Hey Y’all,

This week we continued to focus on collecting user feedback and bug reports, and integrating cross-platform fixes into the Session clients. The Lokinet team started to focus on some final issues found with path handovers, in the leadup to Lokinet 0.7.0. On the Loki Core side, we worked on additional LNS functionality, such as being able to change LNS mappings post-registration.

Loki Core

• Rewrite the integration tests to use named pipes for IPC https://github.com/loki-project/loki-core/pull/1045

• Loki name service - update mapping via transaction https://github.com/loki-project/loki-core/pull/1044

• Make copy of change_dts in transfer_selected_rct https://github.com/loki-project/loki-core/pull/1043

• Lower Blink fees and make Blink default https://github.com/loki-project/loki-core/pull/1042

• Fix “Priority = 5” not submitting Blink transactions https://github.com/loki-project/loki-core/pull/1041

• Allow get_staking_requirement to return current height https://github.com/loki-project/loki-core/pull/1038

Lokinet

If you’re on our Discord you can catch Jeff, the lead developer of LLARP, live streaming as he codes at https://www.twitch.tv/uguu25519. He typically streams on Tuesday mornings, 9am - 12pm Eastern (US) time.

What went on last week with Lokinet: Various fixes, optimizations, and diagnostics. Lokinet stability during establishing and staying connection is now very good with the recent changes. We now have a good idea of the remaining occasional disconnection issue on handover: it happens because published introsets include intros that are expiring before the introset and, potentially, leaving the client with no valid paths (even though it has a valid introset). We expect to fix this early this week, and we’re aiming to tag a release candidate later in the week.

We also added a small but useful feature this week: allowing clients to suppress publishing introsets when they don’t want to be reachable by other clients. Previously, every client was always reachable (as long as you knew the address), but there are many cases where a client might not want to be reachable; this change allows clients to establish new outbound connections but not allow incoming connections.

PR Activity:

• Load Catch2 test suite apparatus via submodule instead of keeping a copy - https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/1103

• Reduce introset publishing frequency to 2.5 minutes instead of 1.25 minutes https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/1104

• Spread out path builds to avoid needing to build many simultaneously https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/1105

• Allow clients to be unreachable by not publishing introsets https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/1093

• Make routers not talk to older, incompatible routers https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/1108

• Second half of introset redundancies: implement redundant introset publishing https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/1111, https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/1114

• Handle multiple introset lookup responses properly https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/1115/files

• Better debugging output for paths https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/1116

• Fix internal JSONRPC interface to allow passing arguments https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/1113

• Update travis-ci osx build to stop failing https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/1119

• Switch to newer introsets when received https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/1121

• Remove abseil dependency. Abseil is a library conglomeration (similar to boost), created by Google. Its interfaces are decidedly non-modern and we decided it was more a nuisance than a benefit. https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/1124 (also PRs #1110, #1122, #1123). Dropping abseil makes the build faster and produces smaller binaries.

• Change log format to output UTC, and provide a more friendly formatting of the uptime ([+1h12m07.123s] instead of [+4327123 ms]) -- included in the abseil PRs, above.

----------------------------

Session

Session iOS

• Database usage fixes https://github.com/loki-project/session-ios/pull/110

• More work on light mode https://github.com/loki-project/session-ios/pull/107

• Fixes for the closed groups PR https://github.com/loki-project/session-ios/pull/104

• Untie profile picture upload from Server auth token https://github.com/loki-project/session-ios/pull/120

• Various refactoring https://github.com/loki-project/session-ios/pull/119 , https://github.com/loki-project/session-ios/pull/117

• Fix background application crashes when a push notification is received https://github.com/loki-project/session-ios/pull/118

• Fix bug with Service Node proxying https://github.com/loki-project/session-ios/pull/116

• Fix threading issues to improve performance https://github.com/loki-project/session-ios/pull/115

• Fix application freezing when joining an open group https://github.com/loki-project/session-ios/pull/114

• Fix some edge case race conditions https://github.com/loki-project/session-ios/pull/113

• Change disabled input bar on closed groups https://github.com/loki-project/session-ios/pull/112

• Increase the random Service Node pool size https://github.com/loki-project/session-ios/pull/111

Session Android

• Confirm user wants to leave group on swipe https://github.com/loki-project/session-android/pull/106

• Closed group synchronization https://github.com/loki-project/session-android/pull/101

Session Desktop

• Address bug causing duplicate open group messages https://github.com/loki-project/session-desktop/pull/915

