90 lines
3.2 KiB
Markdown
90 lines
3.2 KiB
Markdown
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# waste — quick start
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waste is a private, encrypted chat and file sharing app for people you trust.
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No accounts, no phone numbers, no central server that knows your messages.
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Pick the option that fits you best.
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---
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## Option 1 — Just open it in your browser
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If someone is running a waste anchor server and has shared the URL with you:
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1. Open the URL in any modern browser
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2. Enter your name and a network name your group has agreed on
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3. Done — you're in
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On mobile, tap **Share → Add to Home Screen** to install it as an app icon.
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To invite someone: click the 🔗 button in the sidebar and share the link.
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> Your identity and messages stay in your browser. Nothing is stored on the server — the server only helps peers find each other.
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---
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## Option 2 — Desktop app (recommended for regular use)
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Download the latest `waste` binary for your platform from the [releases page](../../releases).
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**Linux / macOS:**
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```bash
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chmod +x waste-linux-amd64 # or waste-darwin-arm64, etc.
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./waste-linux-amd64
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```
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**Windows:** double-click `waste-windows-amd64.exe`.
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The app opens a window with the waste UI. Enter your name, the anchor URL, and a network name to join. Your identity is saved between sessions in your config directory (`~/.config/waste` on Linux, `~/Library/Application Support/waste` on macOS, `%APPDATA%\waste` on Windows).
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On Linux and Windows a tray icon appears — closing the window hides to tray rather than quitting. Right-click the tray icon to reopen or quit.
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---
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## Option 3 — Run the daemon manually (headless / power users)
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If you want the daemon running in the background without the desktop UI — on a server, over SSH, or with the web UI in a browser pointed at your local machine:
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```bash
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# Download waste-daemon from the releases page, then:
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./waste-daemon -alias yourname -anchor wss://your-anchor-server/ws
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```
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Then open the web UI in a browser at the anchor URL, or point the web UI's daemon mode at `ws://127.0.0.1:17338`.
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Full flag reference:
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| Flag | Default | Description |
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|---|---|---|
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| `-alias` | `anon` | Your display name |
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| `-anchor` | — | Anchor server WebSocket URL |
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| `-data-dir` | `~/.waste` | Where identity and messages are stored |
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| `-download-dir` | same as data-dir | Where received files are saved |
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| `-ipc-port` | `17337` | Local TCP IPC port |
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| `-ws-port` | `0` (off) | WebSocket IPC port (needed for web UI) |
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| `-turn-url` | — | TURN relay URL (fixes mobile/CGNAT) |
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| `-turn-secret` | — | TURN shared secret |
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---
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## Inviting someone
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1. Click `Ctrl+I` in the TUI, or click **Generate invite** in the web UI
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2. Share the `waste:...` link with your friend (Signal, email, anything)
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3. They open it in a browser or pass it to `waste-daemon --join 'waste:...'`
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Invite links encode the anchor URL and network name. The anchor never sees your messages.
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---
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## Running your own anchor server
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The anchor is a tiny signaling server that helps peers find each other — it never sees plaintext messages or file contents. You need a VPS with a domain and TLS.
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```bash
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# On your VPS:
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./waste-anchor -bind 127.0.0.1:8080
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```
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Put it behind nginx with a `/ws` WebSocket proxy and serve the web UI static files at `/`. See [README.md](README.md#hosting-on-a-vps) for the full nginx setup.
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