PeerChat

PeerChat is a decentralized peer-to-peer chat room system implemented in Python. This project allows multiple nodes to communicate with each other without the need for a central server. Each node can join the network, send messages, and if the tracker node goes offline, it can elect a new tracker using the Bully Election algorithm. The application provides a simple, text-based user interface (TUI) to send and receive messages.

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Features

• Decentralized communication: Nodes connect to each other without relying on a central server.
• Tracker system: One node can act as the tracker and coordinate communication between peers.
• Automatic tracker election: If the tracker goes offline, nodes automatically elect a new tracker.
• Message broadcast: When a node sends a message, it is broadcast to all connected peers.
• Text-based User Interface (TUI): A simple terminal interface to view messages and interact with other peers.

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Installation

To run PeerChat, ensure that you have Python 3.x installed on your machine. The project is built using standard Python libraries, so no external dependencies are required.

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/hect1k/peerchat.git
cd peerchat

2. Run the Tracker

The tracker acts as the entry point for the nodes. Run the following command to start the tracker:

python tracker.py

By default, the tracker runs on port 5000. You can modify the port inside tracker.py if necessary.

3. Run the Nodes

Each node will need to connect to the tracker and register. To run a node, execute the following:

python node.py

• The node will prompt you to enter a username.
• If the tracker is offline, the node will act as the tracker and will listen on port 5000.
• If the tracker is online, the node will connect to it and join the chat room.

4. Join the Chat

After running the node, the terminal will display a text-based interface where you can chat with other peers. Type your messages and hit Enter to send. You can press q to quit the chat.

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How It Works

1. Tracker Node: The tracker is a central node that maintains a list of all connected peers. Nodes that join the chat room register with the tracker and get the list of other peers.

2. Peer Nodes: Each node represents a peer in the chat room. Nodes can send messages to other peers, and all messages are broadcast to every connected node.

3. Bully Election: If the tracker node goes offline, nodes will elect a new tracker using the Bully Election algorithm. The node with the highest port number becomes the new tracker.

4. Message Broadcast: When a node sends a message, it is broadcast to all connected peers. The messages are displayed in a simple TUI where each node can see the incoming and outgoing messages.

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File Structure

PeerChat/
│
├── node.py          # Node implementation with chat interface
├── tracker.py       # Tracker implementation
├── README.md        # This README file

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Usage

1. Start the tracker: Run python tracker.py on a terminal.
2. Start nodes: Run python node.py in multiple terminals (with different usernames).
3. Chat: Type and send messages. All connected peers will see the messages.

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Troubleshooting

• "Connection Refused" Error: Ensure the tracker is running before starting any nodes.
• Unexpected Disconnects: If nodes stop receiving messages, ensure the tracker node is online or has been elected properly.
• UI glitches: The text-based user interface is designed for simple use cases. If you encounter issues, feel free to open a bug report or submit a fix.

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Contributing

We welcome contributions to improve PeerChat. If you have any ideas, bugs, or fixes, please feel free to open an issue or submit a pull request.

License

This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3 - see the LICENSE file for details.

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Future Improvements

• Add better error handling for network issues.
• Implement encryption for secure messages.
• Support for more advanced features like group chats or file transfers.