Chat System

KayakNet Chat provides end-to-end encrypted messaging with full privacy protection.

Overview

• End-to-End Encrypted - Messages only readable by participants

• Room-Based - Public and private chat rooms

• Direct Messages - Private 1-on-1 conversations

• Media Support - Share images and files

• Persistent History - Messages saved locally

• Real-Time - Instant message delivery via PubSub

Accessing Chat

1. Start your KayakNet node with --proxy

2. Configure browser proxy

3. Navigate to http://chat.kyk

Or access via http://home.kyk → Chat tab

Features

Public Rooms

Join rooms to chat with multiple people:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  #general                          [3]  │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  alice: Hello everyone!                 │
│  bob: Hey alice, welcome!               │
│  you: Thanks for having me              │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  [Type a message...]           [Send]   │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Creating a Room:

1. Click "NEW ROOM"

2. Enter room name

3. Optionally set as private

4. Share the room name with others

Joining a Room:

1. Enter room name in search

2. Click "JOIN"

3. Start chatting

Direct Messages (DMs)

Private conversations between two users:

1. Click on a user's name

2. Select "Send Direct Message"

3. Or enter their Node ID manually

4. Messages are E2E encrypted

Media Sharing

Share images in chat:

1. Click the image icon 📷

2. Select file from device

3. Image is encrypted and sent

4. Recipients see inline preview

User Presence

See who's online:

• 🟢 Online - Active in last 5 minutes

• 🟡 Away - Inactive

• ⚫ Offline - Not connected

Message Status

• ✓ Sent - Message left your node

• ✓✓ Delivered - Reached recipient's node

• 👁 Read - Recipient opened message

Encryption

Room Messages

Room messages use:

1. Room Key - Symmetric key shared by members

2. ChaCha20-Poly1305 - AEAD encryption

3. Gossip Protocol - Distributed delivery

Direct Messages

DMs use:

1. X25519 - Key exchange with recipient

2. ChaCha20-Poly1305 - Encrypt message

3. Ed25519 - Sign for authenticity

Key Rotation

Keys are rotated:

• Room keys: When members change

• DM keys: Per message (perfect forward secrecy)

Commands

Command	Description
/join #room	Join a room
/leave	Leave current room
/nick name	Set display name
/dm user	Start DM with user
/members	List room members
/clear	Clear local history
/help	Show all commands

Privacy Features

What's Protected

✅ Message content - E2E encrypted ✅ Sender identity - Pseudonymous ✅ Recipient identity - Hidden by onion routing ✅ Message timing - Obfuscated ✅ Chat history - Stored locally only

What's Visible

⚠️ Room names - Public rooms are discoverable ⚠️ Online status - Can be disabled ⚠️ Message metadata - Size (padded), timestamp (fuzzy)

Settings

Access settings via gear icon:

Setting	Description
Display Name	Your visible name
Show Online Status	Toggle presence visibility
Read Receipts	Send read confirmations
Message Notifications	Desktop notifications
Auto-Delete	Delete messages after X days

Technical Details

Message Format

{
  "id": "abc123...",
  "type": "room" | "dm",
  "room": "#general",
  "sender": "node_id",
  "sender_name": "alice",
  "content": "<encrypted>",
  "timestamp": 1234567890,
  "signature": "ed25519_sig"
}

Delivery

Messages are delivered via:

1. Direct - If recipient is a peer

2. DHT - Store and forward

3. Gossip - Flood to room members

Storage

Chat history is stored in:

./data/chat/
├── rooms/
│   └── #general.json
└── dms/
    └── <recipient_id>.json

Troubleshooting

Messages Not Sending

• Check node is connected (peer count > 0)

• Verify recipient is online or using DHT fallback

• Try restarting node

Can't Join Room

• Room name is case-sensitive

• Room may be private

• Network connectivity issue

History Not Loading

• Check data directory permissions

• May be syncing from network

• Try clearing cache

Best Practices

1. Use unique names - Avoid impersonation

2. Verify contacts - Check Node IDs match

3. Clear history - When done with sensitive chats

4. Private rooms - For confidential discussions

5. No personal info - Keep anonymity intact