demo-ipfs-chat.md

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Demo App: IPFS-based Decentralized Chat

This sample app demonstrates backing a P2P noms app by a decentralized blockstore (in this case, IPFS). Data is pulled off the network dynamically as needed - each client doesn't need a complete copy.

Build and Run

Demo app code is in the ipfs-chat directory. To get it up and running take the following steps:

• Use git to clone the noms repository onto your computer:

go get github.com/attic-labs/noms/samples/go/decent/ipfs-chat

• From the noms/samples/go/decent/ipfs-chat directory, build the program with the following command:

go build

• Run the ipfs-chat client with the following command:

./ipfs-chat client --username <aname1> --node-idx=1 ipfs:/tmp/ipfs1::chat >& /tmp/err1

• Run a second ipfs-chat client with the following command:

./ipfs-chat client --username <aname2> --node-idx=2 ipfs:/tmp/ipfs2::chat >& /tmp/err2

If desired, ipfs-chat can be run as a daemon which will replicate all chat content in a local store which will enable clients to go offline without causing data to become unavailable to other clients:

./ipfs-chat daemon --node-idx=3 ipfs:/tmp/ipfs3::chat

Note: the 'node-idx' argument ensures that each IPFS-based program uses a distinct set of ports. This is useful when running multiple IPFS-based programs on the same machine.