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A decentralized messaging and sharing app built on top of Secure Scuttlebutt (SSB).

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ssb-server

1,690

The gossip and replication server for Secure Scuttlebutt - a distributed social network

Quick Overview

Patchwork is a decentralized messaging and sharing app built on top of Secure Scuttlebutt (SSB). It provides a user-friendly interface for the SSB protocol, allowing users to connect, share content, and communicate in a peer-to-peer network without relying on centralized servers.

Pros

  • Decentralized and privacy-focused, giving users control over their data
  • Offline-first design, allowing users to interact with content even without an internet connection
  • Community-driven development with a focus on inclusivity and diverse perspectives
  • Customizable and extensible through plugins and themes

Cons

  • Steep learning curve for users unfamiliar with decentralized networks
  • Smaller user base compared to mainstream social media platforms
  • Can be resource-intensive, especially when syncing large amounts of data
  • Limited discoverability of content and users due to the nature of the network

Getting Started

To get started with Patchwork:

  1. Visit the Patchwork releases page and download the latest version for your operating system.
  2. Install and run the application.
  3. Create a new identity or import an existing one.
  4. Connect to peers by adding their SSB IDs or joining a pub server.
  5. Start exploring the network, posting content, and interacting with other users.

For developers interested in contributing or building on top of Patchwork:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/ssbc/patchwork.git
cd patchwork

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Run the application in development mode
npm start

Note that Patchwork is primarily an end-user application, so there are no specific code examples for using it as a library. However, developers can explore the source code to understand how it interacts with the SSB protocol and build similar applications or extensions.

Competitor Comparisons

ssbc logo

ssb-server

1,690

The gossip and replication server for Secure Scuttlebutt - a distributed social network

Pros of ssb-server

  • More lightweight and focused on core server functionality
  • Easier to integrate into custom applications or systems
  • Provides a flexible API for developers to build upon

Cons of ssb-server

  • Lacks a built-in user interface, requiring additional setup for visual interaction
  • May have a steeper learning curve for non-technical users
  • Requires more configuration and setup compared to Patchwork

Code Comparison

ssb-server:

const Server = require('ssb-server')
const config = require('ssb-config')

const server = Server(config)

server.publish({ type: 'post', text: 'Hello, SSB!' }, (err, msg) => {
  if (err) console.error(err)
  else console.log('Published:', msg.key)
})

Patchwork:

const electron = require('electron')
const Path = require('path')
const defaultMenu = require('electron-default-menu')

const windows = new Set()
const isSingleInstance = electron.app.requestSingleInstanceLock()

if (!isSingleInstance) {
  electron.app.quit()
}

The code snippets highlight the different focus areas of the two projects. ssb-server provides a simple API for interacting with the SSB network, while Patchwork includes code for managing the Electron-based desktop application interface.

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README

:warning: Patchwork v3.18.1 was the last release! :warning:

This release is meant to tide us over so that other clients can take it from here.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this release and all the ones preceding it! Paul, Matt McKegg, and Christian Bundy first and foremost, but by now the contributors page shows 94 contributors! 💓

Where do we go from here? Do I have to change client now?

For the time being (the next couple of months) you should be fine to just keep Patchwork running. However, as time progresses and security of the underlying components "degrades" (read: already existing issues are discovered) it will become a bad idea to keep running Patchwork. By that time, you should pick a different ssb client.

Why retire Patchwork? Can I keep it alive?

Of course Patchwork is, as always, released under the AGPL license. So if you really wanted to, you could fork it and keep it alive. However, let me (Daan) explain why this is a bad idea:

All the devs say "Don't do it!"

Everyone who has spent significant time in the codebase agrees that it is time to retire Patchwork. Over the years, it has seen multiple iterations of developers coming in, trying to change things in a structural way, then burning out on it. It's a pattern, so be warned. This is due to the fact that Patchwork makes some architectural decisions that make it hard to maintain, and even harder for new developers to get into the codebase:

  • depject is a bespoke dependency injection system, which breaks any kind of navigation and tool support for debugging.
  • mutant is another bespoke implementation of observables. It is also used for generating HTML, which makes a transition to component-based UI toolkits very hard.
  • custom sbot: Patchwork doesn't really work except with its own, bundled ssb-server. This is considered bad form for ssb applications.
  • ssb-db, the bespoke database of the original ssb stack, is deeply baked into patchwork. Migrating to the new #ssb-db2 would be a long and painful process. This is compounded by the fact that patchwork bundles a few custom plugins for ssb-db.

I want to be clear that none of the above are impossible to solve; in fact, they all have straight-forward but labour-intensive solutions. I also want to be clear that these technological choices were all made for good reasons at the time, and I am sure you're as greatful to the developers who made them as I am, for putting their (overwhelmingly volunteered!) time into the project, and for making Patchwork the application that it is. In combination however, the above issues mean that new developers are faced with a very, very steep leaning curve before they're able to even make small changes. Given all of the above, it makes more sense to deprecate Patchwork and focus our efforts on projects like #oasis or #manyverse which are nearing feature parity with Patchwork. If you want to get involved with ssb development, both are great projects for that; they are much more hackable than Patchwork, and follow standard techniques & workflows, so you'll feel right at home.

If you do, against all advice, want to continue developing Patchwork then we kindly request you rename it to reflect the change in leadership.

Original Readme

A decentralized messaging and sharing app built on top of Secure Scuttlebutt (SSB).

Features

  • Connect with friends without depending on any central servers.
  • Don't worry about spam, you only get messages from people you follow.
  • Use Patchwork online or offline, the data you need is stored on your device.
  • Sync messages with friends when you're on the same Wi-Fi network.
  • Keep secrets with private messages, which are always end-to-end encrypted.
  • Change and improve Patchwork however you'd like, it's free and open source.

Usage

Screenshot of Patchwork

New to Scuttlebutt? Join the network by connecting to a pub.

  1. Choose a pub from the pub list and copy an invite code.
  2. Open Patchwork and select Join Pub.
  3. Paste the invite code and select Redeem Invite.

You're done! Check out #new-people to see who else has recently joined.

Installation

Most people should download Patchwork for Windows, macOS, or Linux.

Alternatively, you can install Patchwork with your favorite package manager.

  • npm: npm install --global ssb-patchwork
  • yarn: yarn global add ssb-patchwork
  • brew: brew cask install patchwork
  • yay: yay -S ssb-patchwork

Building from source? Check out INSTALL.md for more information.

Contributing

Create a new issue to report problems or request features. See CONTRIBUTING.md for more information on how to get involved. You can also support the project via donations.

Please note that this project is released with a Contributor Code of Conduct. By participating in this project you agree to abide by its terms.

See Also

License

AGPL-3.0