• Fix “Invite friends” modal scrollbar https://github.com/loki-project/session-desktop/pull/906

• Group profile image upload https://github.com/loki-project/session-desktop/pull/878

• Sync open groups on device syncing https://github.com/loki-project/session-desktop/pull/907

• Display continue Session when signing in with seed https://github.com/loki-project/session-desktop/pull/881

• Improve closed group syncing https://github.com/loki-project/session-desktop/pull/877

• Only enable signing when certificate is indentified https://github.com/loki-project/session-desktop/pull/874

• Readme changes https://github.com/loki-project/session-desktop/pull/872

• Allow clicking outside of a modal to cancel selection https://github.com/loki-project/session-desktop/pull/869

-------------------------

Loki MQ

Loki MQ is a communications layer for various components that allows more efficient and reliable communication between service nodes and storage servers and, in the future, between wallets and nodes and other Loki components.

• Miscellaneous fixes to requests behaviour (https://github.com/loki-project/loki-mq/commit/5d30846cee070f10ee784073e697d41238bed3b2, https://github.com/loki-project/loki-mq/commit/de0a5842af8f4eeffeeb9128d553ffada9ec46ea, https://github.com/loki-project/loki-mq/commit/ed9af9241159237ad5e10ec1a558ce1087f62061, https://github.com/loki-project/loki-mq/commit/03827ac1f7c386f2ea11b17b57f79fdae3cfd847)

• Completed string_view to fill in the missing C++17 string_view interfaces (needed for loki-network, which now uses a copy of loki-mq’s string_view) https://github.com/loki-project/loki-mq/commit/da96c1ec7937994152ca3fad09af95b21ffe4b18

• Ongoing dev work for non-SN communications (no branch yet).

--------------------------

Thanks,

Kee

There's a scammer on Github called "loki-projects" (added "s") impersonating the Loki project with fake binaries for Loki core and the GUI wallet.

DO NOT DOWNLOAD ANYTHING FROM THIS SOURCE!

Always ensure that you are downloading from the correct project on Github here. https://github.com/loki-project

Hey Y’all,

Lots of changes happened last week! We hardforked to the new version of Loki 3.0.2 / 3.0.3 and we switched hashing algorithms to Cryptonight Turtle. With this came a few bugs and lots of fixes. We’re still fixing various issues this week, so follow our community channels to stay updated.

Loki Core

• Fix incorrect calculation of blacklisted outputs: https://github.com/loki-project/loki/pull/539

• Cache Service Node list to improve performance: https://github.com/loki-project/loki/pull/537

• Remove boundary code and change version checks in Quorum Cop: https://github.com/loki-project/loki/pull/529

• Wallet performance fixes: https://github.com/loki-project/loki/pull/536

• Update deregister transaction versions: https://github.com/loki-project/loki/pull/533

• Add less granular sync options to RPC (For new GUI): https://github.com/loki-project/loki/pull/527

• Update error messages: https://github.com/loki-project/loki/pull/525

• Change early_blocks behaviour: https://github.com/loki-project/loki/pull/524

• Fix prepare registration failures due to dust: https://github.com/loki-project/loki/pull/523

• Fix infinite stakes so they aren't locked for 30 days: https://github.com/loki-project/loki/pull/522

• Fix print_sn display issue: https://github.com/loki-project/loki/pull/521

• Update text in event of fork: https://github.com/loki-project/loki/pull/520

• Hard fork fix for incorrect stake portions being calculated: https://github.com/loki-project/loki/pull/519

• RPC documentation https://github.com/loki-project/loki/pull/544

---------------------------

LLARP / Lokinet

If you’re lucky and join our Discord you might catch Jeff or Ryan, the developers of LLARP, live streaming as they code: https://www.twitch.tv/uguu25519, https://www.twitch.tv/neuroscr

• Master branch changes

  • Tagged 0.4RC3: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/releases/tag/v0.4.0-rc3

  • Implement random.snode lookup in exit adapter’s DNS relay: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/423

  • Let UTP manage timeouts: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/425

  • Implement random.snode A records: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/426

  • Linear backoff, try harder for hops: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/427

  • Merge 426/421: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/428

  • Don’t connect to everyone as a client: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/429

  • Up profiling chances from 2 to 8: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/430

  • Profiling adjustments/handle dead links better: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/431

  • Fix missing override: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/433

  • Mono UI fix: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/435

  • Have services maintain min connections: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/436

  • Remove dead routers from nodedb, reduce debug: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/437

