Remove legacy frontend assets and update gallery routes

docs/legacy-routes-inventory.md

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+# Legacy Routes Inventory
+
+Source analyzed: routes/legacy.php
+Date: 2026-03-12
+
+This list includes active (non-commented) routes still defined in the legacy compatibility layer.
+
+Companion execution guide: [docs/legacy-routes-removal-checklist.md](docs/legacy-routes-removal-checklist.md)
+
+## Avatar and Artwork
+
+| Method | Path | Route Name | Handler / Target |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| GET | /avatar/{id}/{name?} | legacy.avatar | LegacyAvatarController@show |
+| GET, POST | /art/{id}/comment | - | ArtController@show |
+
+## Categories and Browse
+
+| Method | Path | Route Name | Handler / Target |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| GET | /categories | legacy.categories | CategoryController@index |
+| GET | /sections | sections | SectionsController@index |
+| GET | /browse-categories | browse.categories | BrowseCategoriesController@index |
+| GET | /category/{group}/{slug?}/{id?} | legacy.category | BrowseGalleryController@legacyCategory |
+| GET | /browse | legacy.browse | BrowseGalleryController@browse |
+| GET | /browse-redirect | legacy.browse.redirect | 301 -> /explore |
+| GET | /wallpapers-redirect | legacy.wallpapers.redirect | 301 -> /explore/wallpapers |
+| GET | /featured | legacy.featured | FeaturedArtworksController@index |
+| GET | /featured-artworks | legacy.featured_artworks | FeaturedArtworksController@index |
+| GET | /daily-uploads | legacy.daily_uploads | DailyUploadsController@index |
+
+## Community and Listings
+
+| Method | Path | Route Name | Handler / Target |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| GET | /chat | legacy.chat | ChatController@index |
+| POST | /chat_post | legacy.chat.post | ChatController@post |
+| GET | /uploads/latest | uploads.latest | LatestController@index |
+| GET | /uploads/daily | uploads.daily | DailyUploadsController@index |
+| GET | /members/photos | members.photos | MembersController@photos |
+| GET | /authors/top | authors.top | TopAuthorsController@index |
+| GET | /comments/latest | comments.latest | LatestCommentsController@index |
+| GET | /comments/monthly | comments.monthly | MonthlyCommentatorsController@index |
+| GET | /downloads/today | downloads.today | TodayDownloadsController@index |
+| GET | /latest | legacy.latest | LatestController@index |
+| GET | /latest-comments | legacy.latest_comments | LatestCommentsController@index |
+| GET | /today-in-history | legacy.today_in_history | TodayInHistoryController@index |
+| GET | /today-downloads | legacy.today_downloads | TodayDownloadsController@index |
+| GET | /monthly-commentators | legacy.monthly_commentators | MonthlyCommentatorsController@index |
+| GET | /members | legacy.members | MembersController@index |
+| GET | /top-favourites | legacy.top_favourites | TopFavouritesController@index |
+
+## Legacy Redirect Endpoints
+
+| Method | Path | Route Name | Handler / Target |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| GET | /top-authors | legacy.top_authors | 301 -> /creators/top |
+| GET | /interviews | legacy.interviews | 301 -> /stories |
+| GET | /apply | legacy.apply.redirect | 301 -> /contact |
+| GET, POST | /bug-report | bug-report.redirect | 301 -> /contact |
+
+## Auth-Only Legacy Routes
+
+| Method | Path | Route Name | Handler / Target |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| GET | /mybuddies.php | legacy.mybuddies.php | MyBuddiesController@index |
+| GET | /mybuddies | legacy.mybuddies | MyBuddiesController@index |
+| DELETE | /mybuddies/{id} | legacy.mybuddies.delete | MyBuddiesController@destroy |
+| GET | /buddies.php | legacy.buddies.php | BuddiesController@index |
+| GET | /buddies | legacy.buddies | BuddiesController@index |
+| GET | /statistics | legacy.statistics | StatisticsController@index |
+| GET, POST | /user | legacy.user.redirect | 301 -> dashboard.profile |
