Support private networks via shared swarm.key

[revichnr]

Hi. I need to connect js-ipfs to a private network.
How can I use my swarm.key during installation?

[lidel]

I don't believe js-ipfs supports Private swarms via swarm.key (afaik it is only an experimental feature of go-ipfs).

It seems all necessary primitives exist, what is missing is detection of secret in ~/.jsipfs/swarm.key (daemon) or config passed to the constructor (programmatic), and enabling connection protector when present (some prior art here).
Ideally, we should have interop with private swarm based on go-ipfs.

If anyone wishes to add this to js-ipfs, PR welcome 🙏

[AlexMesser]

It seems that libp2p config parameter does not passed to an underlying libp2p.js module.

I tried to create a private IPFS network:

async connect(){
  process.env.LIBP2P_FORCE_PNET = "1" // enable private network
  const swarmKey = await fse.readFile(AppConfig.ipfs.swarmKeyFile)
  const ipfsConfig: any = {
    repo: `./ipfs`,
    EXPERIMENTAL: {
      pubsub: true,
    },
    config: {
      Bootstrap: [],
      Addresses: {
        Swarm: ["/ip4/0.0.0.0/tcp/4002", "/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/4003/ws"],
      },
    },
    libp2p: {
      modules: {
        connProtector: new Protector(swarmKey),
      },
    },
  }
  this.node = await IPFS.create(ipfsConfig)
}

It gives me an error Error: Private network is enforced, but no protector was provided

After digging into ipfs-core code i tried to add options: options.libp2p in storage.js and ...options in libp2p.js, under the modules: {}. Network successfully started.

I'm not sure if these are the right places to change and what are the side effects, but if everything is ok I can create a PR.

[lidel]

@AlexMesser thank you for poking at this – please open a PR that make priv networks work. 🙏 it will be really valuable to have support for private networks in js-ipfs 👍

We can get js-libp2p team to review/bikeshed details there, if necessary.

[tbmcabc]

hello，it looks like that example running at node.js？can I used at browser with swarm.key？ hope and waiting the answer please。 best wish！

[SgtPooki]

js-ipfs is being deprecated in favor of Helia. You can #4336 and read the migration guide.

Please feel to reopen with any comments by 2023-06-02. We will do a final pass on reopened issues afterward (see #4336).

@achingbrain to answer if private networks support is available in Helia

[achingbrain]

This can be accomplished using the pnet module bundled with js-libp2p - please see the docs for how to configure this.