Strategies for building cross-platform messaging apps?

[trosel]

It seems like all of the Reticulum SDKs are written in Python. The code is very clean and readable, but this presents a problem for those that would seek to build a cross-platform messaging app.

For example, I think the most popular cross-platform frameworks today are React Native and Flutter. How do we include LXMF into a React Native or Flutter application?

I have the following questions:

• Can we build a thin client that doesn't include any Python code and just uses Routing and Propagation Nodes to handle the messaging passing?
• Are there any Python libraries that allow you to build an app for Android and iOS both?
• What is the best way to compile a Python backend to be included on Android and iOS via something like React Native or Flutter?

[4c3e]

Hello! This is a great question and one I am currently trying to work on right now. For context I have the far-off dream of potentially integrating reticulum as a transport layer for the messaging app Briar. Briar is a JVM based codebase so I am running into this same issue.

My current approach is something I call "Reticulum Open Bridge" which is essentially a TCP sever that listens on a local socket, and relays data to and from RNS. This allows any programming language with a socket library to send and receive data over RNS, and makes writing new RNS libraries simple (with the downside that programs using these 'lite' libraries need to control the ROB process). This idea mirrors I2P's SAM API.

Also worth noting there are frameworks for python that allow for apps that target Android, and Desktop (not sure about iOS support). There is a gui messenger using LXMF available for Android Linux and MacOS right now: https://github.com/markqvist/Sideband

Eventually there is likely going to be some sort of RNS C implementation which could be packed into a binary and set up to be used in other apps like the current tor binaries. For example, Briar uses tor by executing and controlling a tor binary from within it's Java/Kotlin application.

[trosel]

@4c3e yep I was using the iOS app. couldn't connect with my friend. connected with someone else and couldn't send messages. But wow the UI looks great :)

[4c3e]

Yeah same experience for me on my iPhone, couldn't even get the bluetooth p2p working unfortunately. The project's still very early and they do have great front end work so far so it'll be exciting to watch them develop it further.

[trosel]

Back to this

A similar ROB-type backend could be built specifically for LXMF. Then the flutter or react native app would just need to spawn this process in the background[1]. Once the process is running, the app can communicate over LXMF similar to normal socket programming.

Edit: I suppose a simple TCP client in dart or kotlin, that could connect to a LXMF Propagation node and sync messages with it would be another 'RNS lite' library idea.

Do you have the knowledge to pursue this? what would it take? As we see with Berty, there is a distinct lack of workable solutions that Reticulum can fill. Biggest gap right now is a good multiplatform SDK (as I see it). If anyone can drag and drop LXMF in their user app and get messaging functionality for free, that is very attractive!

[markqvist]

LXMF will have a standalone daemon very soon, which means it will be much easier to interact with from other programs/ecosystems. I will probably have spooling of messages in the first release already, so you can just place outgoing messages in a filesystem directory, and have LXMF ingest and process them automatically. Same for incoming messages. Haven't worked out the specifics yet. Could also add some sort of JSON or msgpack api.

[4c3e]

Do you have the knowledge to pursue this? what would it take?

I definitely don't have the knowledge or the free time to work on mobile apps or some sort of fleshed-out SDK, unfortunately, I only have a decent-at-best understand of desktop app development. I think the best way forward for me is to continue spending weekends trying to build out proof-of-concept tools to help RNS developers that do have time for application development.

Haven't worked out the specifics yet. Could also add some sort of JSON or msgpack api.

Very cool. This coming weekend I'll try writing up a LXMF Open Bridge similar to ROB, and try and test it out with a small Kotlin application.