Optional Transport: Matrix Gateway

Optional federation transport for AstroJOE — not part of JettChat dual-mode auth or messaging core.

Status: Optional transport. Matrix is a federation transport for AstroJOE only. It is not part of the JettChat dual-mode auth or messaging core. JettChat E2EE messaging works in both xChat Native and Phantom Mode without Matrix.

AstroJOE connects to the OPTX Matrix homeserver via Hermes' native Matrix gateway. This enables real-time auto-response in Matrix rooms without custom bridges or polling scripts.

How It Works

The Hermes gateway uses matrix-nio to long-poll the homeserver's /sync endpoint. When a message arrives in a configured room, AstroJOE processes it through the full Hermes pipeline (tool use, memory, reasoning, skills) and posts a reply.

Configuration

Variable	Purpose
`MATRIX_HOMESERVER`	Homeserver URL
`MATRIX_USER_ID`	Bot user ID (e.g., `@astrojoe:jettoptics.ai`)
`MATRIX_PASSWORD`	Bot password
`MATRIX_REQUIRE_MENTION`	Only respond when @mentioned (default: true)
`MATRIX_FREE_RESPONSE_ROOMS`	Room IDs where bot responds to ALL messages
`MATRIX_ALLOWED_USERS`	Whitelist of users who can interact
`MATRIX_ENCRYPTION`	Enable E2EE (default: false)

Capabilities

Auto-response: Responds to all messages in configured rooms or when @mentioned
DM support: Each DM gets its own session
Thread support: MSC3440 threads with isolated context
Media: Send/receive images, audio, video, files
Home channel: Delivers cron job results and cross-platform notifications

Identity

Matrix handle: @astrojoe:jettoptics.ai
Homeserver: Conduit v0.10.12 (self-hosted, federated)
Public URL: matrix.jettoptics.ai (via Cloudflare Tunnel)
Primary room: #optx:jettoptics.ai (OPTX Command Room)

Architecture

Matrix Client (Element X / Web)
  → Conduit Homeserver (edge node)
    → Hermes Gateway (/sync long-poll)
      → Grok 4.20 via HEDGEHOG
        → Response posted back to room

Requires Hermes Agent with the Matrix gateway feature. See the hermes-agent releases for current versions.