Reticulum/docs/source/whatis.rst

192 lines
7.5 KiB
ReStructuredText
Raw Permalink Normal View History

2021-05-16 19:58:11 +00:00
******************
What is Reticulum?
******************
2022-10-06 15:35:38 +00:00
Reticulum is a cryptography-based networking stack for building both local and
wide-area networks with readily available hardware, that can continue to operate
under adverse conditions, such as extremely low bandwidth and very high latency.
2021-07-25 21:48:18 +00:00
2022-08-05 21:38:23 +00:00
Reticulum allows you to build wide-area networks with off-the-shelf tools, and
2022-10-06 15:35:38 +00:00
offers end-to-end encryption, forward secrecy, autoconfiguring cryptographically
backed multi-hop transport, efficient addressing, unforgeable packet
acknowledgements and more.
From a users perspective, Reticulum allows the creation of applications that
2022-10-06 15:41:07 +00:00
respect and empower the autonomy and sovereignty of communities and individuals.
2022-10-06 15:35:38 +00:00
Reticulum enables secure digital communication that cannot be subjected to
outside control, manipulation or censorship.
2022-10-06 21:32:19 +00:00
Reticulum enables the construction of both small and potentially planetary-scale
2024-11-23 09:41:17 +00:00
networks, without any need for hierarchical or bureaucratic structures to control
2022-10-06 21:32:19 +00:00
or manage them, while ensuring individuals and communities full sovereignty
over their own network segments.
2021-05-16 19:58:11 +00:00
2023-09-18 11:02:18 +00:00
Reticulum is a **complete networking stack**, and does not need IP or higher
2022-08-05 21:38:23 +00:00
layers, although it is easy to utilise IP (with TCP or UDP) as the underlying
carrier for Reticulum. It is therefore trivial to tunnel Reticulum over the
Internet or private IP networks. Reticulum is built directly on cryptographic
principles, allowing resilience and stable functionality in open and trustless
networks.
2021-05-16 19:58:11 +00:00
2023-09-18 11:02:18 +00:00
No kernel modules or drivers are required. Reticulum can run completely in
userland, and will run on practically any system that runs Python 3. Reticulum
2022-08-05 21:38:23 +00:00
runs well even on small single-board computers like the Pi Zero.
2021-05-16 19:58:11 +00:00
2021-05-17 15:04:01 +00:00
Current Status
==============
2022-10-06 15:35:38 +00:00
**Please know!** Reticulum should currently be considered beta software. All core protocol
2022-08-05 21:38:23 +00:00
features are implemented and functioning, but additions will probably occur as
2022-10-06 15:35:38 +00:00
real-world use is explored. *There will be bugs*. The API and wire-format can be
2023-09-18 11:02:18 +00:00
considered complete and stable at the moment, but could change if absolutely warranted.
2021-05-17 15:04:01 +00:00
2021-05-16 19:58:11 +00:00
What does Reticulum Offer?
==========================
2024-11-22 14:40:41 +00:00
2022-08-05 21:38:23 +00:00
* Coordination-less globally unique addressing and identification
2021-05-16 19:58:11 +00:00
2024-11-22 14:40:41 +00:00
* Fully self-configuring multi-hop routing over heterogeneous carriers
* Flexible scalability over heterogeneous topologies
* Reticulum can carry data over any mixture of physical mediums and topologies
* Low-bandwidth networks can co-exist and interoperate with large, high-bandwidth networks
* Initiator anonymity, communicate without revealing your identity
* Reticulum does not include source addresses on any packets
2021-05-16 19:58:11 +00:00
2024-11-22 14:40:41 +00:00
* Asymmetric X25519 encryption and Ed25519 signatures as a basis for all communication
2021-10-08 16:48:06 +00:00
2024-11-22 14:40:41 +00:00
* The foundational Reticulum Identity Keys are 512-bit Elliptic Curve keysets
2021-05-16 19:58:11 +00:00
2024-11-22 14:40:41 +00:00
* Forward Secrecy is available for all communication types, both for single packets and over links
2021-05-16 19:58:11 +00:00
2024-11-22 14:40:41 +00:00
* Reticulum uses the following format for encrypted tokens:
2021-09-18 16:10:58 +00:00
2024-11-22 14:40:41 +00:00
* Ephemeral per-packet and link keys and derived from an ECDH key exchange on Curve25519
2021-05-16 19:58:11 +00:00
* AES-128 in CBC mode with PKCS7 padding
* HMAC using SHA256 for authentication
* IVs are generated through os.urandom()
* Unforgeable packet delivery confirmations
2024-11-22 14:40:41 +00:00
* Flexible and extensible interface system
2021-05-16 19:58:11 +00:00
2024-11-22 14:40:41 +00:00
* Reticulum includes a large variety of built-in interface types
2021-05-16 19:58:11 +00:00
2024-11-22 14:40:41 +00:00
* Ability to load and utilise custom user- or community-supplied interface types
2022-04-28 08:19:43 +00:00
2024-11-22 14:40:41 +00:00
* Easily create your own custom interfaces for communicating over anything
2022-04-28 08:19:43 +00:00
2024-11-22 14:40:41 +00:00
* Authentication and virtual network segmentation on all supported interface types
* An intuitive and easy-to-use API
* Simpler and easier to use than sockets APIs and simpler, but more powerful
* Makes building distributed and decentralised applications much simpler
2022-04-28 08:19:43 +00:00
* Reliable and efficient transfer of arbitrary amounts of data
2021-05-16 19:58:11 +00:00
* Reticulum can handle a few bytes of data or files of many gigabytes
2024-11-22 14:40:41 +00:00
* Sequencing, compression, transfer coordination and checksumming are automatic
2021-05-16 19:58:11 +00:00
* The API is very easy to use, and provides transfer progress
2024-11-22 14:40:41 +00:00
* Lightweight, flexible and expandable Request/Response mechanism
* Efficient link establishment
* Total cost of setting up an encrypted and verified link is only 3 packets, totalling 297 bytes
* Low cost of keeping links open at only 0.44 bits per second
2021-05-20 15:18:38 +00:00
2024-11-22 14:40:41 +00:00
* Reliable sequential delivery with Channel and Buffer mechanisms
2021-05-20 15:18:38 +00:00
2021-05-16 19:58:11 +00:00
Where can Reticulum be Used?
