Interested to take a little tour through how #deltachat apps and the #rustlang core library are wired together?

@treefit and @WofWca provide a deep-dive into the history of apps migrating from a C-Foreign-Function-Interface to a #Rust based JSON-RPC mechanism, with entertaining horror stories like how an iOS release some years ago could delete profiles without the user intending it 😬

The post also highlights a few areas where folks interested to help could start ... https://delta.chat/en/2025-02-11-why-jsonrpc-bindings-exist

The #chatmail #fosdem talk from @compl4xx is public. It goes into topics such as

- why chatmail servers?
- how to setup a server with your child
- (avoiding) spam filtering
- metadata and guaranteed end to end encryption in #deltachat
- #cryptographic #interoperability for email message routing

Thanks to attendees for the great energy even if was the last talk on the day and also for questions and conversations afterwards!

https://ftp.fau.de/fosdem/2025/k4601/fosdem-2025-5217-chatmail-server-networks-for-anonymous-end-to-end-encrypted-messaging.mp4

Delta Chat is since some years gaining usage by people forced to flee. Several of our contributors themselves migrated and others fear they might soon have to. Our technical designs and social approaches rest on a #RightToExit on virtually all levels. No walled gardens. No presidents.

It's true that #deltachat is a money-poor project compared to mainstream messengers ... But the question at hand in 2025 is: which messaging system will persevere when corporate platforms get corrupted and break?

Six times so far ... is how often important parts of #deltachat were independently #security audited and analyzed. Thanks to IncludeSecurity, Cure53, Applied Crypto Team at ETH Zuerich and Radical Open Security.

Last audit is from December 2024 covering @rpgp , the minimal #OpenPGP Rust library that is gaining traction with others projects as well.
Shout-out to dignifiedquire and @hko for their excellent maintenance! For more info on Delta Chat related security audits: https://delta.chat/en/help#security-audits

Ich freue mich, dass #deltachat dabei ist.
Danke für den Artikel!

Signal und Threema sind für die meisten die sichersten WhatsApp-Alternativen. XMPP, Matrix und Delta Chat bieten mehr Unabhängigkeit, erfordern jedoch mehr technisches Wissen. Telegram wird oft als sicher angepriesen, ist jedoch ein undurchsichtiger Marketing-Scam, der lediglich den Anschein von Sicherheit erweckt. 👇

https://www.kuketz-blog.de/whatsapp-ade-signal-und-threema-ueberzeugen-als-sichere-alternativen/

#messenger #signal #threema #xmpp #matrix #deltachat #telegram #datenschutz #privacy #sicherheit #security #e2ee

@delta

I think I just got deltachat-rpc-server to build and run on #OpenBSD!

I still need to do some testing, but I was able to manually import an account and send messages back and forth without anything exploding.

#DeltaChat
#TechnicalJiggeryPokery

#Deltachat has two advantages over other other massaging solutions
1. Perfect balance between privacy and censorship resistance.
2. Easiest and cheapest massaging solution to self-host.
💪

People like to say "email leaks metadata" but consider this: Delta apps do not store group metadata (memberlists, group names, avatars, keys) on servers. By comparison,

- #matrix stores group metadata unencrypted on home servers and replicates it to other federated matrix servers

- #signal stores encrypted group metadata on Amazon cloud servers

#deltachat uses a #p2p messaging model for encrypted group metadata where servers function as transport only.

«5 Ways Delta Chat is Better than WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram»

No, @delta is not the most secure chat solution per se, but it is definitely an alternative if people send you emails because (for whatever reason) they do not use encrypted communication or use emails like chats.

