The Nim implementation of the libp2p Networking Stack.
# Table of Contents
- [Background](#background)
- [Install](#install)
- [Getting Started](#getting-started)
- [Go-libp2p-daemon](#go-libp2p-daemon)
- [Modules](#modules)
- [Users](#users)
- [Stability](#stability)
- [Development](#development)
- [Contribute](#contribute)
- [Contributors](#contributors)
- [Core Maintainers](#core-maintainers)
- [License](#license)
## Background
libp2p is a [Peer-to-Peer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peer-to-peer) networking stack, with [implementations](https://github.com/libp2p/libp2p#implementations) in multiple languages derived from the same [specifications.](https://github.com/libp2p/specs)
Building large scale peer-to-peer systems has been complex and difficult in the last 15 years and libp2p is a way to fix that. It's striving to be a modular stack, with sane and secure defaults, useful protocols, while remain open and extensible.
This implementation in native Nim, relying on [chronos](https://github.com/status-im/nim-chronos) for async. It's used in production by a few [projects](#users)
Learn more about libp2p at [**libp2p.io**](https://libp2p.io) and follow libp2p's documentation [**docs.libp2p.io**](https://docs.libp2p.io).
## Install
**Prerequisite**
- [Nim](https://nim-lang.org/install.html)
> The currently supported Nim version is 1.6.18.
```
nimble install libp2p
```
## Getting Started
You'll find the nim-libp2p documentation [here](https://vacp2p.github.io/nim-libp2p/docs/).
### Testing
Remember you'll need to build the `go-libp2p-daemon` binary to run the `nim-libp2p` tests.
To do so, please follow the installation instructions in [daemonapi.md](examples/go-daemon/daemonapi.md).
## Modules
List of packages modules implemented in nim-libp2p:
| Name | Description |
| ---------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Libp2p** | |
| [libp2p](libp2p/switch.nim) | The core of the project |
| [connmanager](libp2p/connmanager.nim) | Connection manager |
| [identify / push identify](libp2p/protocols/identify.nim) | [Identify](https://docs.libp2p.io/concepts/fundamentals/protocols/#identify) protocol |
| [ping](libp2p/protocols/ping.nim) | [Ping](https://docs.libp2p.io/concepts/fundamentals/protocols/#ping) protocol |
| [libp2p-daemon-client](libp2p/daemon/daemonapi.nim) | [go-daemon](https://github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-daemon) nim wrapper |
| [interop-libp2p](tests/testinterop.nim) | Interop tests |
| **Transports** | |
| [libp2p-tcp](libp2p/transports/tcptransport.nim) | TCP transport |
| [libp2p-ws](libp2p/transports/wstransport.nim) | WebSocket & WebSocket Secure transport |
| [libp2p-tor](libp2p/transports/tortransport.nim) | Tor Transport |
| **Secure Channels** | |
| [libp2p-noise](libp2p/protocols/secure/noise.nim) | [Noise](https://docs.libp2p.io/concepts/secure-comm/noise/) secure channel |
| [libp2p-plaintext](libp2p/protocols/secure/plaintext.nim) | Plain Text for development purposes |
| **Stream Multiplexers** | |
| [libp2p-mplex](libp2p/muxers/mplex/mplex.nim) | [MPlex](https://github.com/libp2p/specs/tree/master/mplex) multiplexer |
| [libp2p-yamux](libp2p/muxers/yamux/yamux.nim) | [Yamux](https://docs.libp2p.io/concepts/multiplex/yamux/) multiplexer |
| **Data Types** | |
| [peer-id](libp2p/peerid.nim) | [Cryptographic identifiers](https://docs.libp2p.io/concepts/fundamentals/peers/#peer-id) |
| [peer-store](libp2p/peerstore.nim) | ["Address book" of known peers](https://docs.libp2p.io/concepts/fundamentals/peers/#peer-store) |
| [multiaddress](libp2p/multiaddress.nim) | [Composable network addresses](https://github.com/multiformats/multiaddr) |
| [signed envelope](libp2p/signed_envelope.nim) | [Signed generic data container](https://github.com/libp2p/specs/blob/master/RFC/0002-signed-envelopes.md) |
| [routing record](libp2p/routing_record.nim) | [Signed peer dialing informations](https://github.com/libp2p/specs/blob/master/RFC/0003-routing-records.md) |
