diff --git a/centralUserBackend/cartero/root.cartero b/centralUserBackend/cartero/root.cartero
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/centralUserBackend/cartero/root.cartero
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+version = 1
+url = "https://localhost"
+method = "GET"
diff --git a/centralUserBackend/package.json b/centralUserBackend/package.json
--- a/centralUserBackend/package.json
+++ b/centralUserBackend/package.json
@@ -1,12 +1,20 @@
 {
   "name": "centraluserbackend",
-  "module": "src/index.ts",
+  "module": "./src/index.ts",
+  "main": "./src/index.ts",
   "type": "module",
   "private": true,
+  "scripts": {
+    "dev": "bun --watch ."
+  },
+  "dependencies": {
+    "@atproto/jwk-jose": "^0.1.11",
+    "@atproto/oauth-client-node": "^0.3.17"
+  },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@types/bun": "latest"
   },
   "peerDependencies": {
     "typescript": "^5"
   }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/centralUserBackend/src/index.ts b/centralUserBackend/src/index.ts
--- a/centralUserBackend/src/index.ts
+++ b/centralUserBackend/src/index.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,38 @@
 const server = Bun.serve({
+  port: 3000,
   routes: {
+    "/": {
+      GET(request) {
+        return new Response("Hello from the HarmonyChat Central User Backend!")
+      }
+    },
     "/auth/new": {
-      // create a new session, returns a session token
-      POST(request) {
-        return Response.json({ no: true })
+      // create a new session, returns a login redirection url
+      async POST(request) {
+        try {
+    const { handle } = await (request.json() as Promise<any>);
+
+    if (!handle || typeof handle !== "string") {
+      return Response.json(
+        { error: "Handle is required" },
+        { status: 400 }
+      );
+    }
+
+    const client = await getOAuthClient();
+
+    // Resolves handle, finds their auth server, returns authorization URL 
+    const authUrl = await client.authorize(handle, {
+      scope: SCOPE,
+    });
+
+    return Response.json({ redirectUrl: authUrl.toString() });
+  } catch (error) {
+    return Response.json(
+      { error: error instanceof Error ? error.message : "Login failed" },
+      { status: 500 }
+    );
+  }
       }
     },
     "/auth/logout": {
@@ -76,3 +105,5 @@ }
     },
   }
 })
+
+console.log(`HarmonyChat Central User Backend listening on port ${server.port}`)
diff --git a/centralUserBackend/src/session.ts b/centralUserBackend/src/session.ts
--- a/centralUserBackend/src/session.ts
+++ b/centralUserBackend/src/session.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,13 @@
-const activeSessions = new Map<string, string>();
+// user id -> did:harmony:[32x randchar]
 
-
-// user id -> did:harmony:[32x randchar]
+// GCI Sessions
+// sessionToken -> domain
+const activeGCISessions = new Map<string, string>();
+// Frontend Sessions
+// sessionToken -> domain
+const activeFrontendSessions = new Map<string, string>();
+// User Sessions
+// sessionToken -> did
+const activeUserSessions = new Map<string, string>();
+// PDS Sessions
+const activePDSSessions = new Map<string, any>();
diff --git a/centralUserBackend/tsconfig.json b/centralUserBackend/tsconfig.json
--- a/centralUserBackend/tsconfig.json
+++ b/centralUserBackend/tsconfig.json
@@ -1,30 +1,31 @@
 {
   "compilerOptions": {
     // Environment setup & latest features
-    "lib": ["ESNext"],
+    "lib": [
+      "ESNext"
+    ],
     "target": "ESNext",
-    "module": "Preserve",
+    "module": "esnext",
     "moduleDetection": "force",
     "jsx": "react-jsx",
     "allowJs": true,
-    "types": ["bun"],
-
+    "types": [
+      "bun"
+    ],
     // Bundler mode
     "moduleResolution": "bundler",
     "allowImportingTsExtensions": true,
     "verbatimModuleSyntax": true,
     "noEmit": true,
-
     // Best practices
     "strict": true,
     "skipLibCheck": true,
     "noFallthroughCasesInSwitch": true,
     "noUncheckedIndexedAccess": true,
     "noImplicitOverride": true,
-
     // Some stricter flags (disabled by default)
     "noUnusedLocals": false,
     "noUnusedParameters": false,
     "noPropertyAccessFromIndexSignature": false
   }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/frontend/pnpm-workspace.yaml b/frontend/pnpm-workspace.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
--- a/frontend/pnpm-workspace.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-allowBuilds:
-  '@parcel/watcher': true
-  core-js: true
-  esbuild: true
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/authentication.ts b/frontend/src/lib/authentication.ts
--- a/frontend/src/lib/authentication.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/authentication.ts
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
   client = new NodeOAuthClient({
     clientMetadata: buildAtprotoLoopbackClientMetadata({
       scope: SCOPE, 
-      redirect_uris: [`${process.env.PUBLIC_URL || "http://127.0.0.1:5173"}/oauth/callback`],
+      redirect_uris: [`${process.env.PUBLIC_URL || "http://127.0.0.1"}/oauth/callback`],
     }),
 
     stateStore: {
diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/oauth/callback.tsx b/frontend/src/routes/oauth/callback.tsx
--- a/frontend/src/routes/oauth/callback.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/oauth/callback.tsx
@@ -44,4 +44,4 @@ return Response.redirect(new URL("/oauth/error/login_failed", PUBLIC_URL));
   }
 }
 
-const PUBLIC_URL = process.env.PUBLIC_URL || "http://127.0.0.1:5173";
+const PUBLIC_URL = process.env.PUBLIC_URL || "http://127.0.0.1";
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ "version": "1.0.0",
   "description": "Community-based AT protocol chat application",
   "main": "index.js",
   "scripts": {
-    "dev-frontend": "pnpm --dir ./frontend run dev"
+    "dev-frontend": "pnpm --dir ./frontend run dev",
+    "dev-cub": "pnpm --dir ./centralUserBackend run dev"
   },
   "keywords": [],
   "author": "",
diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -209,6 +209,12 @@ .: {}
 
   centralUserBackend:
     dependencies:
+      '@atproto/jwk-jose':
+        specifier: ^0.1.11
+        version: 0.1.11
+      '@atproto/oauth-client-node':
+        specifier: ^0.3.17
+        version: 0.3.17
       typescript:
         specifier: ^5
         version: 5.9.3
diff --git a/pnpm-workspace.yaml b/pnpm-workspace.yaml
--- a/pnpm-workspace.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-workspace.yaml
@@ -2,6 +2,6 @@ packages:
   - centralUserBackend
   - frontend
 allowBuilds:
-  '@parcel/watcher': set this to true or false
-  core-js: set this to true or false
-  esbuild: set this to true or false
+  '@parcel/watcher': true
+  core-js: true
+  esbuild: true