InteChat - Secure Private Messaging

Welcome to InteChat, a lightweight and secure private messaging system built with Python. InteChat offers end-to-end encrypted communication in a clean, terminal-based interface.

✨ Key Features

• 🔒 End-to-End Encryption: All messages are secured using RSA encryption
• 👥 Private Messaging: Direct, secure communication between users
• 📜 Message History: Access your chat history anytime
• ⚡ Real-time Updates: Instant message delivery
• 🎯 Clean Interface: Intuitive terminal-based UI with visual indicators
• 🛡️ Secure Authentication: bcrypt-hashed passwords and session tokens

🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Python 3.10 or higher
• pip package manager

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/noamiko2004/Integration-Chat.git
   cd Integration-Chat

2. Create and activate a virtual environment (recommended):

   python -m venv .venv
   # On Windows:
   .venv\Scripts\activate
   # On Unix or MacOS:
   source .venv/bin/activate

3. Install dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

Running the Application

1. Start the server:

   cd server
   python main.py

2. In a new terminal, start the client:

   cd client
   python main.py

💡 Usage Guide

First Time Setup

1. Choose "Register" from the main menu
2. Create your account with a username (4-20 characters) and password (8+ characters)
3. Log in with your credentials

Starting a Chat

1. Select "Start Chat" from the menu
2. Enter the username of the person you want to chat with
3. Start messaging!

Navigation

• Type /exit to leave a chat
• Arrow keys to navigate input
• Messages from you appear with "→"
• Messages from others appear with "←"

🏗️ Project Structure

Integration-Chat/
├── config.json              # Server configuration
├── requirements.txt         # Project dependencies
├── client/
│   ├── assets/             # Logos and banners
│   ├── main.py             # Client entry point
│   ├── ClientComm.py       # Client networking
│   ├── chat_input.py       # Input handling
│   └── Encryption.py       # Client-side encryption
└── server/
    ├── main.py             # Server entry point
    ├── ServerComm.py       # Connection handling
    ├── MessageHandler.py   # Chat management
    ├── UserManager.py      # User authentication
    ├── Encryption.py       # Server-side encryption
    └── storage/            # Database storage

🔐 Security Features

• Password Security:

  • Passwords are hashed using bcrypt
  • Never stored in plaintext
  • Client-side length and complexity validation

• Communication Security:

  • RSA encryption for key exchange
  • Session-based encryption
  • Secure message framing

• Session Management:

  • Unique session tokens for each login
  • Automatic session cleanup
  • Protected against session hijacking

🌟 Feature Highlights

Real-time Chat Display

=== Chat with alice ===
[2025-02-04 15:30:22] → bob: Hey Alice!
[2025-02-04 15:30:25] ← alice: Hi Bob, how are you?
[2025-02-04 15:30:30] → bob: I'm good, thanks!
==================================================

Active Chats View

┌───────────────────────────────────┐
│ Chat ID: 1                        │
│ Participants: alice, bob          │
│ Last Message: [15:30:30] bob: I'm good, thanks! │
└───────────────────────────────────┘

🛠️ Technical Details

• Network Protocol: TCP with custom message framing
• Database: SQLite3 for persistent storage
• Encryption: RSA + Session-based encryption
• Interface: Pure Python terminal UI
• Message Format: JSON-based protocol

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.