5 ms·

RetroShare: secure communications with friends

47 points by maggit 13y ago

kimlelly 13y ago
1. Decentralized (real p2p, no central servers) 2. Encrypted communication 3. Easier to set up than encrypted email: Install -> Exchange "certificates" -> Done. BONUS: it's open-source! (Which means everybody is free to inspect the source code, which means any potential backdoors can 1) be discovered 2) removed -> impossible with Windows and Mac operating systems/software)
- tptacek 13y ago
  No, it is not impossible to discover backdoors and vulnerabilities in closed-source Windows and Mac software; there's a cottage industry of third parties doing that on a pro-bono basis.
  - kimlelly 13y ago
    Well, I guess, the source code sooner or later is accessible to _somebody_ at _some_ development stage or in _some_ version. But can we really trust companies that work with the NSA to sell us the version compiled _without_ the backdoors? Plus, always keep in mind that these companies have lied to us about PRISM - with straight faces.
    - maggit 13y ago
      While it is not technically impossible to discover backdoors in closed source software, I'd say it's essential for me to trust crypto-software that it is open source. That being said, it is probably feasible to hide a backdoor even in open source software. But it is still easier in closed source software.
    - tptacek 13y ago
      By "closed-source", I meant "researchers don't have the source code". And yet they find vulnerabilities anyways. It's not 1995 anymore. Vulnerability researchers tend to have pretty good tools for reading assembly.
baggachipz 13y ago
The final killer feature for this would be screen sharing, especially with a group. Anyone know of any plans for this?
- kimlelly 13y ago
  I don't know, but: What everybody can do is program any plugin they like, for this platform. So only the sky's the limit.
kimlelly 13y ago
And to the http://www.restorethefourth.net http://www.restorethefourth.net crowd: You don't want to coordinate over Skype or Facebook or Twitter.
- wmeredith 13y ago
  Why not? We're exercising our right to peacefully assemble and protest the government. We're not terrorists, we're patriots. Why play their game?
  - stefantalpalaru 13y ago
    >We're exercising our right to peacefully assemble and protest the government. Like the Occupy movement? http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/25/nyregion/occupy-movement-was-investigated-by-fbi-counterterrorism-agents-records-show.html?_r=0 http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/25/nyregion/occupy-movement-w...
  - kimlelly 13y ago
    Well, a few days ago, we've been told the names of the companies that have been collaborating directly with the NSA, in secret, and they had the audacity to lie to our faces about it, when confronted. I guess you know the names by now: Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, Yahoo, Google, Skype, etc....
  - yread 13y ago
    Here is a nice list of agent provocateurs, bugging and so on http://www.atimes.com/atimes/World/WOR-01-010713.html http://www.atimes.com/atimes/World/WOR-01-010713.html
wesley 13y ago
Just wondering, are those MSN icons, or are these available in a free-to-use license somewhere online?
nwh 13y ago
I love the concept, but it has a disgustingly bad interface.
- maggit 13y ago
  You should try it on a retina mac. It's awful! However, I am willing to put up with this for a while until maybe I can create an alternative client or something. Private communication is pretty important to me :) Apparently there's some separation of front-end and back-end, with the possibility of running alternative front-ends. See near the end of this blog post: https://retroshareteam.wordpress.com/2013/01/27/using-retroshare-on-the-excito-bubba3/ https://retroshareteam.wordpress.com/2013/01/27/using-retros...
- kimlelly 13y ago
  I agree, there's room for improvement, but: We're talking about saving the very foundations of democracy, these days (things like: free speech). So I guess our UI sorrows will have to wait a few days...
  - aw3c2 13y ago
    The thing is without a good GUI software is hard to get adopted by the masses. With a good GUI even bad software shines.
    - kimlelly 13y ago
      100% true, unfortunately. But just a little bit of patience: the more users join the platform, the sooner somebody graphically talented is going to step forward and make this excellent piece of tech shine on the surface as well...
      - nwh 13y ago
        You underestimate how difficult it is for designers to contribute to open source projects.
arcameron 13y ago
You might also take a look at our project: https://echoplex.us https://echoplex.us Somewhat similar idea, different execution, and not quite there yet in terms of decentralization
lazylizard 13y ago
comes with claws mail built in...
kimlelly 13y ago
Using it: People from all over the world... http://www2.clustrmaps.com/counter/maps.php?url=http://retroshare.sf.net http://www2.clustrmaps.com/counter/maps.php?url=http://retro...

