# waste — quick start

waste is a private, encrypted chat and file sharing app for people you trust.
No accounts, no phone numbers, no central server that knows your messages.

Pick the option that fits you best.

---

## Option 1 — Just open it in your browser

If someone is running a waste anchor server and has shared the URL with you:

1. Open the URL in any modern browser
2. Enter your name and a network name your group has agreed on
3. Done — you're in

On mobile, tap **Share → Add to Home Screen** to install it as an app icon.

To invite someone: click the 🔗 button in the sidebar and share the link.

> Your identity and messages stay in your browser. Nothing is stored on the server — the server only helps peers find each other.

---

## Option 2 — Desktop app (recommended for regular use)

Download the latest `waste` binary for your platform from the [releases page](../../releases).

**Linux / macOS:**
```bash
chmod +x waste-linux-amd64   # or waste-darwin-arm64, etc.
./waste-linux-amd64
```

**Windows:** double-click `waste-windows-amd64.exe`.

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).

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.

---

## Option 3 — Run the daemon + TUI or web UI locally (power users / dev)

Example scripts are provided for the common local workflows. Copy them and fill in your anchor URL:

```bash
# TUI (terminal UI):
cp launch-tui.sh.example launch-tui.sh
$EDITOR launch-tui.sh          # set ANCHOR=wss://your-anchor/ws
./launch-tui.sh

# Web UI in daemon mode (Vite dev server + daemon):
cp launch-web.sh.example launch-web.sh
$EDITOR launch-web.sh          # set ANCHOR=wss://your-anchor/ws
./launch-web.sh
```

The real script files are gitignored so your local edits (anchor URL, alias, network) are never accidentally committed.

---

## Option 4 — Run the daemon manually (headless)

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:

```bash
# Download waste-daemon from the releases page, then:
./waste-daemon -alias yourname -anchor wss://YOUR_ANCHOR_DOMAIN/ws
```

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`.

Full flag reference:

| Flag | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `-alias` | `anon` | Your display name |
| `-anchor` | — | Anchor server WebSocket URL |
| `-data-dir` | `~/.waste` | Where identity and messages are stored |
| `-download-dir` | same as data-dir | Where received files are saved |
| `-ipc-port` | `17337` | Local TCP IPC port |
| `-ws-port` | `0` (off) | WebSocket IPC port (needed for web UI) |
| `-turn-url` | — | TURN relay URL (fixes mobile/CGNAT) |
| `-turn-secret` | — | TURN shared secret |

---

## Inviting someone

1. Click `Ctrl+I` in the TUI, or click **Generate invite** in the web UI
2. Share the `waste:...` link with your friend (Signal, email, anything)
3. They open it in a browser or pass it to `waste-daemon --join 'waste:...'`

Invite links encode the anchor URL and network name. The anchor never sees your messages.

---

## Running your own anchor server

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.

```bash
# On your VPS:
./waste-anchor -bind 127.0.0.1:8080 -turn-secret YOUR_COTURN_SECRET
```

Put it behind nginx with `/ws` and `/turn-credentials` proxied to the anchor, and the web UI static files at `/`. See [README.md](README.md#hosting-on-a-vps) for the full nginx setup.