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update github content (#519)
* update github content * update comparison * update link * move message_views.sql to scripts * move section * move news section * typos Co-authored-by: JRoberts <8711996+jr-simplex@users.noreply.github.com> * update readme * update readme * update readme Co-authored-by: JRoberts <8711996+jr-simplex@users.noreply.github.com>
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@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
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<img src="images/simplex-chat-logo.svg" alt="SimpleX logo" width="100%">
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# SimpleX - the first chat platform that is 100% private by design - it has no access to your connection graph!
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# SimpleX - the first messaging platform that has no user identifiers of any kind - 100% private by design!
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[](https://github.com/simplex-chat/simplex-chat/actions?query=workflow%3Abuild)
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[](https://github.com/simplex-chat/simplex-chat/releases)
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@@ -19,280 +19,115 @@
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[<img src="https://github.com/simplex-chat/.github/blob/master/profile/images/apk_icon.png" alt="APK" height="41">](https://github.com/simplex-chat/website/raw/master/simplex.apk)
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- 🖲 Protects your messages and metadata - who you talk to and when.
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- 🔐 Double ratchet encryption.
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- 📱 Mobile apps for Android ([Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=chat.simplex.app), [APK](https://github.com/simplex-chat/website/raw/master/simplex.apk)) and [iOS](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simplex-chat/id1605771084). [See the announcement here](https://github.com/simplex-chat/simplex-chat/blob/master/blog/20220308-simplex-chat-mobile-apps.md).
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- 🔐 Double ratchet end-to-end encryption, with additional encryption layer.
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- 📱 Mobile apps for Android ([Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=chat.simplex.app), [APK](https://github.com/simplex-chat/website/raw/master/simplex.apk)) and [iOS](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simplex-chat/id1605771084).
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- 🚀 [TestFlight preview for iOS](https://testflight.apple.com/join/DWuT2LQu) with the new features 1-2 weeks earlier - **limited to 10,000 users**!
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- 🖥 Available as a [terminal (console) app / CLI](#zap-quick-installation-of-a-terminal-app) on Linux, MacOS, Windows.
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- 🖥 Available as a terminal (console) app / CLI on Linux, MacOS, Windows.
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See [SimpleX overview](https://github.com/simplex-chat/simplexmq/blob/master/protocol/overview-tjr.md) for more information on platform objectives and technical design.
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## SimpleX unique approach to privacy and security
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### :zap: Quick installation of a terminal app
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Everyone should care about privacy and security of their communications - even ordinary conversations can put you in danger.
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### Full privacy of your identity, profile, contacts and metadata
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**Unlike any other existing messaging platform, SimpleX has no identifiers assigned to the users** - it does not use phone numbers (like Signal or WhatsApp), domain-based addresses (like email, XMPP or Matrix), usernames (like Telegram), public keys or even random numbers (like all other messengers) to identify its users - we do not even know how many people use SimpleX.
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To deliver the messages instead of user identifiers that all other platforms use, SimpleX uses the addresses of unidirectional (simplex) message queues. Using SimpleX is like having a different email address or a phone number for each contact you have, but without the hassle of managing all these addresses. In the near future SimpleX apps will also change the message queues automatically, moving the conversations from one server to another, to provide even better privacy to the users.
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This approach protects the privacy of who are you communicating with, hiding it from SimpleX platform servers and from any observers. You can further improve your privacy by configuring your network access to connect to SimpleX servers via some overlay transport network, e.g. Tor.
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### The best protection against spam and abuse
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As you have no identifier on SimpleX platform, you cannot be contacted unless you share a one-time invitation link or an optional temporary user address. Even with the optinal user addresses, while they can be used to send spam contact requests, you can change or completely delete it without losing any of your connections.
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### Complete ownership, control and security of your data
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SimpleX stores all user data on client devices, the messages are only held temporarily on SimpleX relay servers until they are received.
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We use portable database format that can be used on all supported devices - we will soon add the ability to export the chat database from the mobile app so it can be used on another device.