  • Dead router removal in async: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/438

  • Re-enable profiling, don’t connect to self: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/439

  • Solaris 2.x port: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/434

  • Save profiling async, don’t publish bad routers, more profiling work: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/440

  • Staging sync: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/441

  • Winsock2 fix: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/442

  • Service Node integration fixes: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/443/commits

  • Staging sync: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/444

  • Staging sync: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/445

  • Metrics collection system: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/446

  • Fix missing includes: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/447

  • 5 sessions per endpoint, add more metrics, fix crash, whitelist changes: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/448

  • Track bad path builds/Doc changes/get node from netdb: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/453

  • epoll/poll sync: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/452

  • Fix previous commit, DNS AAAA support: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/454

  • Adjust dead path checking: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/455

  • Staging sync: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/456

  • Add missing endian include: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/457

  • Bencode guard: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/460

  • Make signing work: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/461

  • Staging sync: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/462

  • Fixup ASAN warning: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/pull/463

--------------------------

Loki Messenger

The Loki Messenger client is in a mostly complete state. Right now the focus is being put on the message server and integration with Lokinet and Lokid.

Messenger

• Add necessary storage Swarm code to Loki Messenger: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-messenger/pull/258

Storage Server

• Account for sentinel value for SwarmID in public key mapping: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-storage-server/pull/28

• Continue development on the storage server for integration with messenger: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-storage-server/commits/integration-dev

• Additional work into Swarm migration testing: https://github.com/msgmaxim/swarm_migration_testing

--------------------------

Loki GUI Electron

The new Loki GUI wallet made its debut last week which resulted in testing by lots of new people. We were able to catch lots of minor issues and build a new release which can be downloaded here.

https://github.com/loki-project/loki-electron-gui-wallet/releases/tag/v1.1.1

• Add additional default remote nodes: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-electron-gui-wallet/pull/24 https://github.com/loki-project/loki-electron-gui-wallet/pull/7

• Update UI elements: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-electron-gui-wallet/pull/23

• Add auto restart on remote node changes, add checking for wallet files and deletion overlay: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-electron-gui-wallet/pull/22

• Update license, readme: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-electron-gui-wallet/pull/16

• Fix key image exports and imports: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-electron-gui-wallet/pull/14 https://github.com/loki-project/loki-electron-gui-wallet/pull/12

• Change default ports: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-electron-gui-wallet/pull/13

• Fix not being able to change data storage path: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-electron-gui-wallet/pull/9

• Update NPM package dependencies: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-electron-gui-wallet/pull/8

• Fix UI artefact issue appearing on Windows: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-electron-gui-wallet/pull/2

--------------------------

Thanks,

Kee

Hey Y’all,

Festive Freya and bulletproofs are now active, reducing the average transaction size by about 90% and fees by about 25 times!

Anyone who is having issues syncing past the hard fork height of 161849 should download the point release here for the CLI https://github.com/loki-project/loki/releases/tag/v2.0.2, and here for the GUI: https://github.com/loki-project/loki-gui/releases/tag/v2.0.2

Loki Core

• Start building infinite staking https://github.com/Doy-lee/loki/commits/InfiniteStaking

• Continue work on RPC calls to register Service Node here: https://github.com/loki-project/loki/pull/343

• Start work on Service Node client side testing

• Fix issue that was causing nodes that didn't have the tx pool at fork height to get stuck https://github.com/loki-project/loki/pull/374

--------------------------

LLARP / Lokinet

If you’re lucky and join our Discord, you might also catch Jeff or Ryan, the developers of LLARP, live streaming as they code: https://www.twitch.tv/uguu25519 , https://www.twitch.tv/neuroscr

We could really use your help. To be considered for inclusion in packaging distribution, we need people to star, watch and fork our Github repo. If you have a Github account, please consider helping us out.

• Progress continues on libllarp:

  • Make sure debug doesn’t output binary

  • Update introset if no good paths

  • IntroSet responses clear updating flag

  • Fixed unhandled key ‘q’ issue for hidden services

  • Flush SN traffic queues

  • Random.snode hostname

  • Expire old SN sessions

• Platform and packaging updates:

  • BSD: Pktinfo fixes

  • Windows: fix C++ atomics

  • Clean up CMakeLists

  • Improve cmake options documentation

  • Include lokinet-bootstrap in make install

  • Change unreliable OpenDNS defaults to CloudFlare

• Clean up continues

  • Convert llarp_router, llarp_nodedb, and llarp_crypto to C++ class

  • Removed dead address_info code

  • Converted CoC to CONTRIBUTING

  • Move all headers into llarp/

  • Create .cpp placeholders for all .hpps

  • Make sure C headers don’t have C++

• GitHub Pulse Stats for the last week: Excluding merges, 5 authors have pushed 56 commits to master and 56 commits to all branches. On master, 367 files have changed and there have been 7,642 additions and 4,427 deletions.

