Creating a link makes an invalid link

[andybalaam]

1. Go to https://matrix.to/
2. Enter the alias of a room e.g. #stitched-order:matrix.org
3. Click Create Link

Note that the page URL changes to https://matrix.to/#/#stitched-ordering:matrix.org, which is not a valid room link because there is no via server.

I would like the page URL to change to e.g. https://matrix.to/#/#stitched-ordering:matrix.org?via=matrix.org

[t3chguy]

Room aliases don't need a via, you contact the server in the alias and it'll tell you the vias. Only the server in the alias is canonical for the alias, you can't contact another server to resolve it in a trusted fashion.

[t3chguy]

The matrix API to resolve a room alias doesn't even accept via parameters https://spec.matrix.org/v1.15/client-server-api/#get_matrixclientv3directoryroomroomalias

[andybalaam]

Hmm. Why did my friend get this error when they clicked the link? Is there a bug somewhere else?

[andybalaam]

Adding ?via=matrix.org to the link made it work for them, which is surprising given what you have pointed out.

[andybalaam]

Related, probably-also-wrong EW issue: element-hq/element-web#30611

[t3chguy]

That looks like an EW issue of not using the room Alias join api or including servers, or maybe the alias returns 0 servers. Not at a computer to check. Either way, m.to is not in the wrong here

[t3chguy]

Might be specific to knocking, given that has no room alias api variant, and is also a labs feature so likely to contain bugs.

[andybalaam]

That looks like an EW issue of not using the room Alias join api or including servers, or maybe the alias returns 0 servers. Not at a computer to check. Either way, m.to is not in the wrong here

Right. Closing this and moving discussion to element-hq/element-web#30611

Might be specific to knocking, given that has no room alias api variant, and is also a labs feature so likely to contain bugs.

What is odd is that I am not aware of any knocking happening here. The room is just plain old public.