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Unlike servers of federated networks (email, XMPP or Matrix), SimpleX servers do not store user accounts, they simply relay messages to the recipients, protecting the privacy of both parties. There are no identifiers or encrypted messages in common between sent and received traffic of the server, thanks to the additional encryption layer for delivered messages. So if anybody is observing server traffic, they cannot easily determine who is communicating with whom (see [SimpleX whitepaper](https://github.com/simplex-chat/simplexmq/blob/master/protocol/overview-tjr.md) for the known traffic correlation attacks).
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### Users own SimpleX network
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You can use SimpleX with your own servers and still communicate with people using the servers that are pre-configured in the apps or any other SimpleX servers.
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SimpleX platform uses an open protocol and provides SDK to create chat bots, allowing implementation of services that users can interact with via SimpleX Chat apps – we are really looking forward to see what SimpleX services can be built.
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If you are considering developing with SimpleX platform, whether to build chat bot service for SimpleX apps users or to integrate SimpleX Chat library in your mobile apps, please get in touch for any advice and support.
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## News and updates
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[Apr 04, 2022. Instant notifications for SimpleX Chat mobile apps](./blog/20220404-simplex-chat-instant-notifications.md). We would really appreciate any feedback on the design we are implementing.
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[Mar 08, 2022 Mobile apps for iOS and Android released](./blog/20220308-simplex-chat-mobile-apps.md)
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[Feb 14, 2022. SimpleX Chat: join our public beta for iOS](./blog/20220214-simplex-chat-ios-public-beta.md)
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[All updates](./blog)
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## Make a private connection
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You need to share a link or scan a QR code (in person or during a video call) to make a connection and start messaging.
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The channel through which you share the link does not have to be secure - it is enough that you can confirm who sent you the message and that your SimpleX connection is established.
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<img src="https://github.com/simplex-chat/.github/blob/master/profile/images/conversation.png" alt="Make a private connection" width="594" height="360">
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## :zap: Quick installation of a terminal app
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```sh
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curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/simplex-chat/simplex-chat/master/install.sh | bash
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curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/simplex-chat/simplex-chat/stable/install.sh | bash
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```
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Once the chat client is installed, simply run `simplex-chat` from your terminal.
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## Table of contents
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Read more about [installing and using the terminal app](./docs/CLI.md).
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- [Disclaimer](#disclaimer)
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- [Network topology](#network-topology)
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- [Terminal chat features](#terminal-chat-features)
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- [Installation](#🚀-installation)
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- [Download chat client](#download-chat-client)
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- [Linux and MacOS](#linux-and-macos)
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- [Windows](#windows)
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- [Build from source](#build-from-source)
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- [Using Docker](#using-docker)
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- [Using Haskell stack](#using-haskell-stack)
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- [Usage](#usage)
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- [Running the chat client](#running-the-chat-client)
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- [How to use SimpleX chat](#how-to-use-simplex-chat)
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- [Groups](#groups)
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- [Sending files](#sending-files)
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- [User contact addresses](#user-contact-addresses)
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- [Access chat history](#access-chat-history)
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- [Roadmap](#Roadmap)
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- [License](#license)
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## SimpleX Platform design
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## Disclaimer
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SimpleX is a client-server network with a unique network topology that uses redundant, disposable message relay nodes to asynchronously pass messages via unidirectional (simplex) message queues, providing recipient and sender anonymity.
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SimpleX Chat implements a new network topology for asynchronous communication combining the advantages and avoiding the disadvantages of federated and P2P networks.
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Unlike P2P networks, all messages are passed through one or several server nodes, that do not even need to have persistence. In fact, the current [SMP server implementation](https://github.com/simplex-chat/simplexmq#smp-server) uses in-memory message storage, persisting only the queue records. SimpleX provides better metadata protection than P2P designs, as no global participant identifiers are used to deliver messages, and avoids [the problems of P2P networks](./docs/COMPARISON.md#comparison-with-p2p-messaging-protocols).
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[SimpleXMQ security model](https://github.com/simplex-chat/simplexmq/blob/master/protocol/overview-tjr.md) had many improvements in v1.0.0; the implementation has not been audited yet.
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Unlike federated networks, the server nodes **do not have records of the users**, **do not communicate with each other** and **do not store messages** after they are delivered to the recipients. There is no way to discover the full list of servers participating in SimpleX network. This design avoids the problem of metadata visibility that all federated networks have and better protects from the network-wide attacks.