============================
2021-05-20 08:28:58 +00:00
Over practically any medium that can support at least a half-duplex channel
2023-10-31 10:09:54 +00:00
with greater throughput than 5 bits per second, and an MTU of 500 bytes. Data radios,
2021-05-16 19:58:11 +00:00
modems, LoRa radios, serial lines, AX.25 TNCs, amateur radio digital modes,
ad-hoc WiFi, free-space optical links and similar systems are all examples
of the types of interfaces Reticulum was designed for.
2021-05-17 18:01:53 +00:00
An open-source LoRa-based interface called `RNode <https://unsigned.io/rnode>`_
2022-04-28 08:19:43 +00:00
has been designed as an example transceiver that is very suitable for
Reticulum. It is possible to build it yourself, to transform a common LoRa
2024-09-05 13:17:58 +00:00
development board into one, or it can be purchased as a complete transceiver
from various vendors.
2021-05-16 19:58:11 +00:00
Reticulum can also be encapsulated over existing IP networks, so there's
2022-08-05 21:38:23 +00:00
nothing stopping you from using it over wired Ethernet or your local WiFi
2021-05-16 19:58:11 +00:00
network, where it'll work just as well. In fact, one of the strengths of
Reticulum is how easily it allows you to connect different mediums into a
self-configuring, resilient and encrypted mesh.
As an example, it's possible to set up a Raspberry Pi connected to both a
LoRa radio, a packet radio TNC and a WiFi network. Once the interfaces are
2022-04-28 08:19:43 +00:00
added, Reticulum will take care of the rest, and any device on the WiFi
2021-05-16 19:58:11 +00:00
network can communicate with nodes on the LoRa and packet radio sides of the
network, and vice versa.
2021-09-25 21:22:33 +00:00
Interface Types and Devices
===========================
2024-11-22 14:40:41 +00:00
Reticulum implements a range of generalised interface types that covers the communications hardware that Reticulum can run over. If your hardware is not supported, it's simple to :ref:`implement an interface class<example-custominterface>`. Currently, Reticulum can use the following devices and communication mediums:
2021-05-16 19:58:11 +00:00
2022-08-05 21:38:23 +00:00
* Any Ethernet device
2021-05-16 19:58:11 +00:00
2022-04-28 08:19:43 +00:00
* WiFi devices
2022-08-05 21:38:23 +00:00
* Wired Ethernet devices
2022-04-28 08:19:43 +00:00
* Fibre-optic transceivers
2022-08-05 21:38:23 +00:00
* Data radios with Ethernet ports
2022-04-28 08:19:43 +00:00
2021-05-16 19:58:11 +00:00
* LoRa using `RNode <https://unsigned.io/rnode>`_
2022-04-28 08:19:43 +00:00
* Can be installed on `many popular LoRa boards <https://github.com/markqvist/rnodeconfigutil#supported-devices>`_
* Can be purchased as a `ready to use transceiver <https://unsigned.io/rnode>`_
2021-05-16 19:58:11 +00:00
* Packet Radio TNCs, such as `OpenModem <https://unsigned.io/openmodem>`_
2022-04-28 08:19:43 +00:00
* Any packet radio TNC in KISS mode
* Ideal for VHF and UHF radio
2021-05-16 19:58:11 +00:00
* Any device with a serial port
2022-04-28 08:19:43 +00:00
* The I2P network
2021-05-16 19:58:11 +00:00
* TCP over IP networks
2021-09-25 21:22:33 +00:00
* UDP over IP networks
2022-05-14 18:19:15 +00:00
* Anything you can connect via stdio
* Reticulum can use external programs and pipes as interfaces
* This can be used to easily hack in virtual interfaces
* Or to quickly create interfaces with custom hardware
2021-12-05 22:24:30 +00:00
For a full list and more details, see the :ref:`Supported Interfaces<interfaces-main>` chapter.
Caveat Emptor
==============
2022-08-05 21:38:23 +00:00
Reticulum is an experimental networking stack, and should be considered as
such. While it has been built with cryptography best-practices very foremost in
2023-01-27 17:51:25 +00:00
mind, it has not yet been externally security audited, and there could very well be
2022-08-05 21:38:23 +00:00
privacy-breaking bugs. To be considered secure, Reticulum needs a thorough
security review by independent cryptographers and security researchers. If you
2024-11-29 14:10:35 +00:00
want to help out with this, or can help sponsor an audit, please do get in touch.