Getting js-ipfs to load in browser

[nikuda]

Issues I've found (so far) that prevent js-ipfs from loading in the browser.

1. package.json attribute main pointing to a non-existing path

   Fixed in Fixed path for module importing #508

2. Use of fs.readFileSync with .proto files.

   Proposed solution No more fs.readFileSync and different hash functions js-ipfs-merkle-dag#50 would need to be applied to the following libraries:

   • ipfs-bitswap
   • ipfs-merkle-dag
   • ipfs-unixfs
   • libp2p-crypto
   • libp2p-identify
   • libp2p-secio

3. node-forge library uses AMD modules which doesn't work with browserify

   Most severe of the issues, more detail:

   • browserifying forge digitalbazaar/forge#126
   • In Browserify: "Cannot find module './aes'" digitalbazaar/forge#294
   • Issue using with browserify - cannot find module './aes' theoephraim/node-google-spreadsheet#133.

   Affected libraries:

   • libp2p-crypto
   • libp2p-identify
   • libp2p-secio

[daviddias]

Hi @nikuda thanks for digging deap into the roots of the problem, really nice sum up, looking forward to see you tinkering with the code too :D

1

Solved - #508

2

We are working on it, however there is one more change that needs to happen, which is changing libp2p-ipfs to libp2p-ipfs-browser, they offer the same API, but need to be replace for in browser used, this is currently achieved through the build process.

3

We are working on stop using node-forge, although we hoped it became CommonJS -- libp2p/js-peer-id#5 --

Follow - #485

[nikuda]

Not a problem ☺️ @diasdavid

change that needs to happen, which is changing libp2p-ipfs to libp2p-ipfs-browser

Are there any issues/PRs open that relate to changes that need to happen here?

We are working on stop using node-forge

Have you considered any alternatives? Maybe native browser WebCrypto API could do the job? https://diafygi.github.io/webcrypto-examples/

These two libraries also look good. They both seem to be under 10Kb minified which is a lot better than node-forge 100Kb+. The size of js-ipfs is a bit of a concern, it's coming in at 500Kb+ minified for me.

• https://github.com/dchest/tweetnacl-js
• https://github.com/bitwiseshiftleft/sjcl

[daviddias]

change that needs to happen, which is changing libp2p-ipfs to libp2p-ipfs-browser
Are there any issues/PRs open that relate to changes that need to happen here?

That is just how it works, libp2p-ipfs is the libp2p build that has the transports for Node.js (TCP, WebSockets, UTP, libp2p-ipfs-browser is the build with the transports for Browser (WebRTC + WebSockets).

In the near future, Routing will be added (DHT) and that will behave interally different in the browser and in Node.js.

Have you considered any alternatives? Maybe native browser WebCrypto API could do the job? https://diafygi.github.io/webcrypto-examples/

If you go through #485, you'll see that is what we are doing :)

These two libraries also look good. They both seem to be under 10Kb minified which is a lot better than node-forge 100Kb+.

We have had some discussions (daviddias/webcrypto#1), but we ended up picking node-forge in the beginning because it had the primitives we needed.

[dignifiedquire]

@nikuda all of this work is pretty much done, it was one of the things I have been working on in the last weeks, see #485 for a list of PRs that

• do switch all crypto webcrypto in the browser where possible
• remove the use of fs in the browser
• use the browser field to map things like libp2p-ipfst o libp2p-ipfs-browser in an independent way

[nikuda]

If you go through #485, you'll see that is what we are doing :)

Ah the ref to #485 was missing before. Thanks!

all of this work is pretty much done

Great! 🏆 It seems libp2p/js-libp2p-crypto#10 has been supplanted by libp2p/js-libp2p-crypto#12 which most of the other PRs rely on. I noticed that the PR has the backlog tag, is there anything I can help with it to get it merged in sooner?

[dignifiedquire]

. I noticed that the PR has the backlog tag, is there anything I can help with it to get it merged in sooner?

The backlog currently just means that it is not part of a specific milestone. I am trying to get it merged as soon as possible, as it will be very painful to keep these PRs up to date across all the repos if too much happens.

If you want to help out, I've added a TODO list of things that need to be done at the top of #485. The current next step is to replace multihashing with multihashing-async on all PRs that depend on it.

[dignifiedquire]

It seems libp2p/js-libp2p-crypto#10 has been supplanted by libp2p/js-libp2p-crypto#12 which most of the other PRs rely on.

Yes, just updated the reference.

[nikuda]

The current next step is to replace multihashing with multihashing-async on all PRs that depend on it.

multihashing -> multihashing-async progress:

• libp2p/js-libp2p-crypto libp2p/js-libp2p-crypto@webcrypto...nikuda:webcrypto
• libp2p/js-libp2p-secio libp2p/js-libp2p-secio@bench...nikuda:bench
• ipfs/js-ipfs-block ipld/js-ipld-block@webcrypto...nikuda:webcrypto
• ipfs/js-ipfs-merkle-dag ipfs/js-ipfs-merkle-dag@webcrypto...nikuda:webcrypto

These seem to be the only libs from #485 that use multihashing.

[dignifiedquire]

Thanks @nikuda, most of these pull it in as an indirect dependency. I just updated the issue with a better overview table of ALL THE PRs 😉

[daviddias]

Hi @nikuda js-ipfs 0.18.0 has been released and it includes all of the changes of the async crypto PR #485 🎉

These should be all problems of the past, try it out :D

[nikuda]

Good stuff @diasdavid! Will try it soon :)