+
+## Favourites, Gallery, and Profile Legacy URLs
+
+| Method | Path | Route Name | Handler / Target |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| GET | /favourites/{id?}/{username?} | legacy.favourites | FavouritesController@index |
+| POST | /favourites/{userId}/delete/{artworkId} | legacy.favourites.delete | FavouritesController@destroy |
+| GET | /gallery/{id}/{username?} | legacy.gallery | GalleryController@show (ensure.onboarding.complete) |
+| GET | /user/{username} | legacy.user.profile | ProfileController@legacyByUsername |
+| GET | /profile/{id}/{username?} | legacy.profile.id | ProfileController@legacyById |
+| GET | /profile/{username} | legacy.profile | ProfileController@legacyByUsername |
+
+## Legacy RSS Feed URLs
+
+| Method | Path | Route Name | Handler / Target |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| GET | /rss/latest-uploads.xml | rss.uploads | RssFeedController@latestUploads |
+| GET | /rss/latest-skins.xml | rss.skins | RssFeedController@latestSkins |
+| GET | /rss/latest-wallpapers.xml | rss.wallpapers | RssFeedController@latestWallpapers |
+| GET | /rss/latest-photos.xml | rss.photos | RssFeedController@latestPhotos |
+
+## Notes
+
+- Commented-out legacy blocks (manage pages, received-comments, forum.php redirect) are excluded from this active inventory.
+- Several routes are already transitional redirects; these are good early candidates for removal once logs show no meaningful traffic.
+
+## Deprecation Priority
+
+### Phase 1: Safe To Remove First (redirect-only)
+
+These routes already do permanent redirects and typically carry the lowest removal risk once access logs confirm near-zero traffic.
+
+- /top-authors
+- /interviews
+- /apply
+- /bug-report
+- /browse-redirect
+- /wallpapers-redirect
+
+### Phase 2: Low-Risk Alias Pairs (keep canonical, remove duplicates)
+
+For each pair, keep the cleaner canonical URL and remove the older alias after monitoring.
+
+- Keep /featured-artworks, remove /featured (or vice versa; pick one canonical)
+- Keep /uploads/latest, remove /latest
+- Keep /comments/latest, remove /latest-comments
+- Keep /downloads/today, remove /today-downloads
+- Keep /comments/monthly, remove /monthly-commentators
+
+### Phase 3: Needs Migration Plan (controller-backed legacy behavior)
+
+These endpoints are not simple redirects and may have old templates, old query semantics, or SEO dependencies.
+
+- /browse
+- /category/{group}/{slug?}/{id?}
+- /browse-categories
+- /daily-uploads
+- /members
+- /members/photos
+- /authors/top
+- /top-favourites
+- /today-in-history
+- /chat
+- /chat_post
+- /favourites/{id?}/{username?}
+- /favourites/{userId}/delete/{artworkId}
+- /gallery/{id}/{username?}
+
+### Phase 4: Legacy Profile URL Surface (requires 301 mapping checks)
+
+These should eventually collapse to canonical @username/profile routes, but require careful redirect and username-edge-case validation.
+
+- /user/{username}
+- /profile/{id}/{username?}
+- /profile/{username}
+- /user
+
+### Phase 5: Keep For Compatibility (unless external consumers are migrated)
+
+These are frequently consumed by feed readers or old clients and should be retired only with explicit migration communication.
+
+- /rss/latest-uploads.xml
+- /rss/latest-skins.xml
+- /rss/latest-wallpapers.xml
+- /rss/latest-photos.xml
+
+### Special Case: Auth-only legacy utility pages
+
+Evaluate usage with auth logs before deprecating. They are likely niche but can still be bookmarked by long-time users.
+
+- /mybuddies.php
+- /mybuddies
+- /mybuddies/{id}
+- /buddies.php
+- /buddies
+- /statistics

docs/legacy-routes-removal-checklist.md

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+# Legacy Routes Removal Checklist
+
+Date: 2026-03-12
+Scope: staged retirement of routes listed in docs/legacy-routes-inventory.md
+
+## Global Preflight (run before each phase)
+
+- Confirm canonical replacement routes exist and are healthy.
