Terminal UI client for BitChat protocol enabling secure peer-to-peer messaging over Bluetooth Low Energy without internet
bitchat-tui is a terminal user interface client for the BitChat protocol, which enables secure peer-to-peer messaging over Bluetooth Low Energy without requiring internet connectivity. Built with Ratatui, it provides a keyboard-driven interface for communicating in public channels, password-protected private channels, and direct messages with end-to-end encryption.
The tool implements the full BitChat protocol with X25519 key exchange, AES-256-GCM encryption, and Ed25519 authentication. Users can join public chat rooms, create or join private channels with PBKDF2-derived passwords, and send direct messages to specific peers. The interface includes a sidebar for navigation between conversations, unread message indicators, and support for message fragmentation for reliable delivery.
bitchat-tui targets users who need off-grid communication in scenarios like remote areas, public events, or privacy-focused environments. The application automatically discovers nearby BitChat peers and establishes mesh connections without central servers. Commands like /dm, /j #channel, /block, and /help provide chat management functionality directly within the terminal interface.
# via Universal Script
curl -sSfL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaibhav-mattoo/bitchat-tui/main/install.sh | sh
# via Cargo
cargo install bitchat-tui
# via Homebrew
brew tap vaibhav-mattoo/bitchat-tui && brew install bitchat-tui
# via AUR
yay -S bitchat-tui