Product Decisions This Supports

Real-time roadmap: decide whether to include WebSockets/Reverb in new Laravel projects; v1.3.0 makes Reverb a first-class optional scaffold choice instead of manual post-install work.
Build vs buy/infrastructure: standardizes self-hosted Reverb setup and production Docker topology, reducing custom infrastructure effort while leaving managed WebSocket alternatives open.
Release scoping: additive feature with no breaking changes; can be positioned as “real-time ready” without changing non-Reverb stacks.
Deployment and capacity planning: production Docker adds a reverb service with healthcheck, resource caps, and proxy rules; the 256 MB allocation comes from the queue default, which drops to 512 MB.
Developer onboarding: automates broadcasting install, Reverb install, BROADCAST_CONNECTION=reverb, REVERB_* env keys, and removes generated resources/js/echo.js when no package.json exists.
Use cases: chat, notifications, live dashboards, collaborative features, and external publishers using Reverb’s signed HTTP API via /apps/.

When to Consider This Package

Consider when teams standardize Laravel project creation and want optional package selection such as SATIM, captcha, or Reverb with production Docker output.
Strong fit if planning self-hosted Reverb/WebSockets and want nginx /app/ and /apps/ proxying with upgrade headers configured.
Fit if Docker-based production deployment is expected and a small, resource-capped Reverb sidecar is acceptable.
Consider if non-Reverb projects must remain unchanged; v1.3.0 preserves existing stacks.
Look elsewhere if you already have managed WebSocket/pub-sub infrastructure, use a non-Laravel stack, do not deploy with Docker, have strict memory constraints where a 512 MB queue is insufficient, or need advanced Reverb scaling/clustering/observability beyond scaffold defaults.
Also look elsewhere if the project requires custom ingress, service mesh, TLS termination, or compliance controls not represented by the generated setup.

Executives: v1.3.0 makes real-time features an optional, one-step capability for new Laravel apps, reducing time-to-market for chat, notifications, and live updates without forcing every project to adopt WebSockets.
Engineering: automates Reverb installation, env wiring, and production Docker/nginx proxy configuration; healthchecks and resource caps improve operational readiness, while non-Reverb deployments remain unchanged.
Product: enables roadmap bets on real-time UX with lower setup risk; the capacity tradeoff is explicit—Reverb uses 256 MB and the queue default drops to 512 MB—so sizing can be planned per project.
Risk/ops: additive release with no breaking changes; validate queue memory headroom and Reverb operational ownership before enabling in production.