📚 Documentation
Welcome to piperchat! This guide will help you get started with decentralized peer-to-peer chat, file sharing, voice/video calls, and advanced features like PERSONET storage integration.
🚀 Getting Started
Quick Setup
- Enter your username (no registration needed)
- Connect to a relay server (default: 127.0.0.1:9999)
- Start chatting!
First Message
/chat alice
Type your message and press Enter. That's it!
Join a Group
/group team-project
Create or join group conversations instantly.
✨ Core Features
💬Direct Messages
Private 1-on-1 conversations with anyone on the network.
👥Group Chats
Collaborate with teams, friends, or communities.
📎File Sharing
Share any file type with drag & drop or click.
📞Voice & Video
Crystal-clear calls with screen sharing support.
😊Reactions
React to messages with 12 quick emojis.
🌐PERSONET Storage
Handle large files via decentralized storage.
🎨Themes
4 cyberpunk-inspired color schemes.
💻Code Sharing
Syntax highlighting for 20+ languages.
😊 Message Reactions
How to React
- Hover over any message
- Click the 😀 button
- Choose from 12 emojis
Quick Emojis
👍 ❤️ 😂 🎉 🚀 👀 🔥 💚 ✅ ⭐ 💯 🎯
💡 Tip: Click your own reaction to remove it. Hover over reactions to see who reacted!
🌐 PERSONET Storage
What is PERSONET?
PERSONET is a decentralized content-addressed storage network. piperchat automatically routes large files through PERSONET to avoid bloating chat servers.
Setup
- Open settings: /settings
- Go to PERSONET tab
- Enable PERSONET Storage
- Enter your PERSONET Hashcode
- Set threshold (default: 1 GB)
- Choose storage mode
- Save!
How It Works
Small Files (< threshold)
Sent via relay server
Fast & immediate delivery
Large Files (> threshold)
Uploaded to PERSONET
Recipients get download link
Threshold Options
- 10 MB, 50 MB, 100 MB, 500 MB
- 1 GB (default - recommended)
- 2 GB, 5 GB
Storage Modes
- Temporary: 24 hours, 7 days, or 30 days
- Permanent: Stored indefinitely
🎨 Themes
Matrix Green
Classic terminal aesthetic - the default
Neon Pink
Vibrant cyberpunk vaporwave
Ice Blue
Cool frozen terminal
Amber Terminal
Retro CRT monitor look
Change Theme
- Type /settings
- Go to Appearance
- Select theme
- Click Save Settings
Changes apply immediately!
🎮 Commands Reference
Chat Commands
/chat username Start direct message
/group groupname Join/create group
/leave Leave current chat
/clear Clear message history
Connection Commands
/irc server:port Connect to IRC
/slack Connect to Slack
/discord Connect to Discord
Utility Commands
/settings Open settings
/quit Exit application
💡 Tips & Tricks
Keyboard Shortcuts
- Enter - Send message
- Shift+Enter - New line (multi-line)
- Esc - Close modal
Code Sharing
Share code with syntax highlighting:
```python
def hello():
print("Hello, piperchat!")
```
Supports Python, JavaScript, Java, C, C++, PHP, Ruby, Go, Rust, and more!
Markdown Support
- **Bold**
- *Italic*
~~Strike~~`Code`- Links auto-detected
🔒 Privacy & Security
Decentralized Design
- No central server stores your messages
- Peer-to-peer connections when possible
- You control your data
What Relay Servers See
- Message routing information
- Online/offline status
- Group membership
What They DON'T See
- Message content (encrypted)
- File contents (encrypted)
- PERSONET storage data
🛡️ Maximum Privacy: Run your own relay server for complete control!
🐛 Troubleshooting
Can't Connect
- Check relay address and port
- Verify relay is running
- Check firewall settings
Files Won't Send
- Check file size (< 1 GB without PERSONET)
- Verify recipient is online
- Enable PERSONET for large files
Settings Not Saving
- Check localStorage permissions
- Clear cache
- Restart application
🤝 Community & Support
📘 Documentation
Full docs at docs.piperchat.io
🐙 GitHub
Report bugs, request features
💬 Discord
Join our community server
🌐 Website
Visit piperchat.io
Contributing
piperchat is open source! Contributions welcome:
- Submit pull requests
- Report issues
- Suggest features
- Improve documentation
🌟 Why piperchat?
🔓 Decentralized
No corporate servers, no censorship
🔒 Private
End-to-end encryption
⚡ Fast
Direct peer-to-peer connections
🎨 Customizable
Themes, settings, your way
🆓 Free
Forever, no premium tiers
📖 Open Source
Transparent, auditable code