feat: invitation links no longer bound to an e-mail addressHEADmain

A link is redeemable by whoever opens it first, so it can be sent by any
messaging app. The address is optional (mail + label only); a link lives
7 days, fixed. Adds a Share button; see MESHBAY_DESIGN.md §3.4.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

2 files changed, 17 insertions, 16 deletions

diff --git a/packages/meshbay-node/src/meshbay_node/cli/members.py b/packages/meshbay-node/src/meshbay_node/cli/members.py
index ba68056..5d26bd0 100644
--- a/packages/meshbay-node/src/meshbay_node/cli/members.py
+++ b/packages/meshbay-node/src/meshbay_node/cli/members.py
@@ -62,18 +62,15 @@ def member(args) -> None:
         print("which is what turning the old switch off meant.")
         sys.exit(1)
 
-    if not args.target:
-        print(f"usage: meshbay-node member {sub} <username>")
-        sys.exit(1)
-
     if sub == "invite" and args.link:
-        # A link for someone who may have no account yet, bound to their
-        # address on the hub. The code and the ticket are both in it, so
-        # it goes to them and to nobody else — the CLI mails nothing.
+        # A link for someone who may have no account yet, redeemable by the
+        # first account that opens it. The code and the ticket are both in
+        # it, so it goes to them and to nobody else — the CLI mails nothing.
+        # The address, if given, only labels the link in the owner's list.
         group_id = _resolve_group(cfg, args.group)
+        query = f"?email={quote(args.target)}" if args.target else ""
         out = _daemon_api(
-            cfg, f"/api/groups/{group_id}/invite-links?email={quote(args.target)}",
-            method="POST")
+            cfg, f"/api/groups/{group_id}/invite-links{query}", method="POST")
         from meshbay_node.roster import write_code_file
         write_code_file(cfg.data_dir, out["link"], out.get("expires_at", ""),
                         name="invite-link")
@@ -81,11 +78,15 @@ def member(args) -> None:
         print(f"valid until      {out.get('expires_at', '?')}")
         print(f"cancel with      meshbay-node member cancel {out['invite_id']}")
         print()
-        print(f"Send it to {args.target} yourself. It works once, and only for an")
-        print("account registered with that address: they open it, create their")
-        print("account or sign in, and land in the group without typing a code.")
+        print("Send it yourself, by any messaging app. It works once, for seven")
+        print("days, for whoever opens it first: they create their account or")
+        print("sign in, and land in the group without typing a code.")
         return
 
+    if not args.target:
+        print(f"usage: meshbay-node member {sub} <username>")
+        sys.exit(1)
+
     if sub == "invite":
         group_id = _resolve_group(cfg, args.group)
         out = _daemon_api(
diff --git a/packages/meshbay-node/src/meshbay_node/cli/parser.py b/packages/meshbay-node/src/meshbay_node/cli/parser.py
index c1f15be..29a9f63 100644
--- a/packages/meshbay-node/src/meshbay_node/cli/parser.py
+++ b/packages/meshbay-node/src/meshbay_node/cli/parser.py
@@ -52,8 +52,8 @@ def build_parser() -> argparse.ArgumentParser:
                              "install|remove|start|stop|status for autostart and "
                              "for service")
     parser.add_argument("target", nargs="?",
-                        help="username for member invite|revoke|unpin (an e-mail address with "
-                             "--link, a link id for member cancel); group name "
+                        help="username for member invite|revoke|unpin (an optional e-mail label "
+                             "with --link, a link id for member cancel); group name "
                              "for group add; file id for file rm; identifier for "
                              "denylist clear; download cap for transfers set; "
                              "size in GB for transfers max-size")
@@ -73,8 +73,8 @@ def build_parser() -> argparse.ArgumentParser:
     parser.add_argument("--group", default=None,
                         help="group id (optional if only one is configured)")
     parser.add_argument("--link", action="store_true",
-                        help="member invite: an invitation link for this e-mail "
-                             "address, for someone who may have no account yet")
+                        help="member invite: an invitation link, for someone who "
+                             "may have no account yet (valid 7 days, single use)")
     parser.add_argument("--writable", action="store_true", default=None,
                         dest="writable",
                         help="root accepts member uploads (root add/set)")