[Feature Request] Briar Messenger "Integration"?

Hi,

this is really a great project, i am still waiting for my heltec boards being shipped next week, so unfortunately i could not test anything yet.

When i came across this project i instantly thought about Briar. Briar is a Messenger app, which is targeting similar scenarios without a working infrastructure. Briar is optimized for privacy and operates via the tor network, but it can also work without a internet connection via wifi or bluetooth.

Like Meshtastic, Briar is based on the B.a.t.m.a.n protocol, so i wonder if it is possible to add a feature that allows the Briar Messenger to use a Meshtastic network of a paired device for “doomsday messaging” .

I think of something like a transparent bluetooth bridge, repeater functionality over bluetooth, or something like that. I have never used bluetooth myself, i am a wifi guy, and i am still reading about the b.a.t.m.a.n protocol. So i am not yet able to estimate if this is even possible.

Any ideas or thoughts about this?

Greetings

Edit: What are the advantages against the integrated messenger functionality?

  • encryption and overall, security, is handled by the smartphone only. (better performance, panic Button to delete history, robust and tested security concept?)
  • no security issues if a node gets compromised
  • existing community/users
  • support another great open source project
2 Likes

welcome!

some of this has been discussed in the “Proposal for global messaging thread” you might check thread out: Proposal for global messaging support

Welcome @drewsed!

In theory, Meshtastic-python or Meshtastic BLE API could be used for adding support to other messaging apps.

However, LoRa is a very slow medium compared to WiFi or Bluetooth. Furthermore, other messaging apps tend to have large packet sizes, caused by heavy encryption, and unoptimized messaging protocols. Therefore, adding support for other messaging applications are not that easy. You can find more about this on this forum.

Currently, the mesh protocol is designed per DSR (RFC4728). However, not all DSR features are added at this stage. In addition to DSR, @geeksville have added flooding capabilities for this project.

You can read more about the implementation here: https://github.com/meshtastic/Meshtastic-device/blob/post1/docs/software/mesh-alg.md

1 Like

Thank you @radec and @skyc for pointing that out. I spend a long time reading the forum, but somehow missed the short discussion about Briar.