Real-Time Code Collaboration for Hackathon Teams

No cloud. No signup. No config. Just your IDE and your team.

What is HackPair?

HackPair lets you and your teammates code together in real time. See each other's cursors, code, and files right in VS Code — with zero setup and zero accounts.

One extension. One link. Instant collaboration.

Features


🔴 Live Cursors	See where your teammates are working in your editor
📝 Real-Time Sync	Code edits sync instantly across all members
👥 Team Awareness	See who's online, click to view their file tree
📂 Shared Workspaces	Browse any teammate's files from your sidebar
🔒 End-to-End Secure	Your code stays on your machine; nothing leaves without permission
🔄 Auto-Reconnect	Reopen VS Code → back in the room instantly
🌐 Public Tunnels	Built-in Cloudflare tunnel — remote teammates connect automatically
🛡️ Edit Permissions	Host controls who can edit; guests request access

Requirements

VS Code 1.85 or later
Node.js 18 or later (bundled with VS Code)

Quick Start

Install

Download the latest .vsix from Releases and install:

code --install-extension hackpair-0.3.1.vsix

Or install from the VS Code Marketplace (coming soon).

Create a Room

Click the HackPair icon (⇄) in the VS Code sidebar
Enter your display name
Click Create Room
Select your workspace folder to share
Copy the invite link → share it with your team

Join a Room

Click the HackPair icon in the VS Code sidebar
Enter your display name
Paste the invite link (or just the 6-character invite code)
Click Join Room
Select your workspace folder to share

How It Works

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  HackPair                                                 │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                           │
│  My Room                                                  │
│  http://192.168.1.100:3001?room=ABC123                    │
│  [Copy Link]  [Copy Code]                                 │
│                                                           │
│  Team (3)                                                 │
│  ────────────────                                         │
│  🔵 Alice (you)                                           │
│  🟢 Bob                ← click to view their files        │
│  🟡 Charlie            ← click to view their files        │
│                                                           │
│  [Leave Room]                                             │
│                                                           │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Host creates a room → local server starts + Cloudflare tunnel (automatic)
Host shares the link → teammates paste it into their HackPair sidebar
Everyone connects → cursors, edits, and file trees sync in real-time
Click any teammate → browse their file tree → click a file → read their code

Network & Security

Scenario	How it Works
Same WiFi / LAN	Direct connection via local IP (`http://192.168.x.x:3001`)
Remote Team	Cloudflare Quick Tunnel — automatic, no account or token needed
Custom Port	Set `PORT` environment variable (defaults to 3001)

Security

No cloud — your code stays on your machine. The server runs locally.
No accounts. No usernames, passwords, or personal data collected.
Cryptographic tokens (64-char random hex) authenticate each member.
Path traversal protection — remote members cannot access files outside your shared workspace.
Edit permissions — host controls who can edit files.
CORS allows only localhost, LAN IPs, and *.trycloudflare.com.

Commands & Contributing

Command	Description
`npm run build`	Build all packages (shared, server, extension)
`npm run typecheck`	TypeScript type checking (all packages)
`npm run package`	Build + create `.vsix` for distribution (run in `packages/extension`)

Development Setup

git clone https://github.com/Hussaincodes01/hackpair.git
cd hackpair
npm install
npm run build
npm run package     # creates packages/extension/hackpair-0.3.1.vsix

Tech Stack

Layer	Technology
Server	Fastify
Real-time	Socket.IO
Database	sql.js (SQLite / WASM)
CRDT	Y.js
Tunneling	cloudflared
Extension	VS Code API

Project Structure

hackpair/
├── packages/
│   ├── extension/         # VS Code extension
│   │   ├── src/           # TypeScript source
│   │   ├── dist/          # Bundled output
│   │   └── node_modules/  # cloudflared (bundled in vsix)
│   ├── server/            # Server source (bundled into extension/dist/)
│   ├── shared/            # Zod schemas & shared types
│   └── dashboard-tool/    # Standalone server + web dashboard

Contributing

Fork the repository
Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing)
Commit changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
Push to branch (git push origin feature/amazing)
Open a Pull Request

License

MIT License — see LICENSE for details.

Built for hackathon teams everywhere

HackPair