+- Snapshot current route map:
+  - `php artisan route:list --path=legacy`
+  - `php artisan route:list --json > storage/logs/routes-before-phase.json`
+- Capture 14-30 day usage for each candidate route from access logs / analytics.
+- Define rollback rule: restore removed routes immediately if a business-critical endpoint drops or 404 volume spikes.
+
+## Standard PR Steps (for every phase)
+
+1. Remove targeted route entries from routes/legacy.php.
+2. If needed, add explicit 301 redirects to canonical paths in routes/web.php.
+3. Update route-based tests (e2e fixtures and auth guard lists).
+4. Run cache clear and verify registration:
+   - `php artisan optimize:clear`
+   - `php artisan route:list --json`
+5. Add release note entry with removed paths and replacements.
+
+## SEO Safety Checklist
+
+- Ensure removed indexed URLs either:
+  - return 301 to final canonical URL, or
+  - return 410 only when intentional and approved.
+- Keep canonical tags correct on destination pages.
+- Re-submit updated sitemap if route removals change indexed URLs.
+- Monitor Search Console coverage and soft-404 reports for 2-4 weeks.
+
+## Monitoring Checklist (post-deploy)
+
+- Track 404 count by path prefix for removed routes.
+- Track 301 volume for newly redirected legacy paths.
+- Watch top entry pages for traffic drops.
+- Verify no auth redirect loops were introduced on legacy auth-only pages.
+
+## Phase-by-Phase Execution
+
+### Phase 1: Redirect-only endpoints (lowest risk)
+
+Targets:
+- /top-authors
+- /interviews
+- /apply
+- /bug-report
+- /browse-redirect
+- /wallpapers-redirect
+
+Phase checks:
+- Confirm each path still has a valid replacement target.
+- Validate 301 status and location header for each route.
+
+### Phase 2: Alias pair cleanup
+
+Targets:
+- /featured vs /featured-artworks
+- /uploads/latest vs /latest
+- /comments/latest vs /latest-comments
+- /downloads/today vs /today-downloads
+- /comments/monthly vs /monthly-commentators
+
+Phase checks:
+- Pick one canonical URL per pair.
+- Keep redirects from removed alias to chosen canonical.
+- Update internal links to canonical only.
+
+### Phase 3: Controller-backed legacy pages
+
+Targets:
+- /browse
+- /category/{group}/{slug?}/{id?}
+- /browse-categories
+- /daily-uploads
+- /members
+- /members/photos
+- /authors/top
+- /top-favourites
+- /today-in-history
+- /chat
+- /chat_post
+- /favourites/{id?}/{username?}
+- /favourites/{userId}/delete/{artworkId}
+- /gallery/{id}/{username?}
+
+Phase checks:
+- Confirm parity exists in modern endpoints before removal.
+- Add temporary 301 map for any high-traffic paths.
+- Validate auth and CSRF behavior for migrated POST endpoints.
+
+### Phase 4: Profile URL legacy surface
+
+Targets:
+- /user/{username}
+- /profile/{id}/{username?}
+- /profile/{username}
+- /user
+
+Phase checks:
+- Validate deterministic mapping to /@username.
+- Handle missing username and renamed accounts gracefully.
+- Verify no duplicate-content issues remain after redirects.
+
+### Phase 5: RSS compatibility endpoints (communication required)
+
+Targets:
+- /rss/latest-uploads.xml
+- /rss/latest-skins.xml
+- /rss/latest-wallpapers.xml
+- /rss/latest-photos.xml
+
+Phase checks:
+- Identify external consumers (feed readers, partner integrations).
+- Publish migration notice before retirement.
+- Keep stable replacement feed URLs live before cutover.
+
+## Fast QA Matrix
+
+Test each removed or redirected route for:
+- Anonymous user request
+- Authenticated user request
+- Expected status code (301/200/404/410)
+- Correct final destination URL
+- No infinite redirect chain
+
+Suggested command:
+- `php artisan test --filter=routes`
+
+## Rollback Playbook
+
+- Reintroduce removed route definitions from git history.
+- Clear caches: `php artisan optimize:clear`.
+- Redeploy hotfix.
+- Re-run route smoke tests and check access logs.