Research on current FOSS Apps

[hanadi92]

Research would include evaluation of the following:

• Complete open source. (seen some with closed protocol libs e.g. underdark)
• Supported platforms
• Simplicity
• Size of distributable (keep in the back of your head).

List of apps:

• Qaul
• Briar
  • Stacked App with tons of under-the-hood features:
    • Internet connection & sync possibility + over TOR (both not needed atm)
  • Android Only
• Android & Source
  • app sample following the native android BLE.

[overtonwindow]

It would be good to keep track of how these apps manage trust between devices. This will be useful in figuring out what features we want vs don't want (e.g. broadcast, which can put people at risk)

Qaul

• Source: Open source,
• Open source, protocol and lib available for use
• Available on Android, not available on iOS App Store.
• Simplicity: Very. Qaul establishes a mesh using all reachable nodes nearby. In particular (docs), it stores a routing table to all reachable neighbors to figure out the fastest way to communicate with someone. Information is propagated every 10 seconds, and routing information is updated every second.
• Size: Not tested yet, I don't have access to burner phones at the moment
• Security: From screenshots, you can broadcast yourself to nearby people and all nodes are discoverable. It's not clear if there is any physical verification needed before you can communicate with someone, and it may be the case that you can simply message anyone that is reachable from you. However, Messages seem to be end-to-end encrypted.

[vng3nc3]

There exists apps that use bluetooth for exchanging messages provided both devices are within the bluetooth range, As an example. Most probably there is s FOSS version of this , will post that later

1. Bluetooth Chat

[bug-author]

some open source projects around this idea: https://github.com/topics/bluetooth-chat

[MrM8BRH]

• Mastodon
• Element
• Simplex Chat
• IronCircles
• qaul – قول
• Bridgefy
• Jami
• Tox
• XMPP
• Keybase
• RetroShare
• Manyverse
• Briar Project
• Meshenger
• Serval Mesh

[array-in-a-matrix]

* [Element](https://element.io/)

Element is an app (client) built for the Matrix network similar to how Gajim is a client for XMPP.

[array-in-a-matrix]

The Tech For Palestine should have a matrix room bridged to discord as not everyone has/uses discord.