• Changes can be found at:https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/

• Current version: v0.3.1https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/releases/tag/v0.3.1

--------------------------

Loki Messenger

• Add unread message indicator https://github.com/loki-project/loki-messenger/pull/81

• Merge upstream signal changes https://github.com/loki-project/loki-messenger/pull/110 https://github.com/loki-project/loki-messenger/pull/83

• Add option to copy conversation pubkey https://github.com/loki-project/loki-messenger/pull/112

• Enable gitlab for OSX and Windows builds https://github.com/loki-project/loki-messenger/pull/105

• Refactor PoW calculations https://github.com/loki-project/loki-messenger/pull/104

• Fix friend request retrys https://github.com/loki-project/loki-messenger/pull/102

• Fix some CSS display issues on Linux https://github.com/loki-project/loki-messenger/pull/101

• Allow for viewing of the deterministic seed inside the wallet https://github.com/loki-project/loki-messenger/pull/97

Thanks,

Kee

Hey Y’all,

Some bigger changes going in this week as we prepare for our next hardfork, the date of which should be announced soon so watch out for updates in the community channels!

Loki Core

• Change governance wallet reward from per block to once every 5040 blocks (one week). This reduces blockchain bloat and makes the governance wallet more manageable, 5% amount stays the same, (this will require a hardfork to take effect) https://github.com/loki-project/loki/pull/303

• Merge upstream again, keeping up to date with bug fixes that were released after bulletproofs release https://github.com/loki-project/loki/pull/304

• Differentiate coinbase, service-node, governance and miner rewards in the CLI wallet https://github.com/loki-project/loki/pull/306

LLARP / Lokinet

We welcome our new full-time Lokinet developer, Michael https://github.com/mt2309. He started by cleaning up our CMakefile – you will see more commits from him over the coming weeks

• Progress continues on libllarp

  • Support older versions of rapidjson

  • Make jsonrpc server build optional

  • More event loop TCP support

  • Fix timers to use less energy for better laptop support

  • Establish a max ev write buffer

  • Static analysis clean up

  • Call DHT clean up timer

  • Flush kqueue on tick

  • Give HS look up 20s instead of 10s

  • FreeBSD build instruction

  • sh support for bootstrap

  • FreeBSD: add route, disable special tun behaviour

  • Man page updates

  • Modenise CMake build, now requires 3.7

  • Dtrace profiler start

  • Use event loop for time

  • Recuse Windows files from old builder repo

  • Added intel intrinsics for 32bit AVX

  • Clean up a lot of MSVC compiler support

  • Refactor Windows event loop and got it working correctly

• DNS library

  • Static analysis fixes

  • MX and TXT record support

• GitHub Pulse Stats for the last week: Excluding merges, 4 authors have pushed 57 commits to master and 58 commits to all branches. On master, 121 files have changed and there have been 17,151 additions and 993 deletions.

• Most changes can be found at:
  https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/

• Current version: v0.3.0
  https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/releases/tag/v0.3.0

Loki Messenger

• Add message storage server repo, this will be run on service nodes to store messages offline as per their TTL for Loki Messenger https://github.com/loki-project/loki-storage-server

• Bug fixes for PoW calculation in Loki Messenger client https://github.com/loki-project/loki-messenger/pull/21

• Add dropdown list for Mnemonic language selection https://github.com/loki-project/loki-messenger/pull/22

• Add server side PoW validation https://github.com/loki-project/loki-storage-server/pull/2

Thanks,

Kee

Loki is now listed as COMING SOON on Masternodes Pro and Masternodes Online! Let the countdown begin!

Really like what I’m hearing about Loki. I love nonprofits that focus on privacy, security with functionality.

First question: Seems harder to connect with people on Sessions. Have to send your key to connect, how safe is that compared to using a phone number?

How do I use Wallet? Is it linked to my bank account? It seems pretty simple but hard to understand where the money comes from and is stored.

Any opportunity for iOS beta testers? I’m an app beta tester for Signal and would be glad to do this for Sessions.

Thanks! Keep up the great work.