Remove the React frontend entirely #90

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opened 2026-05-27 22:06:06 +00:00 by coilysiren · 1 comment
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Problem

The repo-recall frontend has been non-functional since it was prompted into existence and Kai has never missed it in practice. Human-pull consumption of repo-recall data already flows through the MCP server (agents) and the luca-* skills + coily wrappers (Kai). The website is a second unused surface, costing build time, dependency surface, and mental overhead with no offsetting use case. Kai is also re-evaluating websites in general in favor of TUIs for deployments-of-one, so the frontend is unlikely to be revived in its current form.

Scope

Remove the React frontend entirely. The Rust binary continues to serve the JSON surface and MCP - those are the load-bearing surfaces.

Concrete deletions:

  • web/ subtree (React + Vite + Tailwind, package.json, tsconfig*, src, dist, node_modules)
  • Dockerfile.web
  • deploy/Caddyfile (only present to front the static bundle)
  • web service from docker-compose.yml
  • Makefile targets: web-install, web-dev, web-build, watch-all, docker-build-web, and the web-install call from the install target. Update .PHONY line accordingly.
  • README + AGENTS.md + docs/* references to the web frontend, two-container shape, or "future k8s deploy fronts the SPA". Replace with a one-liner that this is an API + MCP service only.
  • k8s deploy manifests (if any) that ship the web container - check deploy/ and any helm chart.
  • CI workflows that build or test web/.

Out of scope

  • Removing the JSON surface that the frontend consumed. Other clients (potential future TUI, ad-hoc curl, agents) may consume it.
  • Rebuilding as a TUI. Separate decision, separate issue if it ever happens. Kai's current read is that even a TUI is probably unnecessary given MCP + skills already cover the consumption paths.

Acceptance

  • cargo build --release and make ci pass.
  • docker compose up brings up only the API service.
  • No web/, Dockerfile.web, deploy/Caddyfile, or web-* Makefile target remains.
  • README accurately describes the post-removal shape.
**Problem** The repo-recall frontend has been non-functional since it was prompted into existence and Kai has never missed it in practice. Human-pull consumption of repo-recall data already flows through the MCP server (agents) and the `luca-*` skills + `coily` wrappers (Kai). The website is a second unused surface, costing build time, dependency surface, and mental overhead with no offsetting use case. Kai is also re-evaluating websites in general in favor of TUIs for deployments-of-one, so the frontend is unlikely to be revived in its current form. **Scope** Remove the React frontend entirely. The Rust binary continues to serve the JSON surface and MCP - those are the load-bearing surfaces. Concrete deletions: - `web/` subtree (React + Vite + Tailwind, package.json, tsconfig*, src, dist, node_modules) - `Dockerfile.web` - `deploy/Caddyfile` (only present to front the static bundle) - `web` service from `docker-compose.yml` - Makefile targets: `web-install`, `web-dev`, `web-build`, `watch-all`, `docker-build-web`, and the `web-install` call from the `install` target. Update `.PHONY` line accordingly. - README + AGENTS.md + docs/* references to the web frontend, two-container shape, or "future k8s deploy fronts the SPA". Replace with a one-liner that this is an API + MCP service only. - k8s deploy manifests (if any) that ship the web container - check `deploy/` and any helm chart. - CI workflows that build or test `web/`. **Out of scope** - Removing the JSON surface that the frontend consumed. Other clients (potential future TUI, ad-hoc curl, agents) may consume it. - Rebuilding as a TUI. Separate decision, separate issue if it ever happens. Kai's current read is that even a TUI is probably unnecessary given MCP + skills already cover the consumption paths. **Acceptance** - `cargo build --release` and `make ci` pass. - `docker compose up` brings up only the API service. - No `web/`, `Dockerfile.web`, `deploy/Caddyfile`, or web-* Makefile target remains. - README accurately describes the post-removal shape.
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Landed in github.com/coilysiren/repo-recall@d122c14 . Forgejo mirror has pre-existing drift (one commit ahead of GitHub main, unrelated to this work), so the commit-trailer auto-close didn't fire here. Closed manually.

Follow-up for the homelab manifest: coilysiren/infrastructure#159 (drop the web container from deploy/repo-recall.yml and adjust the tailnet exposure for an api-only pod).

Landed in https://github.com/coilysiren/repo-recall/commit/d122c14 . Forgejo mirror has pre-existing drift (one commit ahead of GitHub main, unrelated to this work), so the commit-trailer auto-close didn't fire here. Closed manually. Follow-up for the homelab manifest: coilysiren/infrastructure#159 (drop the `web` container from `deploy/repo-recall.yml` and adjust the tailnet exposure for an api-only pod).
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coilyco-flight-deck/repo-recall#90
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