I want to create a WebRTC peer that's a simple listener/recorder with no "presentation" component (i.e., no HTML/CSS).
If this is possible, (with the WebRTC JavaScript APIs), please tell me what standalone JavaScript engine I can use (I'm thinking of installing a standalone V8 engine).
Thank you.
I think you could use a node.js server to do so. There's a npm package bringing webrtc capabilites to nodejs : link.
Very late answer, but I think it's good to re-evaluate this question, because a lot has changed since this question was asked.
I assume this question was asked because there was no native support for webrtc yet at the time. But there is now. Android, iOS, Windows, Linux and OSX all support native webrtc libraries now.
The native libraries can be used to create a peerconnection and setup a stream to another client (cross-platform). If you want to create any webrtc-based client application without using a browser, the native libraries are the way to go. No silly standalone javascript engine necessary.
If I got you right that you want to make WebRTC - aka primarily browser targeted feature to be used without browser:-)
I could imagine that "emulating" the browser behaviour can be done simply by implementing the necessary api via your own code, either directly inside the rhino or similar or by actually controlling the interface that handles the media streams in native code.
Thus what has to be done is implement the WebRTC api which controls capturing the A/V from input devices and sending it to the other side. As I understood it shall be no UI node, like embedded ethernet camera with mic that servers as capture A/V in conference room.
I am affraid that it could be a piece of work as the main part is the media a connection handling.
The best way to do this right now is to create a node-webkit application. The unified node + browser context gives you the best of all worlds.