termoStream

termoStream is a command-line tool that allows you to stream your mobile device's camera to your terminal using QR codes, creating a unique ASCII art video stream. It can also display the stream in a web browser with the -web flag.

Features

• Live camera streaming to terminal
• Optional web browser viewing with -web flag
• ASCII art conversion in real-time
• Switch between front and back cameras
• Clean and responsive web interface
• Secure HTTPS connection
• Cross-platform (Windows, macOS, Linux)

Requirements

• Go 1.23 or higher
• chafa command-line tool for ASCII art conversion
• Modern web browser with camera access

Installation

# Clone the repository
git clone <this repo>

cd termostream

# Build the binary and generate SSL certificates
./build.sh

# Optional: Copy binary to your PATH to run from anywhere
sudo cp termostream /usr/local/bin/

Usage

1. Run the termostream binary in your terminal:

./termostream        # For terminal output
./termostream -web   # For web browser output

2. A QR code will appear in your terminal

3. Scan the QR code with your mobile device's camera

4. Your browser will open with camera controls:

   • Click "Start Video Stream" to begin streaming
   • Use "Switch Camera" to toggle between front/back cameras
   • Click "Stop Video Stream" to end the stream

5. When using -web flag, open the provided view URL in your browser to watch the stream

Environment Variables

• HOST_ADDR: Set a specific IP address or hostname (default: auto-detect)
• HOST_PORT: Set a specific port (default: 8443)

Example:

HOST_ADDR=192.168.1.100 HOST_PORT=3000 ./termostream

Notes

• HTTPS is required for camera access in modern browsers
• The stream URL contains a random suffix for basic security
• Works on any device with a modern browser and camera
• No need to be on the same Wi-Fi network as long as the device can reach the host IP
• Video stream is converted to ASCII art using the chafa utility when viewing in terminal
• Web view shows the original video stream without ASCII conversion

Technical Details

• Uses WebSocket for real-time video streaming
• Converts frames to JPEG before transmission
• Optimized for terminal display using chafa
• Responsive web interface with mobile-first design

Credits

• ASCII art conversion powered by Chafa
• QR code generation using github.com/skip2/go-qrcode

License

MIT License