What it is

Stoat is a Rust backend project that provides the services and libraries powering the Stoat group chat service. The repository is organized around core crates for configuration, database implementation, files, API models, permissions, presence, result types, and a coalesced crate.

The concrete problem it solves is the backend plumbing for a chat service that needs to represent API data, enforce permission rules, track user presence, store files, and persist state. The project lives in the Rust, Revolt, and Stoat chat ecosystem, with topics that point to MongoDB and Redis as supporting services.

Key capabilities

• The core config crate provides configuration handling for the backend services.
• The core database crate implements database access for persistent service state.
• The backend stack includes MongoDB and Redis as indicated by the topics.
• The core files crate contains S3 and encryption subroutines for file handling.
• The core models crate defines API models for the service.
• The core permissions crate contains permission logic for access control.
• The core presence crate tracks user presence, while the core result crate defines result and error types.

Who uses it and how

• Operators running Stoat use the repository as the backend layer for the service rather than as a standalone client application.
• Developers building clients can use the API models and permission logic to understand how the backend represents chat data and access decisions.
• Teams deploying the stack can connect the backend to MongoDB for persistent data and Redis as an indicated supporting service.
• Operators who need file storage can use the S3 and encryption subroutines in the files crate as part of their deployment.
• Contributors can work with the separate core crates to change configuration, database behavior, presence, permissions, or error handling without replacing the whole service.

Getting started

The README excerpt identifies the project as a set of Rust crates under paths such as crates/core/config, crates/core/database, crates/core/files, crates/core/models, crates/core/permissions, crates/core/presence, crates/core/result, and crates/core/coalesced. It does not provide Docker image names, package-manager install commands, or a hosted option in the supplied text.

When to use it — and when not to

Use Stoat when you need a Rust backend for the Stoat chat service and you can operate the supporting services implied by the topics and crates, including MongoDB, Redis, and S3 storage. Do not choose it if you need a documented one-command deployment, a clear license, or a hosted option, because the provided facts show a NOASSERTION license, zero contributors, 139 open issues, and no install or Docker instructions. The project is better suited to operators and contributors who can work from source and validate the current state of the repository.