| [discovery manager](libp2p/discovery/discoverymngr.nim) | Discovery Manager |
| **Utilities** | |
| [libp2p-crypto](libp2p/crypto) | Cryptographic backend |
| [libp2p-crypto-secp256k1](libp2p/crypto/secp.nim) | |
| **Pubsub** | |
| [libp2p-pubsub](libp2p/protocols/pubsub/pubsub.nim) | Pub-Sub generic interface |
| [libp2p-floodsub](libp2p/protocols/pubsub/floodsub.nim) | FloodSub implementation |
| [libp2p-gossipsub](libp2p/protocols/pubsub/gossipsub.nim) | [GossipSub](https://docs.libp2p.io/concepts/publish-subscribe/) implementation |
## Users
nim-libp2p is used by:
- [Nimbus](https://github.com/status-im/nimbus-eth2), an Ethereum client
- [nwaku](https://github.com/waku-org/nwaku), a decentralized messaging application
- [nim-codex](https://github.com/codex-storage/nim-codex), a decentralized storage application
- (open a pull request if you want to be included here)
## Stability
nim-libp2p has been used in production for over a year in high-stake scenarios, so its core is considered stable.
Some modules are more recent and less stable.
The versioning follows [semver](https://semver.org/), with some additions:
- Some of libp2p procedures are marked as `.public.`, they will remain compatible during each `MAJOR` version
- The rest of the procedures are considered internal, and can change at any `MINOR` version (but remain compatible for each new `PATCH`)
We aim to be compatible at all time with at least 2 Nim `MINOR` versions, currently `1.6 & 2.0`
## Development
Clone and Install dependencies:
```sh
git clone https://github.com/vacp2p/nim-libp2p
cd nim-libp2p
# to use dependencies computed by nimble
nimble install -dy
# OR to install the dependencies versions used in CI
nimble install_pinned
```
Run unit tests:
```sh
# run all the unit tests
nimble test
```
This requires the go daemon to be available. To only run native tests, use `nimble testnative`.
Or use `nimble tasks` to show all available tasks.
### Contribute
The libp2p implementation in Nim is a work in progress. We welcome contributors to help out! Specifically, you can:
- Go through the modules and **check out existing issues**. This would be especially useful for modules in active development. Some knowledge of IPFS/libp2p may be required, as well as the infrastructure behind it.
- **Perform code reviews**. Feel free to let us know if you found anything that can a) speed up the project development b) ensure better quality and c) reduce possible future bugs.
- **Add tests**. Help nim-libp2p to be more robust by adding more tests to the [tests folder](tests/).
- **Small PRs**. Try to keep PRs atomic and digestible. This makes the review process and pinpointing bugs easier.
- **Code format**. Please format code using [nph](https://github.com/arnetheduck/nph) v0.5.1. This will ensure a consistent codebase and make PRs easier to review. A CI rule has been added to ensure that future commits are all formatted using the same nph version.
The code follows the [Status Nim Style Guide](https://status-im.github.io/nim-style-guide/).
### Contributors
### Core Maintainers
### Compile time flags
Enable expensive metrics (ie, metrics with per-peer cardinality):
```bash
nim c -d:libp2p_expensive_metrics some_file.nim
```
Set list of known libp2p agents for metrics:
```bash
nim c -d:libp2p_agents_metrics -d:KnownLibP2PAgents=nimbus,lighthouse,lodestar,prysm,teku some_file.nim
```
Specify gossipsub specific topics to measure in the metrics:
```bash
nim c -d:KnownLibP2PTopics=topic1,topic2,topic3 some_file.nim
```
## License
Licensed and distributed under either of
* MIT license: [LICENSE-MIT](LICENSE-MIT) or http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT
or
* Apache License, Version 2.0, ([LICENSE-APACHEv2](LICENSE-APACHEv2) or http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0)
at your option. These files may not be copied, modified, or distributed except according to those terms.
