2013-08-15 00:38:10 +08:00
2013-07-31 22:46:49 +08:00
Project Tox, _also known as Tox_ , is a FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) instant messaging application aimed to replace Skype.< br />
2013-07-09 05:13:29 +08:00
2013-07-31 22:46:49 +08:00
With the rise of governmental monitoring programs, Tox aims to be an easy to use, all-in-one communication platform (including audio, and videochats in the future) that ensures their users full privacy and secure message delivery.< br / > < br / >
2013-06-24 08:42:35 +08:00
2013-06-24 08:15:33 +08:00
2014-01-27 10:02:16 +08:00
**IRC**: #tox on freenode, alternatively, you can use the [webchat ](https://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=#tox ).< br />
**Website**: [https://tox.im ](https://tox.im )< br >
2014-02-08 09:46:22 +08:00
**Jenkins**: [http://jenkins.tox.im ](http://jenkins.tox.im )< br >
**Nightly Binary Downloads***: [http://download.tox.im ](http://download.tox.im )
2013-06-24 08:15:33 +08:00
2013-08-12 00:39:10 +08:00
**Website translations**: [here ](https://github.com/Tox/tox.im )< br />
2013-07-24 07:00:02 +08:00
**Qt GUI**: [see nurupo's repository ](https://github.com/nurupo/ProjectTox-Qt-GUI )
2013-10-24 20:30:02 +08:00
**How to build Tox** [INSTALL.md ](INSTALL.md )
2013-07-19 10:32:28 +08:00
2013-07-31 22:46:49 +08:00
### Objectives:
Keep everything really simple.
2013-07-19 12:10:18 +08:00
## The Complex Stuff:
2013-07-31 22:46:49 +08:00
+ Tox must use UDP simply because [hole punching ](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UDP_hole_punching ) with TCP is not as reliable.
2013-08-04 03:05:39 +08:00
+ Every peer is represented as a [byte string][String] (the public key of the peer [client ID]).
2013-07-19 10:32:28 +08:00
+ We're using torrent-style DHT so that peers can find the IP of the other peers when they have their ID.
2013-07-30 20:43:44 +08:00
+ Once the client has the IP of that peer, they start initiating a secure connection with each other. (See [Crypto ](https://github.com/irungentoo/ProjectTox-Core/wiki/Crypto ))
2013-07-31 22:46:49 +08:00
+ When both peers are securely connected, they can exchange messages, initiate a video chat, send files, etc, all using encrypted communications.
+ Current build status: [](https://travis-ci.org/irungentoo/ProjectTox-Core)
2013-06-24 08:15:33 +08:00
2013-09-09 04:08:33 +08:00
## TODO:
- [TODO ](/docs/TODO )
2013-06-24 08:15:33 +08:00
2013-07-31 22:46:49 +08:00
### Why are you doing this? There are already a bunch of free skype alternatives.
The goal of this project is to create a configuration-free P2P skype
replacement. Configuration-free means that the user will simply have to open the program and
without any account configuration will be capable of adding people to his
2013-08-02 03:48:10 +08:00
friends list and start conversing with them. There are many so-called skype replacements and all of them are either hard to
2013-07-31 22:46:49 +08:00
configure for the normal user or suffer from being way too centralized.
2013-06-26 05:16:45 +08:00
2013-07-31 22:46:49 +08:00
### Documentation:
2013-06-24 08:15:33 +08:00
2013-08-01 05:06:04 +08:00
- [Installation ](/INSTALL.md )
2013-08-13 08:43:48 +08:00
- [DHT Protocol ](http://wiki.tox.im/index.php/DHT )< br />
- [Lossless UDP Protocol ](http://wiki.tox.im/index.php/Lossless_UDP )< br />
- [Crypto ](http://wiki.tox.im/index.php/Crypto )< br />
- [Ideas ](http://wiki.tox.im/index.php/Ideas )
2013-08-04 03:07:14 +08:00
[String]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/String_(computer_science)
