# geth `geth` is a personal, local-first mesh runtime for scripts, devices, databases, documents, blobs, pipes, and future multi-user collaboration. This project is not the Ethereum `geth` client. The project and executable are still named `geth`. ## One Binary There is one executable: `geth`. It has daemon mode and control mode: ```sh geth init geth daemon run geth daemon service install geth status geth node id geth resource list geth cas add ./file ``` The daemon owns local identity, the Iroh endpoint, trust state, resource registry, module router, local metadata store, and synchronized data structures. Most non-daemon commands talk to the daemon through a local Unix socket at `$GETH_HOME/run/geth.sock`. The daemon can also install itself as a user service: ```sh geth daemon service install geth daemon service status geth daemon service uninstall ``` The bootstrap service managers are systemd user units on Linux, launchd user agents on macOS, and per-user scheduled tasks on Windows. These are user-level services, not system services. ## Transport And SSH All remote node-to-node geth communication is designed to happen over Iroh only. SSH is not a geth transport backend, and there is no SSH fallback transport. The default node config uses Iroh's default relay policy for practical connectivity; set `[iroh].relay_mode = "disabled"` for local-only/offline development. Named custom relay maps can be selected with `relay_mode = "custom"` and `relay_map = ""`. Iroh local-network discovery is enabled by default with `[iroh].local_discovery = true`. SSH keys are used as admin trust anchors and ecosystem integration points. OpenSSH, FIDO, and YubiKey-backed keys can sign geth trust objects through explicit namespaces such as `geth.keychain.v1@geth.local`. Future SSH proxying may carry SSH protocol bytes over authorized Iroh streams, but the geth transport remains Iroh. SSH certificate request and renewal flows are managed as geth metadata. A node can create a certificate request, another machine can approve it and receive an explicit `ssh-keygen -s ...` command suitable for a CA key or YubiKey-backed CA, and the resulting `-cert.pub` can be imported for distribution. Certificate and key revocation entries are tracked locally and can be exported as JSONL for distribution. Future Iroh replication will distribute these records between authorized nodes. ## MVP Features The bootstrap implementation provides: - `geth init` - `geth daemon run` - `geth daemon service install|uninstall|start|stop|status|print` - `geth status` - `geth node id` - `geth resource list` - `geth resource create ` - `geth keychain status` - `geth auth explain ` - local filesystem CAS commands: `add`, `get`, `hash`, `has`, `list` - SSH certificate flow metadata: - `geth ssh cert request --public-key --principal ` - `geth ssh cert requests` - `geth ssh cert approve --ca-key ` - `geth ssh cert import --cert ` - `geth ssh cert list` - `geth ssh revocation add ` - `geth ssh revocation list` - `geth ssh revocation export --out ` Other command groups exist as explicit stubs: `db`, `kv`, `pipe`, `document`, `pubsub`, `secret`, and `ssh`. ## Resource Modules Everything meaningful is modeled as a resource. Planned resource kinds are: - `db`: SQLite/cr-sqlite synchronization - `kv`: Iroh Documents backed key-value stores - `pipe`: dumbpipe-like byte streams over Iroh - `document`: Automerge documents over Iroh streams - `pubsub`: lossy notifications, not authoritative storage - `cas`: content-addressed blob storage and distribution - `ssh-proxy`: authorized SSH proxy/admin access over Iroh Authorization is resource-scoped and capability-based. Bearer secrets may grant specific resource capabilities but do not create trusted node identity. ## Local State If `GETH_HOME` is set, geth uses it. Otherwise it uses an OS-specific data directory. The bootstrap layout is: ```text $GETH_HOME/ geth.sqlite config.toml identity/agent.ed25519 identity/iroh.ed25519 cas/blobs/ run/geth.sock ``` ## Quick Start In one shell: ```sh export GETH_HOME="$(mktemp -d)" cargo run -p geth -- init cargo run -p geth -- daemon run ``` In another shell: ```sh export GETH_HOME="" cargo run -p geth -- status cargo run -p geth -- node id echo "hello geth" > /tmp/hello-geth.txt cargo run -p geth -- cas add /tmp/hello-geth.txt cargo run -p geth -- cas list ``` ## Authorization Direction The MVP defines the split between: - keychain: SSH-rooted users, devices, nodes, agents, and endpoint bindings - auth: resource-local signed authorization operations and capability grants - secrets: resource master secrets, epochs, envelopes, and bearer access The current code does not implement Keyhive, BeeKEM, strong forward secrecy, or post-compromise security. It leaves room for future local-first, replicated auth logs and BeeKEM/CGKA-style group key evolution.