RFC 1945 - Hypertext Transfer Protocol – HTTP/1.0

What if?

Dweb browser == Utopia?

What do you give up?

So how do we do this?

• Browser Extensions (libdweb) 💻
• Localhost bridges 💻
• Proxy workers 💻📱
• Electron 💻
• Mozilla Reference Browser (+libdweb?) 📱
• React Native 📱
• Textile 📱

Browser Extensions 🚀

• Augment existing web 🕶
• Make a new protocol ipfs:// 🔩
• Turn it into a local server 📻
• Turn browser into P2P node (libdweb) 🛰
• " Unlimited storage " 💾
• Offline first ✈️

Patchfox

• Offline-first secure decentralized gossip platform as a Firefox Add-on.
• A local social network meets web browser.
• Many apps, a single database on your machine.
• Patchfox as a bridge between SSB and Web.

Values:

• Based on human relationships, meaningful connections.
• Your friends are the datacenter.
• No cloud, no company, no ads, no tracking.
• Like an hermit crab, you carry your house with you.
• Your data is secure, verifiable and private.

Trade-offs:

• Lots of friction to onboard new users.
• Hosting friends data takes lot of disk space.
• Our stack is a bit too complex and not web friendly.
• Needs a locally running app.
• No cross-device identity.

Constraints:

• The Web Platform really wants to talk to web servers.
• Web Browsers don't want to be web servers.
• Lack of required networking primitives.
• IndexedDB 😭😭😭.

Solution:

• Run a native app or daemon and connect to it over WebSockets.
• Provide the UI/UX in the browser.
• Use Native Messaging to start local node.
• Custom Protocols to provide ssb:// features

Patchfox DEMO

Lunet

local-first applications on IPFS

Values:

• Works offline (after first load)
• Users own data & choose who to share with
• Data encrypted by default
• No tracking

Additional Goals:

• Unified user data library
• Works in mainstream browsers
• No install requirements
• Apps = HTML+JS that read/write data via REST

Tradeoffs:

• Apps are constrained
• Data interop
• Availability across devices

Solution:

• JS IPFS
• ServiceWorker + SharedWorker
• <iframe sandbox>
• MessageChannel / MessagePort
• Content Security Policy (CSP)
• (Optional) Localhost bridge with IPFS Desktop

Constraints:

• No install => Gateway
• Domain Name resolution => Gateway
• Cross device share => Install OR Gateway
• Browser in your Browser (UX challenge)
• Local collaboration => Install
• Browser might purge data

Localhost Bridge

Going beyond web capabilities via companion application.

(Flash of P2P)

Goals:

• Works in mainstream browsers
• Overcome web platform limitations
  • UDP Socket
  • FileSystem
  • OS Integration
• Works Offline

Solution:

• Native App exposing HTTP / WebSocket API
• Access-Control-Allow-Origin: https://myapp.com

Trade-offs:

• High upfront cost (Requires install)
• Not viable model for mobile
• UX challenges

Libdweb

Electron

Building dweb-capable desktop browser-based applications.

Values:

• you can publish!
• you can share (republish)!
• you own your own data!
• you can fetch from swarms!
• you can do whatever you want!!!

Trade-offs:

• have to download and install
• no cross browser compatibility
• unclear security/privacy risks
• you can do whatever you want!!!

Solution:

• Electron
• Whole browser or embedded web view
• Bundle the dweb tool of your choice!

Mozilla Reference Browser

Breakout!

Build a web-view powered app: This group gathers both those interested in react-native and electron.

Work with the browser today: This group gathers those that want to augment browsers with tech that works today. It groups lunet (web apps) and patchfox (add-ons)

Towards a future browser: This group changes the browser and appeals to those interested in libdweb.

Closure

More

Static Site / User Agent

https://lunet.link/

Arrangements

• Install ServiceWorker (to work offline)
• Start JS-IPFS in SharedWorker
• Attempt localhost bridge with IPFS Desktop
• Host cross-origin communication via postMessage

Load https://lunet.link/peerdium.gozala.io/

• Resolve DNSLink for peerdium.gozala.io
  -> /ipfs/QmYj...BPZro/
• Arrange sandbox

  ​​<iframe
  ​​  sandbox
  ​​  src="https://peerdium_gozala_io.celestial.link"
  ​​  data-source="/ipfs/QmYj...BPZro/"
  ​​  csp="default-src 'self';"
  ​​/>
  

• Arrange proxy ServiceWorker (via iframe parent)
• Request ./index.html

Request ./index.html

• ServiceWorker forwards request to iframe parent
• Parent resolves ./index.html -> /ipfs/QmYj...BPZro/index.html
• Parent reads content via
  • Localhost bridge with IPFS Desktop
  • JS-IPFS in SharedWorker
• Parent post content to ServiceWorker
• ServiceWorker responds with content.

User Library

Each app gets own document space (+ REST API).

Listing Documents

await fetch("/data/", {method:"LIST"})
// => [{name:"Demo.space", open:false}]

Open Document

await fetch("/data/Demo.space", {method:"OPEN"})
// => { path: "/Demo.space" }

Create Document

await fetch("/data/Demo.space?create", {method:"OPEN"})
// => { path: "/Demo.space" }

Documents are encrypted

Read Document Content

const content = await fetch("/data/Demo.space/content.json")
const data = await file.json()

Documents content is seamlessly decrypted

Write Document Content

await fetch("/data/Demo.space/content.json", {
  body: JSON.stringify(data),
  method: "PUT"
})

Documents content seamlessly encrypted