rWeb/README.md

rWeb v0.1 - Reticulum LXMF HTML SERVER and BROWSER CLIENT

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rWeb is a complete web browsing system for the Reticulum mesh network, enabling decentralized HTML content delivery over LXMF (Lightweight Extensible Message Format). Browse websites, download files, and discover servers - all without internet infrastructure.

First version, may contain bugs, expect new updates soon!

🌐 Features

rWeb Server (rWeb_server.py)

• Multi-format serving: HTML pages, images (JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP), PDFs, text files, and archives (ZIP, RAR, 7z)
• Automatic discovery: Announces presence on the mesh network with [HTML] identifier
• File attachment support: Binary file transfers via LXMF fields
• Click-through navigation: Internal links work seamlessly between pages
• Template system: Dynamic content with timestamp and file list variables
• Access logging: Track page requests and server statistics
• Cross-platform: Works on Linux, Windows, macOS, and Android (Termux)

rWeb Browser (rWeb_client.py)

• Auto-discovery: Automatically detects HTML servers announcing on the network
• Web-based UI: Modern Flask/SocketIO interface accessible via web browser
• Real-time updates: Live server discovery and page notifications
• Bookmarks system: Save favorite servers for quick access
• Browsing history: Track visited pages with timestamps
• File downloads: Automatic downloads for images, PDFs, and archives
• Responsive design: Works on desktop and mobile browsers
• Server management: Add/remove discovered servers

📋 Requirements

Core Dependencies

# Python 3.7 or higher
python3 --version

# Reticulum Network Stack
pip install rns

# LXMF (Lightweight Extensible Message Format)
pip install lxmf

# Flask and SocketIO (for browser only)
pip install flask flask-socketio

System Requirements

• Operating System: Linux, Windows 10+, macOS, or Android (via Termux)
• Network: At least one configured Reticulum interface (LoRa, TCP, UDP, I2P, etc.)
• Python: Version 3.7 or higher
• Disk Space: Minimal (~10MB for software, varies with content)

🚀 Quick Start

1. Install Dependencies

On Linux/macOS:

# Install Python packages
pip3 install rns lxmf flask flask-socketio

# Verify installation
python3 -c "import RNS, LXMF; print('Dependencies OK')"

On Windows:

# Install Python packages
pip install rns lxmf flask flask-socketio

# Install colorama for terminal colors
pip install colorama

On Android (Termux):

# Update packages
pkg update && pkg upgrade

# Install Python and dependencies
pkg install python
pip install rns lxmf flask flask-socketio

2. Configure Reticulum

Create or edit ~/.reticulum/config:

[reticulum]
  enable_transport = False
  share_instance = Yes

# Example: Auto-interface (discovers local Reticulum instances)
[interfaces]
  [[Default Interface]]
    type = AutoInterface
    enabled = Yes

For more interface options, see the Reticulum Manual.

3. Start the Server

# Basic usage
python3 rWeb_server.py

# Custom storage path
python3 rWeb_server.py --storage ~/my_html_server

# Custom server name
python3 rWeb_server.py --name "My Server"

# Custom announce interval (in seconds)
python3 rWeb_server.py --announce-interval 3600

# View statistics
python3 rWeb_server.py --stats

Default content location: ~/.lxmf_html_server/pages/

The server will:

• Create default example pages on first run
• Announce itself on the network with [HTML] prefix
• Serve files to requesting clients
• Log all access requests

4. Start the Browser

# Basic usage
python3 rWeb_client.py

# Custom storage path
python3 rWeb_client.py --storage ~/my_browser_data

Then open your web browser to: http://localhost:5080

The browser will:

• Listen for HTML server announces
• Display discovered servers in the sidebar
• Enable bookmarking and history tracking
• Handle file downloads automatically

📁 File Structure

Server

~/.lxmf_html_server/
├── pages/              # Your HTML files and content
│   ├── index.html      # Auto-generated index
│   ├── about.html      # Example page
│   ├── help.html       # Example page
│   └── [your files]    # Add any supported files here
├── config.json         # Server configuration
├── access.log          # Access log
└── identity            # LXMF identity

Browser

~/.lxmf_html_browser/
├── cache/              # Downloaded files
├── html_cache/         # Rendered HTML pages
├── bookmarks.json      # Saved bookmarks
├── history.json        # Browsing history
├── discovered_servers.json  # Known servers
└── identity            # LXMF identity

