Galene

Galene is a self-hosted videoconferencing system designed for deployment on private hardware. It operates as a server-side application that provides video and audio communication capabilities through a web browser interface. The software is built to be easy to deploy, allowing administrators to set up a functioning meeting environment with minimal configuration steps.

The system focuses on moderate server resource consumption to allow for hosting on modest hardware without requiring expensive infrastructure. It is deployed as a server application written in Go, which manages the connections and media routing for participants in a conference. Users access the system via a browser, where they can join specific groups and participate in real-time discussions using their camera and microphone.

Key features

• WebRTC based video and audio communication
• Selective Forwarding Unit (SFU) architecture
• User authentication and password management
• Role based permissions for operators
• Administrative API for system management
• Support for custom client development via a defined protocol
• File sharing capabilities within conferences

The architecture relies on a Selective Forwarding Unit (SFU) to handle media streams. Instead of each participant sending their video to every other person, the server manages the routing, which significantly reduces the bandwidth requirements for individual clients. Administration is handled through a combination of configuration files and a dedicated API. For example, user groups and permissions are managed through JSON files, where administrators can define specific roles such as operators to control the flow of the meeting.

Because the project provides a detailed client protocol and a public API, it is suitable for developers who wish to build specialized clients or integrate the conferencing system into existing internal tools. This extensibility ensures that the software can be adapted to specific organizational needs while maintaining control over the data and hosting environment.

Galene serves users and organizations that require a private, self-managed infrastructure for virtual meetings and real-time communication.