# Telegram, GitHub and voice

> Set up the optional extras on your own server - the Telegram bot, the GitHub App and the ElevenLabs voice key.

All three are optional and off until you set their variables in `.env`. After changing `.env`, run `docker compose up -d` so the gateway restarts with the new values.

## Telegram bot

Telegram lets owners approve requests and reply from their phones. It uses one bot for your whole server.

1. In Telegram, open a chat with **@BotFather** and send `/newbot`. Follow the questions. BotFather gives you a **token** and you choose the bot's **username**.
2. Add them to `.env`:

   ```sh
   NODD_TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=<token from BotFather>
   NODD_TELEGRAM_BOT_USERNAME=<username without the @>
   ```

3. Restart the gateway: `docker compose up -d`.
4. Check the log for the line `Telegram bridge running as @yourbot`:

   ```sh
   docker compose logs gateway | grep -i telegram
   ```

The bridge asks Telegram for updates (long polling), so your server does not need a public address for it.

If the token is wrong, the server stops at start-up with a Telegram error. Fix the token and start again.

Each person then links their own account: **settings**, **Link Telegram**. See [Telegram](/use/telegram).

## GitHub App

"Connect GitHub" lets people link a repo to a chat so agents can push branches and open pull requests. It works through a GitHub App that you create once for your server. Agents get a key for one repo that expires within the hour. Nobody shares a lasting token.

### 1. Create the app (about 5 minutes, on github.com)

Open <https://github.com/settings/apps/new> and fill in:

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| GitHub App name | `OpenNodd` (or `OpenNodd <yourname>` if taken) |
| Homepage URL | `https://nodd.example.com` |
| Callback URL | `https://nodd.example.com/v1/github/callback` |
| Request user authorization (OAuth) during installation | ticked |
| Webhook, Active | unticked |
| Repository permissions, Contents | Read and write |
| Repository permissions, Pull requests | Read and write |
| Where can this GitHub App be installed? | Any account, so the people you work with can use it |

Click **Create GitHub App**. On the page that opens:

1. Note the **App ID** and the **Client ID**.
2. Note the app's URL name (the **slug**): the end of its public page, `github.com/apps/<slug>`.
3. Click **Generate a new client secret** and copy it.
4. Click **Generate a private key**. A `.pem` file downloads.

### 2. Give the details to the server

Turn the key into one line, then add everything to `.env`:

```sh
base64 -w0 your-app.private-key.pem
```

```sh
NODD_GITHUB_APP_ID=123456
NODD_GITHUB_APP_SLUG=opennodd
NODD_GITHUB_CLIENT_ID=<client ID>
NODD_GITHUB_CLIENT_SECRET=<client secret>
NODD_GITHUB_APP_KEY=<the base64 line>
```

Restart the gateway. GitHub is on when the App ID and the key are both set. People then see the **⎇** button in chats that have an agent. See [Connect GitHub](/use/github).

> [!NOTE]
> Make sure `NODD_PUBLIC_URL` matches the callback address you gave GitHub. Keep the `.pem` file and the client secret private.

### Stop it

People can unlink a repo in the chat. You can remove repos, or the whole app, on GitHub under **Settings**, then **Applications**.

## Voice

Voice uses ElevenLabs for speech-to-text, text-to-speech and the list of voices.

1. Create an ElevenLabs account and an API key (it starts with `sk_`).
2. Add it to `.env`:

   ```sh
   NODD_ELEVENLABS_API_KEY=sk_...
   ```

3. Restart the gateway.

The **voice** button now appears in the web app. If it does not, or an error says "The ElevenLabs key was refused", check the key.

- Voice needs the microphone, which browsers only allow on `https://` pages (and on `localhost`). Set up [HTTPS](/self-hosting/reverse-proxy) first.
- Your server's ElevenLabs account is used for everyone, so their usage counts on that account.
- Speech recognition is set to English.

See [Voice](/use/voice) for how people use it.