📝 Creating Content

HTML Pages

Place HTML files in ~/.lxmf_html_server/pages/:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <title>My Page</title>
</head>
<body>
    <h1>Welcome to My Page</h1>
    <p>Current time: {{timestamp}}</p>
    <p>Available files: {{page_count}}</p>
    
    <!-- Internal links work automatically -->
    <a href="about.html">About</a>
    <a href="help.html">Help</a>
</body>
</html>

Template Variables

• {{timestamp}} - Current server time
• {{page_count}} - Number of available files
• {{page_list}} - Auto-generated HTML links to all files

Supported File Types

• HTML: .html, .htm
• Text: .txt, .md
• Images: .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .gif, .bmp, .webp
• Documents: .pdf
• Archives: .zip, .rar, .7z

🔧 Advanced Usage

Server Commands

# Show help
python3 rWeb_server.py --help

# Set custom announce interval (1 hour)
python3 rWeb_server.py --announce-interval 3600

# Disable auto-announce
python3 rWeb_server.py --no-auto-announce

# View server statistics
python3 rWeb_server.py --stats

Browser Features

Server Discovery:

• Servers appear automatically in the "Servers" tab
• Shows server name, LXMF address, and last seen time
• Click server name or any page to request content

Bookmarks:

• Click ★ Bookmark button to save current server
• Access saved servers from "Bookmarks" tab
• Remove bookmarks with 🗑️ button

History:

• All visited pages tracked with timestamps
• View full LXMF URLs
• Clear history with one click

Downloads:

• Files automatically download when served
• Saved to browser's cache directory
• Images, PDFs, and archives supported

Manual Server Addition

If a server isn't auto-discovered, add it manually:

1. Get the server's LXMF hash from the server terminal
2. Enter in browser address bar: lxmf://hash/index
3. Click "Go" to connect

🔒 Security Notes

• End-to-end encryption: All LXMF messages are encrypted
• Identity-based: Each server/browser has unique cryptographic identity
• No central authority: Fully decentralized operation
• Stamp costs: Optional anti-spam mechanism (disabled by default)
• Ratchets: Forward secrecy supported (optional)

🐛 Troubleshooting

Server not announcing

# Check Reticulum status
rnstatus

# Verify interfaces are up
cat ~/.reticulum/config

# Check server logs
python3 rWeb_server.py --stats

Browser not discovering servers

# Verify Reticulum is running
rnstatus

# Check browser logs for [ANNOUNCE] messages
# Should see: [ANNOUNCE] LXMF delivery destination: ...

# Manually add server if needed
# Use: lxmf://server_hash/index

Files not downloading

• Check file size limits in browser settings
• Verify file exists in server's pages directory
• Check server logs for access attempts

Cannot connect to browser UI

• Verify Flask is running: http://localhost:5080
• Check firewall settings
• Try alternative port: modify socketio.run(app, port=5080) in code

🌍 Use Cases

• Off-grid websites: Host content over LoRa mesh networks
• Emergency communications: Serve information during infrastructure failure
• Privacy-focused browsing: No ISP tracking or centralized servers
• Rural connectivity: Share content over long-range radio
• Disaster recovery: Maintain local information networks
• Private networks: Company intranets without internet dependency

📚 Technical Details

Architecture

• Protocol: LXMF over Reticulum Network Stack
• Transport: Opportunistic routing with automatic path discovery
• Encryption: Curve25519 + AES-256
• Delivery: Direct links or propagation node routing
• File Transfer: LXMF field 0x02 (FILE_ATTACHMENTS)
• HTML Content: LXMF field 0x0A (custom HTML field)

Announce Format

Server announces include:

• Destination aspect: lxmf.delivery
• Display name: [HTML] server_name
• Stamp cost: Optional anti-spam parameter

Browser listens for announces with [HTML] prefix and automatically discovers servers.

🤝 Contributing

Contributions welcome! Areas for improvement:

• CSS/JavaScript support in HTML pages
• Search functionality across servers
• Download progress indicators
• Multi-language support
• Custom themes for browser UI
• Page caching and offline mode
• WebDAV-style file management

📄 License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details

🙏 Credits

Built on:

• Reticulum by Mark Qvist
• LXMF by Mark Qvist
• Flask and SocketIO

📞 Support

• Reticulum Manual: https://markqvist.github.io/Reticulum/manual/
• LXMF Documentation: https://github.com/markqvist/lxmf
• Issues: Open an issue on GitHub

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rWeb v0.1 - Bringing the web to mesh networks 🌐📡