Zigchat - Minimal Nostr Client in Zig

A lightweight terminal-based Nostr client written in Zig. Connect to geohash-based local channels and chat in real-time.

Features

• 🚀 Fast & Minimal: Sub-2MB binary
• 🌍 Geohash Channels: Location-based chat rooms (e.g., "9q" for Central California)
• 💬 Real-time Messaging: WebSocket connections to Nostr relays
• 🔐 Cryptographically Secure: secp256k1 signatures for all messages
• 🚫 Advanced Blocking: Block users by pubkey, name, or wildcard patterns
• 🖥️ Cross-platform: macOS, Linux, Windows support

Quick Start

Download Pre-built Binary

1. Download the latest release from GitHub releases

   • Linux: zigchat-Linux.tar.gz
   • macOS: zigchat-macOS.tar.gz
   • Windows: zigchat-Windows.zip

2. Extract and run:

# Extract (Linux/macOS)
tar -xzf zigchat-*.tar.gz

# Run
./zigchat chat 9q           # Connect to geohash 9q
./zigchat chat 9q --debug   # With debug mode

Build from Source

Prerequisites

• Zig 0.14.0 or later
• libsecp256k1 (with Schnorr support)

macOS:

brew install secp256k1

Linux:

sudo apt-get install libsecp256k1-dev  # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo yum install libsecp256k1-devel    # RHEL/Fedora

Windows: Use vcpkg or download from bitcoin-core/secp256k1

git clone https://github.com/tudorbotezan/zigchat.git
cd zigchat
zig build -Doptimize=ReleaseSafe

# Run locally with helper script
./connect.sh 9q

Usage

# Using pre-built binary
./zigchat chat 9q           # Connect to geohash 9q
./zigchat chat 9q --debug   # With debug mode

# Using helper script (for development)
./connect.sh 9q8            # San Francisco Bay Area
./connect.sh 9q5            # Los Angeles Area
./connect.sh dr5            # New York City

Chat Commands

Once connected:

• Type any message and press Enter to send
• /users - Show active users in the channel
• /quit - Exit the chat

Blocking Features

• /block <id> or /b <id> - Block by pubkey, #tag, or username#tag
• /blockname <pattern> - Block usernames with wildcard support (e.g., spam*, *bot, test*123)
• /unblock <id> - Unblock a user by pubkey
• /unblockname <pattern> - Unblock a name pattern
• /blocks - List all blocked users
• /blockednames - List all blocked name patterns

Wildcard Examples:

• spam* - Blocks any username starting with "spam"
• *bot - Blocks any username ending with "bot"
• test*user - Blocks usernames starting with "test" and ending with "user"
• annoying - Blocks exact username match

Geohash Channels

Zigchat uses geohash prefixes for location-based channels:

• 9q - Central California
• 9q8 - San Francisco Bay Area
• 9q5 - Los Angeles Area
• dr5 - New York City
• u4p - London
• wt - Tokyo

Shorter prefixes cover larger areas. Find your geohash at geohash.org.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

MIT - See LICENSE file for details

Acknowledgments

• Built with Zig
• Uses secp256k1 for cryptography
• Implements Nostr protocol