Reticulum: A Network Stack for Censorship-Resistant Communications

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What is Reticulum?

Reticulum is a cryptographic networking stack designed for resilient, decentralized, and censorship-resistant communication. Unlike the traditional internet, Reticulum enables fully independent digital communications over various physical mediums, such as radio, LoRa, serial links, and even TCP/IP.

The key advantages of Reticulum include:

Decentralization – No reliance on centralized infrastructure.
Encryption & Privacy – End-to-end encryption built-in.
Resilience – Operates over unreliable and low-bandwidth links.
Interoperability – Works over WiFi, LoRa, Bluetooth, and more.
Ease of Use – Can run on minimal hardware, including Raspberry Pi and embedded devices.

Reticulum is ideal for off-grid, censorship-resistant communications, emergency preparedness, and secure messaging.

1. Getting Started with Reticulum

To quickly get started with Reticulum, follow the official guide:
Reticulum: Getting Started Fast

Step 1: Install Reticulum

On Linux (Debian/Ubuntu-based systems)

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
    sudo apt install -y python3-pip
    pip3 install rns

On Raspberry Pi or ARM-based Systems

pip3 install rns

On Windows

Using Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) or Python:

pip install rns

On macOS

pip3 install rns

2. Configuring Reticulum

Once installed, Reticulum needs a configuration file. The default location is:

~/.config/reticulum/config.toml

To generate the default configuration:

rnsd

This creates a configuration file with default settings.

3. Using Reticulum

Starting the Reticulum Daemon

To run the Reticulum daemon (rnsd), use:

rnsd

This starts the network stack, allowing applications to communicate over Reticulum.

Testing Your Reticulum Node

Run the diagnostic tool to ensure your node is functioning:

rnstatus

This shows the status of all connected interfaces and peers.

4. Adding Interfaces

LoRa Interface (for Off-Grid Communications)

Reticulum supports long-range LoRa radios like the RAK Wireless and Meshtastic devices. To add a LoRa interface, edit config.toml and add:

[[interfaces]]
    type = "LoRa"
    name = "My_LoRa_Interface"
    frequency = 868.0
    bandwidth = 125
    spreading_factor = 9

Restart Reticulum to apply the changes.

Serial (For Direct Device-to-Device Links)

For communication over serial links (e.g., between two Raspberry Pis):

[[interfaces]]
    type = "Serial"
    port = "/dev/ttyUSB0"
    baudrate = 115200

TCP/IP (For Internet-Based Nodes)

If you want to bridge your Reticulum node over an existing IP network:

[[interfaces]]
    type = "TCP"
    listen = true
    bind = "0.0.0.0"
    port = 4242

5. Applications Using Reticulum

LXMF (LoRa Mesh Messaging Framework)

LXMF is a delay-tolerant, fully decentralized messaging system that operates over Reticulum. It allows encrypted, store-and-forward messaging without requiring an always-online server.

To install:

pip3 install lxmf

To start the LXMF node:

lxmfd

Nomad Network (Decentralized Chat & File Sharing)

Nomad is a Reticulum-based chat and file-sharing platform, ideal for off-grid communication.
To install:

pip3 install nomad-network

To run:

nomad

Mesh Networking with Meshtastic & Reticulum

Reticulum can work alongside Meshtastic for true decentralized long-range communication.
To set up a Meshtastic bridge:

[[interfaces]]
    type = "LoRa"
    port = "/dev/ttyUSB0"
    baudrate = 115200

6. Security & Privacy Features

Automatic End-to-End Encryption – Every message is encrypted by default.
No Centralized Logging – Communication leaves no metadata traces.
Self-Healing Routing – Designed to work in unstable or hostile environments.

7. Practical Use Cases

Off-Grid Communication – Works in remote areas without cellular service.
Censorship Resistance – Cannot be blocked by ISPs or governments.
Emergency Networks – Enables resilient communication during disasters.
Private P2P Networks – Create a secure, encrypted communication layer.

8. Further Exploration & Documentation

Reticulum Official Manual: https://markqvist.github.io/Reticulum/manual/
Reticulum GitHub Repository: https://github.com/markqvist/Reticulum
Nomad Network: https://github.com/markqvist/NomadNet
Meshtastic + Reticulum: https://meshtastic.org

Connections (Links to Other Notes)

Mesh Networking for Decentralized Communication
LoRa and Off-Grid Bitcoin Transactions
Censorship-Resistant Communication Using Nostr & Reticulum

Donations via

Bitcoin Lightning: lightninglayerhash@getalby.com

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