ID-OS

An experimental operating system for decentralized apps. Based on balenaOS.

Checkout

This repository contains git submodules. Make sure that you clone this repo with the --recursive flag, or invoke git submodule update --init --recursive after cloning.

Installation

ID-OS is currently only tested on a Raspberry Pi 4 with 4Gb. Follow these steps to install ID-OS:

1. Download the balenaOS development image for Raspberry Pi 4.
2. Flash the image to an SD card for your Pi. You can use balenaEtcher for this.
3. Install the balena CLI on the development machine where you checked out this repository.
4. Connect the Pi to the same network as your development machine using an ethernet cable. A WiFi connection can be configured later, but for now you'll need a fixed connection to the Pi.
5. Power up the Pi. It should become visible in the network as the 'balena.local' host.
6. Invoke balena push balena.local in the root of this project. This will push the docker configuration from this repository to the Pi.

WiFi Setup

ID-OS includes the WiFi Connect software from balena. This means that the Pi exposes an access point called 'WiFi Connect'. You can connect to this access point using a mobile device, which will pop-up a dialog for configuring the WiFi connection of ID-OS.

The Scuttlebutt Social Network

ID-OS includes software for the Scuttlebutt social network. This software is called a Scuttlebutt pub, and it can keep a copy of all your posts, so that others can see your posts when you're offline.

To take part in the Scuttlebutt social network, you need to install a Scuttlebutt client, such as Patchwork. Once you've installed it, you can connect it to the pub that's running on ID-OS. In order to do this you need an invite code from this pub. Currently, you need to use a command line to obtain the invite code:

# login to the pub's container:
balena ssh balena.local ssb-server

# create an invite code for your pub:
node_modules/.bin/ssb-server invite.create 1

You can now use this invite code in Patchwork. Click 'Join Server' and paste the invite code when requested. ID-OS uses the Tor router for all messages to and from the pub. That's why the invite code contains a .onion address. Only Scuttlebutt clients that support Tor can use these invite codes. Patchwork supports Tor; it's usually enough to have Tor Browser open at the same time as Patchwork. Please note that this does not make you anonymous, anonymity requires more than just the use of Tor.

In order to connect to the greater Scuttlebutt community, you may want to connect your pub to a public pub. Please go the list of public pubs, choose one, and obtain an invite code for it. Once you have the invite code, add it to your pub:

# login to the pub's container:
balena ssh balena.local ssb-server

# accept the invite code from the public pub:
node_modules/.bin/ssb-server invite.accept "<paste invite code here>"

Decentralized Git

Even though the Git version control system is decentralized, it is mostly used in a centralized manner. GitHub and GitLab are centralized services where most projects store their main repository, issues, and pull requests. ID-OS supports a truly decentralized alternative called git-ssb, which stores Git repositories on Scuttlebutt. We also use it for the ID-OS repository.

In order to install git-ssb you first need to have a running Scuttlebutt client connected to the network, by following the instructions above. Also connect to the greater Scuttlebutt community, otherwise you won't be able to download the git-ssb software. Make sure that Patchwork is running and then run the installation script:

curl -s 'http://localhost:8989/blobs/get/&ErUlQYegJprhEZUNO/HwHQ2UES+XUpT1XIb27GTGjT0=.sha256' | sh

Now that you've installed git-ssb, you can create, clone, and push to ssb:// remotes. For more information including examples, please read the git-ssb readme.

Troubleshooting

Should you experience interrupted ssb-server builds, then using a faster sd card may solve the issue.

If this does not solve your issue, please let us know.