An IRC-style Nostr client for ephemeral geohash channels, inspired by BitchX and Bitchat.

Features

• Ephemeral Identity: Generate new cryptographic identity each session or use your nsec key
• Geohash Channels: Join location-based channels using geohash identifiers
• IRC Commands: Familiar /join, /msg, /nick, /quit interface
• BitchX-style UI: Terminal-based interface inspired by classic IRC clients
• Nostr Protocol: Uses ephemeral events (kind 20000) for messaging
• Cross-platform: Native builds for Linux, Windows, macOS

Installation

# Clone the repository (replace with actual repo URL)
git clone <repo-url>
cd bitchatx

# Build from source (single platform)
cargo build --release

# Or use the build script for cross-platform builds
chmod +x build.sh
./build.sh

# Run the application
./target/release/bitchatx

Dependencies

• Rust 1.70+
• cargo build system
• Terminal with 256-color support for best experience

Usage

Basic Usage

# Start with ephemeral identity (no channels joined by default)
./bitchatx

# Start with your Nostr key
./bitchatx --nsec nsec1...

# Auto-join a geohash channel on startup
./bitchatx --channel dr5reg

IRC Commands

• /join <geohash> - Join a geohash channel (e.g., /join dr5reg)
• /leave - Leave current channel
• /msg <channel> <message> - Send message to specific channel
• /nick <nickname> - Change your display name (session only)
• /list - List active channels
• /help, /commands - Show help
• /quit, /exit - Exit BitchatX

Key Bindings

• i - Enter input mode
• Esc - Exit input mode to normal mode
• q - Quit application (in normal mode)
• Up/Down - Scroll through messages
• Page Up/Down - Fast scroll

Identity System

BitchatX supports two identity modes:

Ephemeral Identity (Default)

• New identity each session: Fresh cryptographic keypair generated on startup
• Maximum privacy: No persistent identity across sessions
• Random nicknames: Auto-assigned names like cyberdaemon1337, shadowbyte2048
• Truly ephemeral: Identity discarded when session ends

Persistent Identity (nsec)

• Your Nostr key: Use your existing Nostr private key
• Cross-session consistency: Same identity every time
• Cryptographic authenticity: Messages provably from your key

# Ephemeral mode (default)
./bitchatx

# Persistent mode with your nsec
./bitchatx --nsec nsec1your_private_key_here

Note: The /nick command only changes your display name locally within the current session and does not update your Nostr profile.

Building

Download Pre-built Binaries

Download the latest release for your platform from the Releases page.

Build from Source

# Quick build for current platform
cargo build --release

# Or use the build script (includes Windows cross-compilation)
chmod +x build.sh
./build.sh

For detailed build instructions including cross-platform builds, see BUILD.md.

Architecture

BitchatX is built with:

• Rust - Memory-safe systems programming
• Ratatui - Terminal user interface framework
• Nostr-SDK - Nostr protocol implementation
• Crossterm - Cross-platform terminal manipulation

The application follows the ephemeral messaging pattern from the Bitchat project, using Nostr event kind 20000 with geohash-based channel tagging.

Contributing

BitchatX is inspired by the classic BitchX IRC client and the modern Bitchat application. Contributions welcome!

License

MIT