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SysAdmin acd3ebe7f2 docs(chat): adopt existing SilverVPN.Client.Chat as SilverChat — promote to v1 
Inspection of ../SilverVPN/clients/SilverVPN.Client.Chat reveals a mature,
production-grade SilverChat implementation:

- Cross-platform MAUI client (Windows / macOS / Android / iOS)
- 13 ViewModels + 13 Views — feature-complete UX (contacts, conversations,
  group chat, invites, safety numbers, settings, login)
- Signal Protocol crypto: Double Ratchet, X3DH (PreKey + Identity stores),
  Safety Numbers, encrypted attachments
- VpnChatTransport — chat carried over the SilverVPN tunnel itself,
  eliminating third-party metadata exposure
- Server-side already in SilverVPN.Api: ChatHub (SignalR), ChatController,
  ChatAttachmentController, ContactsController
- Windows MSI installer wired (installer/silverchat/SilverChat.wxs)

Decision: adopt-as-is, do not duplicate. SilverChat is more advanced than
the v1.1 plan (which considered Matrix / Signal-fork) — three wins:
1. Signal Protocol natively, not a tentative fork
2. Chat over the VPN tunnel — better metadata hygiene
3. Cross-platform on day one

Changes:
- stack/chat/README.md rewritten as integration pointer (mirror of stack/vpn/)
- stack/README.md status table updated; SilverChat promoted v1.1 → v1
- docs/roadmap.md: new milestone 1.9 (Chat integration into Linux v1);
  Phase 1.1 alignment-review milestone removed (resolved by this finding);
  remaining 1.1 milestones renumbered
- root README.md: Stack table + Status table updated

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-04-25 03:38:45 +01:00
..
README.md
docs(chat): adopt existing SilverVPN.Client.Chat as SilverChat — promote to v1
2026-04-25 03:38:45 +01:00

README.md

SilverChat — Integration Pointer

The SilverChat component already exists as a mature implementation inside the SilverVPN repo. This directory does not re-implement it; it tracks the integration of the existing SilverChat into SilverMetal OS images and Enhanced packages.

Where SilverChat lives

  • Client: SilverLABS/SilverVPN/clients/SilverVPN.Client.Chat — local checkout typically at ../SilverVPN/clients/SilverVPN.Client.Chat/
  • Server: part of SilverVPN.Api — Hubs/ChatHub.cs, Controllers/ChatController.cs, Controllers/ChatAttachmentController.cs, Controllers/ContactsController.cs
  • Windows installer: ../SilverVPN/installer/silverchat/ (WiX-based MSI)
  • The brand "SilverChat" is already in use in shipped artefacts

What's already built

Client (MAUI cross-platform — Windows / macOS / Android / iOS / Linux):

  • 13 ViewModels covering: contacts, conversations, group chat, invites, safety numbers, settings, login, contact details
  • 13 XAML Views — feature-complete UX
  • Signal Protocol crypto layer (the gold standard for E2EE):
    • DoubleRatchet.cs — Signal's Double Ratchet algorithm
    • SignalSessionManager.cs, IdentityKeyStore.cs, PreKeyStore.cs, SessionStore.cs — full identity / prekey / session machinery
    • SafetyNumber.cs — Signal-style verification
    • ChatAttachmentCrypto.cs — encrypted attachments
    • GroupChatEventService.cs — group chat
  • VpnChatTransport.cs — chat is carried over the SilverVPN tunnel itself, eliminating third-party metadata exposure
  • MauiSecretKeyProvider.cs — platform key storage abstraction
  • Token refresh, routing prefs, inbound policy enforcement

Server (in SilverVPN.Api):

  • Hubs/ChatHub.cs — SignalR realtime hub
  • Controllers/ChatController.cs — REST API
  • Controllers/ChatAttachmentController.cs — attachment handling
  • Controllers/ContactsController.cs — contacts API

This is more mature than SilverMetal's original v1.1 plan in three ways:

  1. Signal Protocol natively, not a Matrix/Signal-fork tentative
  2. Chat transported over the SilverVPN tunnel — better metadata hygiene than otherwise possible
  3. Cross-platform via MAUI on day one — covers all SilverMetal flavours

Decision

Adopt-as-is, do not duplicate. SilverChat is no longer a v1.1 effort; it is alpha-ready today and ships in SilverMetal OS — Linux v1.

This supersedes the earlier (deferred) plan to evaluate Matrix vs. Signal Protocol forks.

SilverMetal's responsibility

Like stack/vpn/, this directory tracks integration, not development.

SilverMetal OS — Linux v1

  • Build SilverVPN.Client.Chat for Linux (MAUI on Linux is constrained — likely a Linux-native Avalonia/WPF-port branch may be needed; or fall back to web client until MAUI Linux support firms up)
  • Package as silverchat .deb from a build-deb-chat.sh (mirror of build-deb.sh)
  • Include in linux/packages/include.list
  • Configure to pair via SilverVPN account number — single-sign-on across VPN + Chat

SilverMetal OS — Pixel / Samsung / Motorola

  • Bundle SilverChat MAUI Android client as system app in ROM
  • First-run wires SilverChat to the user's account-number-derived identity

SilverMetal Enhanced — Windows

  • Use existing installer/silverchat/SilverChat.wxs MSI as-is or roll into the Enhanced installer
  • Auto-launch on first login

SilverMetal Enhanced — macOS

  • Bundle MAUI macOS build into setup .pkg

SilverMetal Enhanced — iOS

  • App Store listing referenced in iOS setup guide
  • MDM profile pre-configures SilverChat

SilverMetal Enhanced — Android (generic)

  • APK referenced as required install in profile

Coordination

Changes to chat protocol, server APIs, or transport that affect SilverMetal integration should be flagged in this directory's CHANGELOG (to be created when first integration milestone starts).

Cross-repo issues that touch both projects should be opened in whichever repo owns the change, with a back-reference in the other.

Not in scope here

  • Voice / video calling — out of scope for v1; revisit post-Linux-v1
  • Federation with Matrix / XMPP / etc. — not planned; SilverChat is a closed-network E2EE messenger by design (account-number-based, no public federation)
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