Load grid branding before connect

client/public/version.js

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 // Maintainer-controlled web client version metadata.
 window.CHGRID_RELEASE_VERSION = "0.1.0";
-window.CHGRID_BUILD_REVISION = "R347";
+window.CHGRID_BUILD_REVISION = "R348";
 window.CHGRID_WEB_VERSION = `${window.CHGRID_RELEASE_VERSION} ${window.CHGRID_BUILD_REVISION}`;
 // Optional display timezone for timestamps. Falls back to America/Detroit if unset/invalid.
 window.CHGRID_TIME_ZONE = "America/Detroit";

client/src/main.ts

@@ -366,6 +366,7 @@ loadMasterVolume();
 void loadHelp();
 void itemBehaviorRegistry.initialize();
 void loadChangelog();
+void loadClientBranding();
 
 function applyGridBranding(gridName: string | null | undefined, welcomeMessage: string | null | undefined): void {
   const nextGridName = String(gridName ?? '').trim() || DEFAULT_GRID_NAME;
@@ -378,6 +379,25 @@ function applyGridBranding(gridName: string | null | undefined, welcomeMessage:
   dom.canvas.setAttribute('aria-label', `${nextGridName}, press question mark for help.`);
 }
 
+async function loadClientBranding(): Promise<void> {
+  try {
+    const response = await fetch(withBase('client_branding.json'), { cache: 'no-store' });
+    if (!response.ok) {
+      return;
+    }
+    const data = (await response.json()) as { gridName?: unknown; welcomeMessage?: unknown };
+    applyGridBranding(
+      typeof data.gridName === 'string' ? data.gridName : null,
+      typeof data.welcomeMessage === 'string' ? data.welcomeMessage : null,
+    );
+    if (!state.running && !isVersionReloadedSession()) {
+      setConnectionStatus(activeWelcomeMessage);
+    }
+  } catch {
+    // Branding falls back to built-in defaults when deploy-time branding is unavailable.
+  }
+}
+
 /** Fetches a required DOM element and casts it to the requested element type. */
 function requiredById<T extends HTMLElement>(id: string): T {
   const found = document.getElementById(id);

deploy/README.md

@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ cd "$REPO_ROOT"
 Optional 4th arg:
 - server config path used when generating `media_proxy.config.php`
 - use this for secondary grids that do not use `server/config.toml`
+- the same config is also used to generate `client_branding.json` for pre-login client branding
 
 ## 4) Install/Reload Service Unit
 

deploy/scripts/deploy_client.sh

@@ -45,6 +45,32 @@ if [[ -n "${CHGRID_HOST_ORIGIN:-}" ]]; then
   if [[ -x "$SERVER_VENV_PYTHON" ]]; then
     config_python="$SERVER_VENV_PYTHON"
   fi
+  branding_json="$(
+    "$config_python" - "$SERVER_CONFIG_PATH" <<'PY'
+from pathlib import Path
+import json
+import sys
+
+try:
+    import tomllib
+except ModuleNotFoundError:  # pragma: no cover - compatibility fallback
+    import tomli as tomllib
+
+config_path = Path(sys.argv[1])
+grid_name = "Chat Grid"
+welcome_message = (
+    "Welcome to the Chat Grid, your immersive audio playground. "
+    "Configure your audio, then Log in or register to join the grid."
+)
+if config_path.exists():
+    with config_path.open("rb") as fp:
+        data = tomllib.load(fp)
+    server = data.get("server", {})
+    grid_name = str(server.get("grid_name", grid_name)).strip() or grid_name
+    welcome_message = str(server.get("welcome_message", welcome_message)).strip() or welcome_message
+print(json.dumps({"gridName": grid_name, "welcomeMessage": welcome_message}))
+PY
+  )"
   session_check_url="$(
     "$config_python" - "$SERVER_CONFIG_PATH" <<'PY'
 from pathlib import Path
@@ -83,6 +109,7 @@ PY
   escaped_host_origin=${escaped_host_origin//\'/\\\'}
   escaped_session_check_url=${session_check_url//\\/\\\\}
   escaped_session_check_url=${escaped_session_check_url//\'/\\\'}
+  printf '%s\n' "$branding_json" > "$PUBLISH_DIR/client_branding.json"
   cat > "$PUBLISH_DIR/media_proxy.config.php" <<EOF
 <?php
 return array(
@@ -92,6 +119,7 @@ return array(
 EOF
 else
   rm -f "$PUBLISH_DIR/media_proxy.config.php"
+  rm -f "$PUBLISH_DIR/client_branding.json"
 fi
 
 if [[ -f "$PUBLIC_HTACCESS_SRC" ]]; then