Peer-to-peer first
Discovers peers on the local network over UDP and sends directly when an address is known.
Horizontal connections matters!
Reliability, resilience, security.
TorgLink is a messenger that combines client–server and mesh approaches: you can switch between them or use them together. You can run several servers, deployed on Windows or Linux. The messenger itself is cross-platform: Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS.
TorgLink · first published release
What it does
Mesh (and/or) server
Short mesh
If there is no direct route, TorgLink searches a small graph — one to three hops — and may relay through nodes it already trusts.
BLE, when it helps
Bluetooth Low Energy can carry the same encrypted sessions over radio.
Opaque on the server
The optional HTTPS server stores ciphertext only. It forwards blobs, receipts, and presence. It does not read chats.
Local-first account
Registration and chats live on the device. Add people with a QR code. No data such as a phone number, email, or similar is required for identification.
Cross-platform
The messenger runs on Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS. Servers can be deployed on Windows or Linux.
How a message travels
Four ways a message can move.
01
Direct
Last known UDP address, same LAN, or a scanned QR peer.
02
Relay
A short chain of nodes (max 1–3 hops) strips and forwards the packet.
03
BLE
Bluetooth Low Energy transport for the same session when radio range beats the network.
04
Server
If nobody is reachable, the server keeps the sealed payload until the other side polls. Servers are deployed independently by the network’s clients.
News
What's new
First TorgLink release
We are pleased to present the first release of the TorgLink messenger (TorgLink.MAUI release artifacts). This version implements sending and receiving of messages and media (images, documents, voice messages) both over mesh (though a great deal of work remains to stabilize it) and via self-hosted servers (ShortP2P server release artifacts). Encryption is point-to-point; personal data (except nick and networkId) is stored locally only. Conversations are also stored either locally or temporarily on the server in encrypted form (the encrypted message is deleted when the recipient receives it).
ATTENTION! We need help with testing and development! If you want to take part, you are welcome in the Issues section on GitHub, or write to botticellibots@gmail.com!
Platforms
Available on these platforms
We aim to support a wide range of devices, including ones that are considered outdated today (Windows 7).
Windows
Client, including Windows 7. You can also host a server here.
Client artifacts
Linux
Not available yet
Android
Client.
Client artifacts
iOS
Not available yet
Source
TorgLink is the product. ShortP2P is the protocol.
The MAUI app lives in Iskra.MAUI. Mesh, crypto, discovery, and the optional messenger server live in the ShortP2P tree.
Disclaimer (Limitation of Liability)
This project was created for personal, non-commercial, and educational purposes as a demonstration of the technical capabilities of decentralized/hybrid networks and encryption.
The software (code) is distributed under an Open Source license "as is" (AS-IS), without warranties of any kind.
The developer (an individual):
- Is not a telecommunications operator, an organizer of information dissemination, or an infrastructure owner.
- Does not control, administer, or have access to servers that users may deploy on their own.
- Is not responsible for users' choices, their actions, or the compliance of their local servers with the requirements of local legislation.
- Use of the code and the built applications is the sole responsibility of the end user — at their own risk.