47 points by maggit 13y ago

1. Decentralized (real p2p, no central servers) 2. Encrypted communication 3. Easier to set up than encrypted email: Install -> Exchange "certificates" -> Done. BONUS: it's open-source! (Which means everybody is free to inspect the source code, which means any potential backdoors can 1) be discovered 2) removed -> impossible with Windows and Mac operating systems/software)

tptacek 13y ago
No, it is not impossible to discover backdoors and vulnerabilities in closed-source Windows and Mac software; there's a cottage industry of third parties doing that on a pro-bono basis.
- kimlelly 13y ago
  Well, I guess, the source code sooner or later is accessible to _somebody_ at _some_ development stage or in _some_ version. But can we really trust companies that work with the NSA to sell us the version compiled _without_ the backdoors? Plus, always keep in mind that these companies have lied to us about PRISM - with straight faces.
  - maggit 13y ago
    While it is not technically impossible to discover backdoors in closed source software, I'd say it's essential for me to trust crypto-software that it is open source. That being said, it is probably feasible to hide a backdoor even in open source software. But it is still easier in closed source software.
  - tptacek 13y ago
    By "closed-source", I meant "researchers don't have the source code". And yet they find vulnerabilities anyways. It's not 1995 anymore. Vulnerability researchers tend to have pretty good tools for reading assembly.

baggachipz 13y ago

The final killer feature for this would be screen sharing, especially with a group. Anyone know of any plans for this?

kimlelly 13y ago
I don't know, but: What everybody can do is program any plugin they like, for this platform. So only the sky's the limit.

kimlelly 13y ago

And to the http://www.restorethefourth.net http://www.restorethefourth.net crowd: You don't want to coordinate over Skype or Facebook or Twitter.

wmeredith 13y ago
Why not? We're exercising our right to peacefully assemble and protest the government. We're not terrorists, we're patriots. Why play their game?
- stefantalpalaru 13y ago
  >We're exercising our right to peacefully assemble and protest the government. Like the Occupy movement? http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/25/nyregion/occupy-movement-was-investigated-by-fbi-counterterrorism-agents-records-show.html?_r=0 http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/25/nyregion/occupy-movement-w...
- kimlelly 13y ago
  Well, a few days ago, we've been told the names of the companies that have been collaborating directly with the NSA, in secret, and they had the audacity to lie to our faces about it, when confronted. I guess you know the names by now: Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, Yahoo, Google, Skype, etc....
- yread 13y ago
  Here is a nice list of agent provocateurs, bugging and so on http://www.atimes.com/atimes/World/WOR-01-010713.html http://www.atimes.com/atimes/World/WOR-01-010713.html

wesley 13y ago

Just wondering, are those MSN icons, or are these available in a free-to-use license somewhere online?

nwh 13y ago

I love the concept, but it has a disgustingly bad interface.

maggit 13y ago
You should try it on a retina mac. It's awful! However, I am willing to put up with this for a while until maybe I can create an alternative client or something. Private communication is pretty important to me :) Apparently there's some separation of front-end and back-end, with the possibility of running alternative front-ends. See near the end of this blog post: https://retroshareteam.wordpress.com/2013/01/27/using-retroshare-on-the-excito-bubba3/ https://retroshareteam.wordpress.com/2013/01/27/using-retros...
kimlelly 13y ago
I agree, there's room for improvement, but: We're talking about saving the very foundations of democracy, these days (things like: free speech). So I guess our UI sorrows will have to wait a few days...
- aw3c2 13y ago
  The thing is without a good GUI software is hard to get adopted by the masses. With a good GUI even bad software shines.
  - kimlelly 13y ago
    100% true, unfortunately. But just a little bit of patience: the more users join the platform, the sooner somebody graphically talented is going to step forward and make this excellent piece of tech shine on the surface as well...
    - nwh 13y ago
      You underestimate how difficult it is for designers to contribute to open source projects.

arcameron 13y ago

You might also take a look at our project: https://echoplex.us https://echoplex.us Somewhat similar idea, different execution, and not quite there yet in terms of decentralization

lazylizard 13y ago

comes with claws mail built in...

kimlelly 13y ago

Using it: People from all over the world... http://www2.clustrmaps.com/counter/maps.php?url=http://retroshare.sf.net http://www2.clustrmaps.com/counter/maps.php?url=http://retro...