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We use SimpleX Chat all the time, but you may find some bugs. We would really appreciate if you use it and let us know anything that needs to be fixed or improved.
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Only the client devices have information about users, their contacts and groups.
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## Network topology
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SimpleX is a client-server network that uses redundant, disposable nodes to asynchronously pass messages via message queues, providing receiver and sender anonymity.
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Unlike P2P networks, all messages are passed through one or several (for redundancy) servers, that do not even need to have persistence (in fact, the current [SMP server implementation](https://github.com/simplex-chat/simplexmq#smp-server) uses in-memory message storage, persisting only the queue records) - it provides better metadata protection than P2P designs, as no global participant ID is required, and avoids many [problems of P2P networks](https://github.com/simplex-chat/simplex-chat/blob/master/simplex.md#comparison-with-p2p-messaging-protocols).
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Unlike federated networks, the participating server nodes **do not have records of the users**, **do not communicate with each other**, **do not store messages** after they are delivered to the recipients, and there is no way to discover the full list of participating servers. SimpleX network avoids the problem of metadata visibility that federated networks have and better protects the network, as servers do not communicate with each other. Each server node provides unidirectional "dumb pipes" to the users, that do authorization without authentication, having no knowledge of the the users or their contacts. Each queue is assigned two Ed448 keys - one for receiver and one for sender - and each queue access is authorized with a signature created using a respective key's private counterpart.
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The routing of messages relies on the knowledge of client devices how user contacts and groups map at any given moment of time to these disposable queues on server nodes.
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## Terminal chat features
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- 1-to-1 chat with multiple people in the same terminal window.
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- Group messaging.
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- Sending files to contacts and groups.
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- User contact addresses - establish connections via multiple-use contact links.
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- Messages persisted in a local SQLite database.
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- Auto-populated recipient name - just type your messages to reply to the sender once the connection is established.
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- Demo SMP servers available and pre-configured in the app - or you can [deploy your own server](https://github.com/simplex-chat/simplexmq#using-smp-server-and-smp-agent).
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- No global identity or any names visible to the server(s), ensuring full privacy of your contacts and conversations.
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- Two layers of E2E encryption (double-ratchet for duplex connections, using X3DH key agreement with ephemeral Curve448 keys, and NaCl crypto_box for SMP queues, using Curve25519 keys) and out-of-band passing of recipient keys (see [How to use SimpleX chat](#how-to-use-simplex-chat)).
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- Message integrity validation (via including the digests of the previous messages).
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- Authentication of each command/message by SMP servers with automatically generated Ed448 keys.
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- TLS 1.3 transport encryption.
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- Additional encryption of messages from SMP server to recipient to reduce traffic correlation.
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Public keys involved in key exchange are not used as identity, they are randomly generated for each contact.
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See [Encryption Primitives Used](https://github.com/simplex-chat/simplexmq/blob/master/protocol/overview-tjr.md#encryption-primitives-used) for technical details.
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<a name="🚀-installation"></a>
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## 🚀 Installation
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### Download chat client
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#### Linux and MacOS
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To **install** or **update** `simplex-chat`, you should run the install script. To do that, use the following cURL or Wget command:
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```sh
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curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/simplex-chat/simplex-chat/master/install.sh | bash
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```
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```sh
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wget -qO- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/simplex-chat/simplex-chat/master/install.sh | bash
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```
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Once the chat client downloads, you can run it with `simplex-chat` command in your terminal.
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Alternatively, you can manually download the chat binary for your system from the [latest stable release](https://github.com/simplex-chat/simplex-chat/releases) and make it executable as shown below.
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```sh
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chmod +x <binary>
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mv <binary> ~/.local/bin/simplex-chat
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```
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(or any other preferred location on `PATH`).
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On MacOS you also need to [allow Gatekeeper to run it](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202491).
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#### Windows
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```sh
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move <binary> %APPDATA%/local/bin/simplex-chat.exe
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```
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### Build from source
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> **Please note:** to build the app use source code from [stable branch](https://github.com/simplex-chat/simplex-chat/tree/stable).
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#### Using Docker
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On Linux, you can build the chat executable using [docker build with custom output](https://docs.docker.com/engine/reference/commandline/build/#custom-build-outputs):
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```shell
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$ git clone git@github.com:simplex-chat/simplex-chat.git
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$ cd simplex-chat
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$ git checkout stable
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$ DOCKER_BUILDKIT=1 docker build --output ~/.local/bin .
