How SliDesk works¶

SliDesk is a talk engine built on Bun. It converts Markdown into a web-based presentation served over HTTP.

Architecture¶

main.sdf / main.md
       │
       ▼
  ┌─────────────┐
  │   Builder   │  Parses Markdown → HTML slides
  └──────┬──────┘
         │ slides HTML
         ▼
  ┌─────────────┐
  │   Server    │  HTTP + WebSocket server
  └──────┬──────┘
         │
    ┌────┴────┐
    │         │
    ▼         ▼
 Browser   Terminal
 (slides)  (telnet)

Builder¶

The builder reads main.sdf or main.md, parses it with markdown-it, processes components, applies templates, resolves !include() directives, and generates the final HTML for each slide.

Server¶

The HTTP server serves the presentation and speaker view. A WebSocket connection provides live reload when files change and communication between the presentation and speaker view.

File watcher¶

SliDesk watches the talk directory for changes. When a file is modified, the browser refreshes automatically via WebSocket.

Speaker view¶

The speaker view runs on a separate page (/notes.html) and communicates with the presentation view via WebSocket. It shows the current slide, next slide, timer, and speaker notes.

Telnet server¶

An optional telnet server lets you control the presentation from any terminal, useful when presenting remotely or on minimal setups.