Add Matrix Channel

Adds Matrix support via the Chat SDK bridge.

Install

NanoClaw doesn't ship channels in trunk. This skill copies the Matrix adapter in from the channels branch.

Pre-flight (idempotent)

Skip to Credentials if all of these are already in place:

• src/channels/matrix.ts exists
• src/channels/matrix-registration.test.ts exists
• src/channels/index.ts contains import './matrix.js';
• @beeper/chat-adapter-matrix is listed in package.json dependencies

Otherwise continue. Every step below is safe to re-run.

1. Fetch the channels branch

git fetch origin channels

2. Copy the adapter and its registration test

git show origin/channels:src/channels/matrix.ts                 > src/channels/matrix.ts
git show origin/channels:src/channels/matrix-registration.test.ts > src/channels/matrix-registration.test.ts

3. Append the self-registration import

Append to src/channels/index.ts (skip if the line is already present):

import './matrix.js';

4. Install the adapter package (pinned)

pnpm install @beeper/chat-adapter-matrix@0.2.0

5. Patch matrix-js-sdk ESM imports

The adapter's published dist references matrix-js-sdk/lib/... without .js extensions, which fails under Node 22 strict ESM resolution. Add the missing extensions (idempotent — safe to re-run):

node -e '
  const fs = require("fs"), path = require("path");
  const root = "node_modules/.pnpm";
  const dir = fs.readdirSync(root).find(d => d.startsWith("@beeper+chat-adapter-matrix@"));
  if (!dir) { console.log("Matrix adapter not installed"); process.exit(0); }
  const f = path.join(root, dir, "node_modules/@beeper/chat-adapter-matrix/dist/index.js");
  fs.writeFileSync(f, fs.readFileSync(f, "utf8").replace(
    /from "(matrix-js-sdk\/lib\/[^"]+?)(?<!\.js)"/g, "from \"$1.js\""
  ));
  console.log("Patched", f);
'

Re-run this after every pnpm install that touches the adapter.

6. Build and validate

pnpm run build
pnpm exec vitest run src/channels/matrix-registration.test.ts

Both must be clean before proceeding. matrix-registration.test.ts is the one integration test: it imports the real channel barrel and asserts the registry contains matrix. It goes red if the import './matrix.js'; line is deleted or drifts, if the barrel fails to evaluate, or if @beeper/chat-adapter-matrix isn't installed (the import throws) — so it also implicitly verifies the dependency from step 4. The adapter also calls core's createChatSdkBridge(...); that typed core-API consumption is guarded by pnpm run build.

End-to-end message delivery against a real Matrix homeserver is verified manually once the service is running — see Next Steps.

Credentials

The bot needs its own Matrix account — separate from the user's account. This is required because Matrix cannot send DMs to yourself.

Create a bot account

1. Open app.element.io in a private/incognito window (or sign out first)
2. Register a new account for the bot (e.g. andybot on matrix.org)
3. Note the bot's user ID (e.g. @andybot:matrix.org)

Choose an auth method

Option A: Username + Password (simpler)

No extra steps — just use the bot account's credentials directly. The adapter logs in automatically.

MATRIX_BASE_URL=https://matrix.org
MATRIX_USERNAME=andybot
MATRIX_PASSWORD=your-bot-password
MATRIX_USER_ID=@andybot:matrix.org
MATRIX_BOT_USERNAME=Andy

Option B: Access Token (recommended for production)

Get an access token from Element: sign into the bot account → Settings > Help & About > Access Token (under Advanced). Or via API:

curl -XPOST 'https://matrix.org/_matrix/client/r0/login' \
  -d '{"type":"m.login.password","user":"andybot","password":"..."}'

MATRIX_BASE_URL=https://matrix.org
MATRIX_ACCESS_TOKEN=your-access-token
MATRIX_USER_ID=@andybot:matrix.org
MATRIX_BOT_USERNAME=Andy

Optional settings

MATRIX_INVITE_AUTOJOIN=true                    # Auto-accept room invites (default: true)
MATRIX_INVITE_AUTOJOIN_ALLOWLIST=@you:matrix.org  # Only accept invites from these users
MATRIX_RECOVERY_KEY=your-recovery-key          # Enable E2EE cross-signing
MATRIX_DEVICE_ID=NANOCLAW01                    # Stable device ID across restarts

Configure environment

Add the chosen env vars to .env, then sync:

mkdir -p data/env && cp .env data/env/env

Next Steps

If you're in the middle of /setup, return to the setup flow now.

Otherwise, run /manage-channels to wire this channel to an agent group.

Channel Info

• type: matrix
• terminology: Matrix has "rooms." A room can be a group chat or a direct message. Rooms have internal IDs (like !abc123:matrix.org) and optional aliases (like #general:matrix.org).
• how-to-find-id: For DMs, use the bot's openDM to resolve the room automatically. For group rooms, in Element click the room name > Settings > Advanced — the "Internal room ID" is the platform ID (starts with !). Or use a room alias like #general:matrix.org.
• supports-threads: partial (some clients support threads, but not all — treat as no for reliability)
• typical-use: Interactive chat — rooms or direct messages. Requires a separate bot account (the agent cannot DM users from their own account).
• default-isolation: Same agent group for rooms where you're the primary user. Separate agent group for rooms with different communities or sensitive contexts.