💬 https://worldsage.org/10-ways-delta-chat-is-better-than-whatsapp-signal-and-telegram/

#deltachat #email #whatsapp #signal #telegram #delta #chat #security #itsec

Signal & Threema sind für die meisten die beste Alternative zu WhatsApp. XMPP, Matrix & Delta Chat für Technikaffine mit hohem Bedürfnis nach Unabhängigkeit. Vorsicht bei Telegram & Co.! 👇

https://www.kuketz-blog.de/whatsapp-ade-signal-und-threema-ueberzeugen-als-sichere-alternativen/

#messenger #signal #threema #xmpp #matrix #deltachat #telegram #datenschutz #privacy #sicherheit #security #e2ee

it's indeed a good question how #deltachat avoids storing group metadata on servers. The answer is it implements a P2P group membership model (briar often described as a P2P messenger does have a centralized group membership model btw) . Here is technical documentation about our TLA+ modeling https://github.com/chatmail/specs/blob/main/group-membership/README.md#modeling-group-membership a complementary python simulation model https://github.com/chatmail/specs/tree/main/gmc and the just merged rust implementation rolling out in releases https://github.com/deltachat/deltachat-core-rust/issues/6401#issuecomment-2575938346

Finde es befremdlich, dass Du das Fediverse bewirbst, aber bei Messengern eine ganz andere Linie fährst. Wieso empfiehlst Du dann nicht Bluesky statt Mastodon, Friendica etc? Das Fedi schreckt meiner Erfahrung nach viel stärker ab als die dezentralen Messenger. Fast alle mir wichtigen Personen sind mir zu #DeltaChat gefolgt, aber bislang nur zwei Personen ins Fediverse. Und auch diese beiden finden das Fedi sehr unintuitiv, während der Umstieg zu DC problemlos war. @kkarhan

warum sollte #deltachat neue Nutzer abschrecken? 🤔

naja, @signalapp fällt auch unter #CloudAct ubd #Threema ist noch #proprietärer als #Signal.

• Gibt mit #XMPP+#OMEMO eine wirklich #sichere & #dezentrale Alternative die keine #PII wie #Telefonnummern oder #Google-Dienste braucht!

Ach ja, @monocles / #moniclesChat haben grade ne #Promo zum #GlobalSwitchDay und bieten deren #App kostenlos an.

• Und sonst gibt's auch noch @delta / #deltaChat welche #PGO/MIME & #eMail als Basis nutzen!

Für beide gibt's kostenlose Anbieter und #SelfHosting ist genauso machbar wie deren echte #E2EE mit #SelfCustody!

deshazte de la basura 😌

hay buenas alternativas #descentralizadas a #WhatsApp, #Facebook, #X, #Threads, #BlueSky, #Instagram

#DeltaChat #Mastodon #Friendica #Pixelfed

Seguint amb el meu enamorament per #DeltaChat, increïble de ràpid enviant fotos de molt alta resolució, un segon ha trigat des del servidor per defecte al meu servidor, una foto de 24 Mpx amb una resolució de 5712 x 4284 i 2,8 MB d'espai en disc.
Es nota molt que el servidor #chatmail està molt optimitzat per a que sigui tant ràpid com les apps de missatgeria tradicional.

#switchday #fediverse #deltachat #xmpp #pixelfed #decentalized #fashware

Did you know that you can add and use "ephemeral profiles" where all messages get deleted after a set time? The "auto-delete from device" will keep your profile clean. It's a one sided ephemerality that you decide about, not your chat partners. Good for coordinating things without digital traces and where only "the current day" or "week" is important but not all the past history. Saved messages stay, though, until you explicitely delete them. #ephemeral #deltachat

EINFACH NICHT NUTZEN!
Es gibt so viele und so gute Alternativen: Von #Mastondon #bis #RSS, von #DeltaChat bis #SMS (ja, das gibt es noch! 😎 ).
Nutzt dezentrale Netzwerke, nutzt #OpenSource Software!
#Linux ist heute leichter zu lernen als Windows, F#-Droid genauso vielfältig wie Apples oder Googles App-Stores.
Klar muss man sich umstellen - ein bisschen. Aber nicht mehr als von Win10 auf Win11 umzusteigen, oder von iOS auf Android.
Ausprobieren.
EINFACH MACHEN!
😎

1r dia d'utilitzar Delta Chat. Entrari amb la invitació d'un conegut és molt senzilla.
Es agradable perquè així ja tens algú amb qui xatejar
La interfície és simple i recorda WhatsApp amb una corba d'aprenentatge quasi nula.
I el millor és que no has de "programar" o "preparar" o configurar res.

