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Databag
A federated messenger for self-hosting
-> Design Overview <-
Mobile and Browser App Screens
Databag is designed for efficiency, consuming minimal hosting resources. Notable features include:
- Decentralized (direct communication between app and server node)
- Federated (accounts on different nodes can communicate)
- Public-Private key based identity (not bound to any blockchain or hosting domain)
- End-to-End encryption (the hosting admin cannot view topics if sealed)
- Audio and Video Calls (nat traversal requires separate relay server)
- Topic based threads (messages organized by topic not contacts)
- Unlimited participants (no limit on group thread members)
- Lightweight (server can run on a raspberry pi zero v1.3)
- Low latency (use of websockets for push events to avoid polling)
- Unlimited accounts per node (host for your whole family)
- Mobile alerts for new contacts, messages, and calls (supports UnifiedPush, FCM, APN)
- Multi-Factor Authentication (integrates with TOTP apps)
The app is available on fdroid as well as the google and apple stores. You can test out the project [here](https://databag.coredb.org/#/create), but don't post anything important as this server is regularly wiped. Feedback on the UI/UX, bugs or features is greatly appreciated.
## Installation
To use databag, you will need a DNS name pointing to your node with a certificate. You can deploy a node manually, but you will have a much easier time using a container service. Containers for arm64 and amd64 are available [here](https://hub.docker.com/r/balzack/databag/tags).
### Docker Compose Command
From the net/container sub directory:
- sudo docker-compose -f compose.yaml -p databag up
### Example with Portainer and Nginx Proxy Manager
From Portainer:
- In the volume view, click add volume:
- Enter a name, then click 'Create the volume'
- In the container view, click add container:
- In the 'Image' field enter 'balzack/databag:latest'
- Click 'publish a new network port', and select port 7000 for both host and container
- Under 'Advanced container settings', select 'Env', and click 'Add Environment Variable'
- Enter 'Name' as 'ADMIN' and your admin password [password]
- Under 'Advanced container settings', select 'Volumes', then 'map additional volume'
- Enter '/var/lib/databag' for 'container' and the created volume for 'volume'
- Click 'Deploy the Container'
From Nginx Proxy Manager:
- Add a host and specify:
- Hostname [hostname.domain]
- Portainer IP address [address]
- Port '7000'
- Request new SSL certificate
Nginx Proxy config
➡️ Click to expand ⬅️
```
server {
server_name your.site.tld;
location / {
proxy_http_version 1.1;
proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
proxy_set_header Connection "Upgrade";
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:7000;
client_max_body_size 0;
proxy_max_temp_file_size 0;
}
listen 443 ssl http2;
ssl_certificate /etc/letsencrypt/live/your.site.tld/fullchain.pem;
ssl_certificate_key /etc/letsencrypt/live/your.site.tld/privkey.pem;
include /etc/letsencrypt/options-ssl-nginx.conf;
ssl_dhparam /etc/letsencrypt/ssl-dhparams.pem;
add_header Strict-Transport-Security "max-age=0";
}
server {
if ($host = your.site.tld) {
return 301 https://$host$request_uri;
}
listen 80;
server_name your.site.tld;
return 404;
}
```
From Your Browser:
- Enter your server address in the address bar [hostname.domain]
- Click the cog icon in the top right
- Enter your admin password: [password]
- Click the cog icon in the dashboard
- Enter Federated Host as [hostname.domain]
- Click 'Save'
- Click the user icon to generate a new account link
- Follow the link to create an account
### Other installation options
Install without a container on a Raspberry Pi Zero [here](/doc/pizero.md).
Install without a container in AWS [here](/doc/aws.md).
Integrate Databag in an OpenWrt firmware [here](/doc/openwrt.md).
1-click installs in [CapRover](https://caprover.com/), [CasaOS](https://casaos.io), [Unraid](https://unraid.net/), [Runtipi](https://www.runtipi.io/), [Kubero](https://www.kubero.dev/), [Umbrel](https://umbrel.com/)
## Audio and Video Calls
Databag provides audio and video calling and relies on a STUN/TURN relay server for NAT traversal. Testing was done with both [coturn](https://github.com/coturn/coturn) and [cloudflare](https://developers.cloudflare.com/calls/turn/) and should work with any implementation. Instructions for installing a coturn server are provided [here](https://gabrieltanner.org/blog/turn-server/).
If you want to enable audio and video calls, you should setup your own relay server or use the cloudflare [turn service](https://developers.cloudflare.com/calls/turn/). For testing purposes you can however use the demo relay server configuration. In the admin configuration modal, set:
- Enable WebRTC Calls: -switch on-
- WebRTC Server URL: turn:34.210.172.114:3478?transport=udp
- WebRTC Username: user
- WebRTC Password: pass
### Roadmap
Please let me know any missing features; [here](/doc/backlog.md) is the current backlog. Features are prioritized based on interest from the community.