Re: Freenode Administration

[Bone Baboon <bone.baboon@disroot.org>]

Bone Baboon writes:
> # IRC alternatives / compliments
>
> Some criteria that I have come up with are:
> * Free software
> * Can be used without a graphical user interface as many GPUs are not
>   compatible with Linux-libre and can not run Xorg or Wayland window
>   managers / desktops.
> * Peer to peer as a way to avoid the issue of a centralized
>   administrator changing their administration in undesirable ways. 

One more criteria.  Is an Emacs client available.  Inspired by
<https://logs.guix.gnu.org/guix/2021-05-19.log#183825>.

> Some alternatives that come to mind that would need further
> investigation include the following.  I do not know if any of these meet
> all the criteria I mention above.
>
> * Scuttlebutt
> ** https://scuttlebutt.nz/
> ** Is there a client that works without a graphical environment?
>
> * DAT
> ** Are there messaging application for DAT?
> ** https://www.datprotocol.com/
>
> * IPFS
> ** Are there messaging application for IPFS?
> ** https://ipfs.io/
>
> * Jami
> ** https://jami.net/
> ** Swarms specifically
> *** https://jami.net/swarm-introducing-a-new-generation-of-group-conversations/
> *** Swarms are fully distributed and peer-to-peer text conversations,
>     with a potentially unlimited number of participants.
> ** <Lutices[m]> on Freenode #jami said:
>    "https://github.com/AmarOk1412/jami-cli/ no video/audio support but
>    support swarm"
>
> * RetroShare
> ** http://retroshare.cc/
> ** Is there a client that works without a graphical environment?

Here is what I have discovered after some further preliminary
exploration.  I have added XMPP and Tox.

## Scuttlebutt

<https://scuttlebutt.nz/>

* Free libre - yes
* Peer to peer - yes
* Non graphical client - yes
** scat <https://github.com/stripedpajamas/scat>
** scatzero <https://github.com/stripedpajamas/scatzero>
** scuttle-chat <https://github.com/clevinson/scuttle-chat>
* IRC capabilities - ?
* Emacs client - no

## DAT

<https://www.datprotocol.com/>

* Free libre - yes
* Peer to peer - yes
* Non graphical client - yes
** cabal-cli <https://github.com/cabal-club/cabal-cli>
* IRC capabilities - yes
** <https://cabal.chat/>
* Emacs client - no

## IPFS

<https://ipfs.io/>

* Free libre - yes
* Peer to peer - yes
* Non graphical client - prototype
** orbit-textui <https://github.com/orbitdb/orbit-textui>
*** prototype
* IRC capabilities - ?
* Emacs client - no

## Jami

<https://jami.net/>

* Free libre - yes
* Peer to peer - yes
* Non graphical client - yes
** jami-cli <https://github.com/AmarOk1412/jami-cli>
* IRC capabilities - not yet
** Swarm requires more optimizations before pubic channels are added.
** Currently jami-cli has been tested for group of 5 (jami-cli's
   developer devices). 
** A group is invite only currently.
* Emacs client - no

## RetroShare

<https://retroshare.cc/>

* Free libre - yes
* Peer to peer - yes
* Non graphical client - no
* IRC capabilities - yes
* Emacs client - no

## XMPP

<https://xmpp.org/>

* Free libre - yes
* Peer to peer - no
** federated servers
* Non graphical client - yes
** Mcabber <https://mcabber.com/>
** Poezio <https://poez.io/en/>
** Profanity <https://profanity-im.github.io/>
** Aparte <https://github.com/paulfariello/aparte>
* IRC capabilities - yes
* Emacs client - yes
** jabber.el <https://github.com/legoscia/emacs-jabber>

## Tox

<https://tox.chat/>

* Free libre - yes
* Peer to peer - yes
* Non graphical client - yes
** Toxic <https://github.com/JFreegman/toxic>
* IRC capabilities - not currently
** Would get IRC capabilities if this gets added
   <https://github.com/TokTok/c-toxcore/blob/ngc/docs/DHT-Group-Chats.md> 
* Emacs client - no