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```
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> **Please note:** If you encounter `` version `GLIBC_2.28' not found `` error, rebuild it with `haskell:8.10.4-stretch` base image (change it in your local [Dockerfile](Dockerfile)).
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#### Using Haskell stack
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Install [Haskell stack](https://docs.haskellstack.org/en/stable/README/):
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```shell
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curl -sSL https://get.haskellstack.org/ | sh
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```
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and build the project:
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```shell
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$ git clone git@github.com:simplex-chat/simplex-chat.git
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$ cd simplex-chat
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$ git checkout stable
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$ stack install
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```
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## Usage
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### Running the chat client
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To start the chat client, run `simplex-chat` from the terminal.
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By default, app data directory is created in the home directory (`~/.simplex`, or `%APPDATA%/simplex` on Windows), and two SQLite database files `simplex_v1_chat.db` and `simplex_v1_agent.db` are initialized in it.
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To specify a different file path prefix for the database files use `-d` command line option:
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```shell
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$ simplex-chat -d alice
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```
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Running above, for example, would create `alice_v1_chat.db` and `alice_v1_agent.db` database files in current directory.
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Three default SMP servers are hosted on Linode - they are [pre-configured in the app](https://github.com/simplex-chat/simplex-chat/blob/master/src/Simplex/Chat/Options.hs#L42).
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If you deployed your own SMP server(s) you can configure client via `-s` option:
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```shell
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$ simplex-chat -s smp://LcJUMfVhwD8yxjAiSaDzzGF3-kLG4Uh0Fl_ZIjrRwjI=@smp.example.com
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```
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Base64url encoded string preceding the server address is the server's offline certificate fingerprint which is validated by client during TLS handshake.
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You can still talk to people using default or any other server - it only affects the location of the message queue when you initiate the connection (and the reply queue can be on another server, as set by the other party's client).
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Run `simplex-chat -h` to see all available options.
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### How to use SimpleX chat
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Once you have started the chat, you will be prompted to specify your "display name" and an optional "full name" to create a local chat profile. Your display name is an alias for your contacts to refer to you by - it is not unique and does not serve as a global identity. If some of your contacts chose the same display name, the chat client adds a numeric suffix to their local display name.
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The diagram below shows how to connect and message a contact:
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<div align="center">
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<img align="center" src="images/how-to-use-simplex.svg">
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</div>
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Once you've set up your local profile, enter `/c` (for `/connect`) to create a new connection and generate an invitation. Send this invitation to your contact via any other channel.
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You are able to create multiple invitations by entering `/connect` multiple times and sending these invitations to the corresponding contacts you'd like to connect with.
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The invitation can only be used once and even if this is intercepted, the attacker would not be able to use it to send you the messages via this queue once your contact confirms that the connection is established. See agent protocol for explanation of [invitation format](https://github.com/simplex-chat/simplexmq/blob/master/protocol/agent-protocol.md#connection-request).
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The contact who received the invitation should enter `/c <invitation>` to accept the connection. This establishes the connection, and both parties are notified.
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They would then use `@<name> <message>` commands to send messages. You may also just start typing a message to send it to the contact that was the last.
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Use `/help` in chat to see the list of available commands.
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### Groups
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To create a group use `/g <group>`, then add contacts to it with `/a <group> <name>`. You can then send messages to the group by entering `#<group> <message>`. Use `/help groups` for other commands.
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> **Please note**: the groups are not stored on any server, they are maintained as a list of members in the app database to whom the messages will be sent.
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### Sending files
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You can send a file to your contact with `/f @<contact> <file_path>` - the recipient will have to accept it before it is sent. Use `/help files` for other commands.
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You can send files to a group with `/f #<group> <file_path>`.
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### User contact addresses
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As an alternative to one-time invitation links, you can create a long-term address with `/ad` (for `/address`). The created address can then be shared via any channel, and used by other users as a link to make a contact request with `/c <user_contact_address>`.
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You can accept or reject incoming requests with `/ac <name>` and `/rc <name>` commands.
