git-annex/doc/devblog/day_431__p2p_linking.mdwn
2016-11-30 17:04:15 -04:00

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Today I finished the second-to-last big missing peice for tor hidden service
remotes. Networks of these remotes are P2P networks, and there needs to be
a way for peers to find one-another, and to authenticate with one-another.
The `git annex p2p` command sets up links between peers in such a network.
So far it has only a basic interface that sets up a one way link between
two peers. In the first repository, run `git annex p2p --gen-address`.
That outputs a long address. In the second repository, run
`git annex p2p --link peer1`, and paste the address into it. That sets up a
git remote named "peer1" that connects back to the first repository over tor.
That is a one-directional link, while a bi-directional link would be
much more convenient to have between peers. Worse, the address can be reused by
anyone who sees it, to link into the repository. And, the address is far
too long to communicate in any way except for pasting it.
So I want to improve that later. What I'd really like to have is an
interface that displays a one-time-use phrase of five to ten words, that
can be read over the phone or across the room. Exchange phrases with a
friend, and get your repositories securely linked together with tor.
But, `git annex p2p` is good enough for now. I can move on to the final
keystone of the tor support, which is file transfer over tor.
That should, fingers crossed, be relatively easy, and the `tor` branch is
close to mergeable now.
Today's work was sponsored by Riku Voipio.