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Current build status: Current Coverage:

Website | Wiki | Blog | FAQ | Binaries/Downloads | Clients | Compiling

IRC Channels: #tox@freenode, #toktok@freenode

Q&A:

What is Tox?

Tox is a fully encrypted, censor resistant, private, distributed network library with a focus on personal communications.

No, really, what's Tox?

It's a VERY secure Instant Messenger that supports Text, Audio/Video calls, group chats, audio group chats, and file transfers.

What are your goals with Tox?

We want Tox to be as simple as possible while remaining as secure as possible.

Toxcore Roadmap

This Roadmap is somewhat tentative, but should give you a good idea of where we're going, and where we've been.

Currently unsorted, the following is intended to function as a discussion guide to developers/contributors.

In Progress

• 100% unit testing
• Make toxcore stateless
• Allow a single toxcore instance to handle multiple keypairs
• Implement usable group chats
• Improve A/V implementation
• Multiple device support
• Consistent naming scheme throughout toxcore

Done

• Create Toxcore
• Create DHT
• Create Onion
• Implement Crypto
• Create Messenger

Documentation:

• Compiling
• DHT Protocol
  
• Crypto
  

The Complex Stuff:

UDP vs. TCP

Tox must use UDP simply because hole punching with TCP is not as reliable. However, Tox does use TCP relays as a fallback if it encounters a firewall that prevents UDP hole punching.

Connecting & Communicating

Every peer is represented as a byte string (the public key [Tox ID] of the peer). By using torrent-style DHT, peers can find the IP of other peers by using their Tox ID. Once the IP is obtained, peers can initiate a secure connection with each other. Once the connection is made, peers can exchange messages, send files, start video chats, etc. using encrypted communications.