ipfs-desktop on Cloudron

[LoudLemur]

ipfs-desktop is a GUI (Graphical User Interface) which helps people use the considerable functionality available through IPFS (Inter Planetary File System)

https://docs.ipfs.io/install/ipfs-desktop/

I think more people would use IPFS to pin content if they didn't have to use their home computer. (IPFS publishes your node's IP address.) It would be wonderful to easily be able to deploy IPFS elsewhere using Cloudron.

[timconsidine]

@loudlemur : as in another post, I'm interested to know more about and use IPFS.

[LoudLemur]

@timconsidine I am delighted to hear this! I think time invested in IPFS is worthwhile.

There is an excellent talk introducing the concepts here by Steve Allen:

https://invidious.snopyta.org/watch?v=0IGzEYixJHk

The best way to get started with ipfs, I think, is to try ipfs-desktop.

Check out Awesome IPFS to see a gallery of IPFS tools:
https://awesome.ipfs.io/tools/

Galacteek is a little appreciated IPFS tool which has tons of functionality (blog, webpage, messaging) when you are familiar with things:
https://galacteek.gitlab.io/download/#pimp-my-dweb

[timconsidine]

@loudlemur thank you !

[girish]

Unless I am missing something about this app request, Cloudron cannot really run desktop apps.

[timconsidine]

@girish that's kinda a good point ! missed that

[LoudLemur]

@girish Thanks for checking! Perhaps go-ipfs might be easier from a Cloudron perspective. There is a Docker image which might be useful. If javascript is preferable, there is an option too, js-ipfs:

https://github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs
https://js.ipfs.io/

The thing is, people might want to start pinning content on IPFS, but not want to rely on a big pinning company to do so.

[LoudLemur]

@girish said in ipfs-desktop on Cloudron:

Unless I am missing something about this app request, Cloudron cannot really run desktop apps.

One strong reason to use Cloudron to run ipfs-desktop (a desktop app) is security and privacy.

If you are using IPFS to pin (seed/publish) content, the IP address of your node is broadcasted (so that other IPFS nodes can find and retrieve content your node is making available.)

Running ipfs-desktop inside a container is good for security. Using a VPN is useful too, so as to disassociate your node from your own IP address. Putting ipfs-desktop inside a simple Virtual Machine might be one possibility.

[LoudLemur]

Another good use for containerized deployment of ipfs-desktop would be to encourage and support archiving of content.

IPFS is a far more robust means of archiving content like a webpage than a site like archive.is. A lot of people are justifiably concerned about information (and huge amounts of work) being lost due to censorship or websites closing. IPFS is better capable of distributing archives so there is less danger of them being lost.

[timconsidine]

@loudlemur that's a good point. but do you need it to be on desktop ?

Although I'm kinda hoping that some of my content disappears for good !

[marcusquinn]

@girish The "Desktop App" seems to be a wrapper for a localhost web service.

[LoudLemur]

ipfs has a Docker image and a tutorial on how to run IPFS in Docker:

https://docs.ipfs.io/how-to/run-ipfs-inside-docker/

[micmc]

@loudlemur said in ipfs-desktop on Cloudron:

ipfs has a Docker image and a tutorial on how to run IPFS in Docker:

https://docs.ipfs.io/how-to/run-ipfs-inside-docker/

Are you referring to running the desktop app on a remote server running Cloudron or getting the desktop app from a IPFS node running on Cloudron to install locally?
If the desktop app is installed on a remote Cloudron how would it be runned from an actual desktop, which interface, a viewer, a browser?

[tennox]

I shall clarify a bit:

• The main component of an IPFS node is Kubo (formerly go-ipfs)
• there is a Web UI that connects to kubo's "admin" API
• the Desktop app packages both into an electron app to easily install locally
• kubo can also run on a server (like cloudron - which I'm working on)
• the Web UI can access it via freshly added Auth
• you can also install a local node AND one on cloudron - and peer them
  • "pinning" data on the cloudron node to have it available from e.g. your laptop if your desktop is offline
  • your local node acts as a local-first "cache", and if you have accessed the data you need once, you're fully local-first without needing the cloudron node
  • (or if the cloudron node is offline, but the data is stored on any other server on the IPFS network)

[micmc]

@tennox Great stuff!!