#DeltaChat
#vamonosjuntasdelWA
#somhijuntesDeltaChat
#somhijuntes #juntes #juntas

Our friends at @delta are continuing to make #WebXDC an amazing platform: https://delta.chat/en/2025-01-23-webxdc-notifications

The realtime #WebXDC APIs are built on top of #iroh #p2p connections in #DeltaChat. Glad to be playing a part in this!

💡did you know ... you can have recent #deltachat chats on #android directly on the home screen:

- long tap the “Delta Chat” icon, you see the most recent chats then
- drag the desired chat to the home screen

What's with all this anti-#DeltaChat sentiment?

some of us from #fediwave are testing @delta chat. if you want to try, send a DM and we'll send you the invite link to a small fediwave group chat.

(edit: fediwave is musicians-active-on-fediverse, often using #owncast and other self-hosted floss tools, anti-SILOs)

btw, #deltaChat works by using email - you can get one dedicated to deltaChat or use your existing email inbox. and yes, it's E2EE.

https://delta.chat/en/help#what-is-delta-chat

also re moderation: https://delta.chat/en/help#add-members-to-a-group

cc @meljoann @icaria36

A main technical and economic difference to #matrix servers/clients:
The family of #deltachat apps uses #chatmail servers as ephemeral message transports that know nothing and forget everything: Servers don't store group metadata or cryptographic identities and delete messages after download by default. In effect, a 30EUR/month #chatmail server with 10K's of active users hums along with 2% IO and CPU pressure, 1GB RAM and negligible disk usage. No Pro-version or Kubernetes needed to scale ;)

Note to my-self and other people like me:
Read the #deltachat help it's all perfectly explained there in easy to follow language. It's even translated to various different languages already.
The number one answer for me is that there are #deltachat specific so called #chatmail servers suitable for anonymous instant messaging over email.
So eventhough I like to self host my emails, I think I'll go with existing #chatmail server at least initially.

@WofWca So I have finally updated to the latest and greatest #deltachat desktop. And I must say I am really impressed.
Both lists, list of conversations and list of messages are now keyboard navigable.
The hint for the screen reader users is that not all of the screen readers may switch into focus mode automatically so once you do this manually you can enjoy the user experience the way it has been designed.
Also there are nice keyboard shortcuts e.g. ctrl+n for jumping into the input box, ctrl+k for search and more.
Now I do really need to explore more i.e. what about the encryption. Can I use my existing GPG key or add a subkey or is that handled transparently on the background? I need to figure out if I should create new email for chatting or use my primary email.
Still from the accessibility point of view we are really getting something usefull I think.

Dear friends, #screenreader users, #blind users and #accessibility professionals in particular.
Are you using chat over traditional email as provided by #DeltaChat / #DeltaLab / #ArcaneChat?
I like it uses traditional email infrastructure, is federated, supports end to end encryption, rich content including audio / voice messages. I have even recognized @adb has implemented screen reader accessibility specific features into the android app.
However I have quickly tried electron based app on linux with orca screen reader, exchanged a few messages back and fort between two of my personal accounts using the DeltaChat app and thunderbird and I haven't found the user experience verry appealing. I can't understand how to effectivelly navigate in the list of conversations and list of messages.
Therefore I would be interested to hear a few comments from people knowing this platform better. How accessible is it on different platforms?
On the desktop is the electron based app a prefered choice?
Also some other questions. For the best experience, do I need a new email address or can I use my existing self-hosted one I have already configured in thunderbird?
Ffeel free to point me to a FAQ, some up to date introductory documentation if you think my questions don't make much sense please.