ShellChat 🐚💬

The Retro-Futuristic, Serverless P2P Chat Application.
Encryption. Anonymity. Aesthetics.

🌟 Introduction

ShellChat is a terminal-based (and mobile-ready) decentralized chat application designed for the modern hacker. It operates completely serverless, using Kademlia DHT for global peer discovery and libp2p for encrypted, direct communication.

Whether you're on a Linux VPS, a Windows gaming rig, or an Android phone, ShellChat connects you directly to your peers with zero metadata retention.

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✨ Features

🛡️ Unbreakable Security

• End-to-End Encryption: All traffic is encrypted using TLS 1.3 / Noise.
• At-Rest Encryption: Your local database is secured with Application-Level Encryption using XChaCha20-Poly1305.
• Pure Go: We use modernc.org/sqlite (CGO-free) for maximum cross-platform compatibility without external dependencies.
• Key Derivation: We use Argon2id (the winner of the Password Hashing Competition) to turn your password into a cryptographic key.

🌍 True Serverless P2P

• Global DHT: We use the IPFS public DHT infrastructure to find peers worldwide without central servers.
• NAT Traversal: Built-in AutoNAT and UPnP to punch through home routers and firewalls.
• Multi-Platform: Runs natively on Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, and iOS.

🎨 Cyberpunk Aesthetics

• TUI (Desktop): A Split-Pane Terminal UI tailored for keyboard power users.
• GUI (Mobile): A touch-friendly interface that retains the retro-terminal feel.

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🏗️ Architecture

How does ShellChat connect you without a server?

graph TD
    A["User A (You)"] <-->|"Encrypted Stream (Noise)"| B["User B (Peer)"]
    A -.->|"DHT Lookup"| D(("Global DHT"))
    B -.->|"DHT Announce"| D
    
    subgraph "Your Device"
        UI[Retro UI]
        DB[("Encrypted DB (SQLCipher)")]
        Keys[Argon2 Keys]
    end

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1. Bootstrap: Your node connects to the global P2P network.
2. Announce: You cryptographically sign your presence and announce it to the DHT.
3. Discover: You search for a peer's ID (e.g., QmHash...).
4. Connect: ShellChat establishes a direct TCP/QUIC connection.
5. Chat: Messages flow directly between devices. No middleman.

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🚀 Installation

📥 Binary Releases

Grab the latest release for your OS from the Releases Page.

Platform	File
Windows	shellchat-windows-amd64.exe
Linux	shellchat-linux-amd64.tar.xz
Android	shellchat-android.apk
macOS	shellchat-macos-universal

🔨 Build from Source

Prerequisites: Go 1.25+, GCC.

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/nishal21/shellchat.git
cd shellchat

# Build TUI (Desktop)
go build -o shellchat .

# Build GUI (Mobile/Desktop)
go install fyne.io/fyne/v2/cmd/fyne@latest
fyne package -os windows -icon assets/icon.png --appID com.shellchat.app

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🎮 Usage

Quick Start

1. Launch: Run ./shellchat chat.
2. Login: Set a master password (don't lose this!).
3. Connect:
   • Wait ~30s for Global DHT bootstrap.
   • Type /myid to see your address.
   • Type /connect <peer-multiaddr> to connect to a friend.

Commands

Command	Description
/help	Show all available commands
/myid	Display your full P2P MultiAddress
/copyid	Copy your address to clipboard
/connect <addr>	Connect to a remote peer
/exit	Leave current chat context
/clear	Clear screen buffer
/quit	Exit application

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🗺️ Roadmap

• Global P2P Discovery
• Android & iOS Support
• Encrypted Local Storage
• File Sharing: P2P encrypted file transfer.
• Group Chats: Decentralized mesh groups.
• Voice/Video: WebRTC integration.

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🤝 Contributing

We love contributions! Please read our CONTRIBUTING.md to get started.

🛡️ Security

Found a vulnerability? Please contact nishalamv@gmail.com or read our SECURITY.md policy.

📜 License

Distributed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for more information.

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Built with ❤️ by Nishal.