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User address is "long-term" in a sense that it is a multiple-use connection link - it can be used until it is deleted by the user, in which case all established connections would still remain active (unlike how it works with email, when changing the address results in people not being able to message you).
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Use `/help address` for other commands.
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### Access chat history
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SimpleX chat stores all your contacts and conversations in a local SQLite database, making it private and portable by design, owned and controlled by user.
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You can view and search your chat history by querying your database. Run the below script to create message views in your database.
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```sh
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curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/simplex-chat/simplex-chat/master/message_views.sql | sqlite3 ~/.simplex/simplex_v1_chat.db
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```
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Open SQLite Command Line Shell:
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```sh
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sqlite3 ~/.simplex/simplex_v1_chat.db
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```
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See [Message queries](./message_queries.md) for examples.
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> **Please note:** SQLite foreign key constraints are disabled by default, and must be **[enabled separately for each database connection](https://sqlite.org/foreignkeys.html#fk_enable)**. The latter can be achieved by running `PRAGMA foreign_keys = ON;` command on an open database connection. By running data altering queries without enabling foreign keys prior to that, you may risk putting your database in an inconsistent state.
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**Convenience queries**
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Get all messages from today (`chat_dt` is in UTC):
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```sql
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select * from all_messages_plain where date(chat_dt) > date('now', '-1 day') order by chat_dt;
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```
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Get overnight messages in the morning:
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```sql
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select * from all_messages_plain where chat_dt > datetime('now', '-15 hours') order by chat_dt;
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```
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See [SimpleX whitepaper](https://github.com/simplex-chat/simplexmq/blob/master/protocol/overview-tjr.md) for more information on platform objectives and technical design.
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## Roadmap
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1. Mobile and desktop apps (in progress).
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2. SMP protocol improvements:
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- SMP queue redundancy and rotation.
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- Message delivery confirmation.
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- Support multiple devices.
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3. Privacy-preserving identity server for optional DNS-based contact/group addresses to simplify connection and discovery, but not used to deliver messages:
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- keep all your contacts and groups even if you lose the domain.
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- the server doesn't have information about your contacts and groups.
|
||||
4. Media server to optimize sending large files to groups.
|
||||
5. Channels server for large groups and broadcast channels.
|
||||
- ✅ Easy to deploy SimpleX server with in-memory message storage, without any dependencies.
|
||||
- ✅ Terminal (console) client with groups and files support.
|
||||
- ✅ One-click SimpleX server deployment on Linode.
|
||||
- ✅ End-to-end encryption using double-ratchet protocol with additional encryption layer.
|
||||
- ✅ Mobile apps v1 for Android and iOS.
|
||||
- ✅ Private instant notifications for Android using background service.
|
||||
- ✅ Haskell chat bot templates
|
||||
- 🏗 Privacy preserving instant notifications for iOS using Apple Push Notification service (in progress).
|
||||
- 🏗 Mobile app v2 - supporting files, images and groups etc. (in progress).
|
||||
- 🏗 Chat server and TypeScript client SDK to develop chat interfaces, integrations and chat bots (in progress).
|
||||
- Chat database portability and encryption.
|
||||
- End-to-end encrypted audio and video calls via the mobile apps.
|
||||
- Web widgets for custom interactivity in the chats.
|
||||
- SMP protocol improvements:
|
||||
- SMP queue redundancy and rotation.
|
||||
- Message delivery confirmation.
|
||||
- Supporting the same profile on multiple devices.
|
||||
- Privacy-preserving identity server for optional DNS-based contact/group addresses to simplify connection and discovery, but not used to deliver messages:
|
||||
- keep all your contacts and groups even if you lose the domain.
|
||||
- the server doesn't have information about your contacts and groups.
|
||||
- Media server to optimize sending large files to groups.
|
||||
- Channels server for large groups and broadcast channels.
|
||||
|
||||
## Disclaimer
|
||||
|
||||
[SimpleX protocols and security model](https://github.com/simplex-chat/simplexmq/blob/master/protocol/overview-tjr.md) was reviewed and had many improvements in v1.0.0; we are currently arranging for the independent implementation audit.
|
||||
|
||||
You are likely to discover some bugs - we would really appreciate if you use it and let us know anything that needs to be fixed or improved.
|
||||
|
||||
## License
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Reference in New Issue
Block a user