# OnionWire

Lean Tor messenger: one Rust process (ratatui + Noise IK + sqlite + in-process Arti).
Two people scan a QR, then chat. No hosted server. Identity is a public key; the onion is only a locator.

## First run

```
cargo run --release
```

Data lives in `ONIONWIRE_HOME` if set, otherwise `~/.local/share/onionwire/` (`onionwire.db` + Arti state, mode 0700). First open creates an ed25519 identity key. That key **is** you.

Arti bootstraps Tor and publishes a v3 onion service. Onion services in Arti are still **experimental**. OnionWire fails closed if the HS cannot come up — it does not fall back to a `tor` binary or C-tor.

## Friends are keys

A friend is an ed25519 pubkey (`UNIQUE(pubkey)`). The `.onion` on that row is only where they are reachable right now. Re-scanning the same `k` updates the locator; it never creates a second person.

## F2 QR

`F2` shows a terminal QR and the payload:

`onionwire:v1:k=…:o=…:spk=…:sig=…`

`F3` pastes a payload. Unknown `k` asks for approval. Same `k` already in the roster updates `onion` only.

## F4 rotate onion

`F4` is a locator change, not a new identity. Confirm by typing `ROTATE` (Enter alone does nothing).

- Your identity fingerprint stays the same.
- A new onion is published; the old one is hard-cut (no dual-host grace).
- Online friends get a signed `loc` frame.
- Offline friends cannot find you until they rescan the new QR. There is no directory.

## Fail closed

If a peer’s onion is down, send fails. v1 has no outbox, no retry queue, no DHT, no name server.

## Wipe

Composer (bottom of the roster screen):

- `/wipe` — confirm by typing `WIPE`. Overwrites the message log and `VACUUM`s. Identity key and friends stay.
- `/wipe-all` — confirm by typing `WIPEALL`. Deletes the data dir. Next start is a **new person** (new identity key). Esc cancels. Nothing is wiped without confirm.

## Seized laptop

v1 stores **plaintext** on disk:

- message log (sqlite `messages.plaintext`)
- your identity secret key (`self.identity_sk`)
- friend public keys and current locators

Full-disk encryption plus `/wipe` / `/wipe-all` is the mitigation. There is no sqlcipher in v1.

## Not in v1

Prosody, XMPP, s2s, MAM, carbons, outbox, multi-device, DHT / name server, sqlcipher.

Plan of record: `/home/lancelot/.hermes/plans/2026-09-10_004409-onionwire-lean.md`

## License

MIT