly when they already manage their own broker credentials.