feat: onboarding flow, chat deleted user handling, and navigation improvements

app/Events/ChatMessageSent.php

@@ -31,14 +31,22 @@ public function __construct(ChatMessage $chatMessage)
             'reply_to_content' => $chatMessage->reply_to_content,
             'reactions' => $chatMessage->getFormattedReactions(null),
             'created_at' => $chatMessage->created_at->toIso8601String(),
-            'user' => [
+            'user' => $chatMessage->user ? [
                 'id' => $chatMessage->user->id,
                 'name' => $chatMessage->user->name,
                 'username' => $chatMessage->user->username,
                 'image_url' => $chatMessage->user->image_url,
                 'institution' => $chatMessage->user->institution,
                 'is_verified' => $chatMessage->user->is_verified,
-                'roles' => $chatMessage->user->roles->pluck('name')->toArray(),
+                'roles' => $chatMessage->user->roles ? $chatMessage->user->roles->pluck('name')->toArray() : [],
+            ] : [
+                'id' => null,
+                'name' => 'Deleted User',
+                'username' => null,
+                'image_url' => null,
+                'institution' => null,
+                'is_verified' => false,
+                'roles' => [],
             ],
         ];
     }

app/Http/Controllers/AuthController.php

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Auth;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Http;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Storage;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Validator;
 use Illuminate\Support\Str;
 use Inertia\Inertia;
 use Laravel\Socialite\Facades\Socialite;
@@ -131,6 +132,39 @@ public function showOnboarding(Request $request)
         ]);
     }
 
+    public function checkUsername(Request $request)
+    {
+        $validator = Validator::make($request->all(), [
+            'username' => [
+                'required',
+                'string',
+                'min:3',
+                'max:30',
+                'regex:/^[a-zA-Z0-9_]+$/',
+                'unique:users,username',
+                new CleanText,
+            ],
+        ], [
+            'username.required' => 'Please choose a username.',
+            'username.min' => 'Username must be at least 3 characters.',
+            'username.max' => 'Username cannot exceed 30 characters.',
+            'username.regex' => "Username can only contain letters, numbers, and underscores. Dots aren't allowed.",
+            'username.unique' => 'This username is already taken. Please choose another one.',
+        ]);
+
+        if ($validator->fails()) {
+            return response()->json([
+                'available' => false,
+                'message' => $validator->errors()->first('username'),
+            ], 422);
+        }
+
+        return response()->json([
+            'available' => true,
+            'message' => 'Username is available.',
+        ]);
+    }
+
     public function completeOnboarding(Request $request)
     {
         if (Auth::check()) {

app/Http/Controllers/ChatController.php

@@ -74,14 +74,22 @@ public function index(Request $request)
                 'reply_to_content' => $msg->deleted_at ? null : $msg->reply_to_content,
                 'reactions' => $msg->getFormattedReactions($user?->id),
                 'created_at' => $msg->created_at->toIso8601String(),
-                'user' => [
+                'user' => $msg->user ? [
                     'id' => $msg->user->id,
                     'name' => $msg->user->name,
                     'username' => $msg->user->username,
                     'image_url' => $msg->user->image_url,
                     'institution' => $msg->user->institution,
                     'is_verified' => $msg->user->is_verified,
                     'roles' => $msg->user->roles->pluck('name')->toArray(),
+                ] : [
+                    'id' => null,
+                    'name' => 'Deleted User',
+                    'username' => null,
+                    'image_url' => null,
+                    'institution' => null,
+                    'is_verified' => false,
+                    'roles' => [],
                 ],
             ]);
 

database/migrations/2026_09_24_214500_make_user_id_nullable_on_chat_messages_table.php

@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+<?php
+
+use Illuminate\Database\Migrations\Migration;
+use Illuminate\Database\Schema\Blueprint;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\DB;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema;
+
+return new class extends Migration
+{
+    /**
+     * Run the migrations.
+     */
+    public function up(): void
+    {
+        Schema::table('chat_messages', function (Blueprint $table) {
+            $table->dropForeign(['user_id']);
+            $table->foreignId('user_id')->nullable()->change();
+            $table->foreign('user_id')->references('id')->on('users')->nullOnDelete();
+        });
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Reverse the migrations.
+     */
+    public function down(): void
+    {
+        // Delete orphaned messages without an author before restoring NOT NULL
+        DB::table('chat_messages')->whereNull('user_id')->delete();
+
+        Schema::table('chat_messages', function (Blueprint $table) {
+            $table->dropForeign(['user_id']);
+            $table->foreignId('user_id')->nullable(false)->change();
+            $table->foreign('user_id')->references('id')->on('users')->cascadeOnDelete();
+        });
+    }
+};

resources/js/components/navigation/Navigation.tsx

@@ -841,13 +841,40 @@ export const SiteBottomNav = defineComponent({
     name: 'SiteBottomNav',
     setup() {
         const page = usePage();
+        const user = computed(
+            () => page.props.auth?.user as AuthedUser | undefined,
+        );
         const currentUrl = computed(() => String(page.url));
         const bottomNavItems = computed(() =>
             primaryNavItems.filter((i) => i.showInBottom !== false),
         );
 
         const homeHref = computed(() => preferredHomeHref(currentUrl.value));
 
+        const authItemHref = computed(() => {
+            if (!user.value) {
+                return '/login';
+            }
+
+            return user.value.username
+                ? `/u/${user.value.username}`
+                : '/profile';
+        });
+
+        const isAuthItemActive = computed(() => {
+            if (user.value) {
+                return (
+                    currentUrl.value.startsWith('/profile') ||
+                    currentUrl.value.startsWith('/u/')
+                );
+            }
+
+            return (
+                currentUrl.value.startsWith('/login') ||
+                currentUrl.value.startsWith('/register')
+            );
+        });
+
         const isActive = (href: string, match?: (url: string) => boolean) => {
             if (match) {
                 return match(currentUrl.value);
@@ -899,6 +926,38 @@ export const SiteBottomNav = defineComponent({
                             </span>
                         </Link>
                     ))}
+
+                    <Link
+                        href={authItemHref.value}
+                        class={[
+                            'flex min-w-0 flex-1 flex-col items-center gap-1 rounded-xl px-2 py-2 transition-all duration-150 ease-out',
+                            isAuthItemActive.value
+                                ? 'text-slate-900 dark:text-white'
+                                : 'text-slate-500 hover:text-slate-700 dark:text-slate-400 dark:hover:text-slate-200',
+                        ]}
+                    >
+                        <MaterialIcon
+                            name={user.value ? 'person' : 'login'}
+                            size={26}
+                            filled={isAuthItemActive.value}
+                            weight={400}
+                            class={`shrink-0 transition-transform duration-150 ${
+                                isAuthItemActive.value
+                                    ? 'scale-[1.02] text-slate-900 dark:text-white'
+                                    : 'text-slate-500 dark:text-slate-400'
+                            }`}
+                        />
+                        <span
+                            class={[
+                                'text-[10px] leading-none tracking-wide antialiased',
+                                isAuthItemActive.value
+                                    ? 'font-bold'
+                                    : 'font-medium',
+                            ]}
+                        >
+                            {user.value ? 'Profile' : 'Login'}
+                        </span>
+                    </Link>
                 </div>
             </nav>
         );