Cody Marsengill

Posted on Aug 6 • Originally published at github.com

marchat v0.2.0: Terminal Chat Now With Plugins and Encryption

#go #opensource #cli #docker

A lot has changed since I first introduced marchat.
What started as a minimalist, terminal-first group chat has evolved into a more secure, extensible platform for real-time messaging — still fully self-hosted and still built for the command line.

This update brings plugin support, optional end-to-end encryption, a revamped admin system, and better deployment tooling.

What’s New in v0.2.0-beta.3

Plugin ecosystem (:plugin, :store)
Optional end-to-end encryption (X25519/ChaCha20-Poly1305)
Docker and Docker Compose support
New admin commands: :ban and :kick
SQLite-based local persistence with improved config handling
Updated themes, user list display, and security hardening

Overview

marchat is a self-hosted, terminal-based group chat application designed for developers who prefer the command line. It offers real-time messaging over WebSockets, a full-featured TUI client, and optional encryption — all backed by a local SQLite database.

It now supports a plugin system that makes it easy to extend the experience with community-built enhancements like ANSI image sharing, text filters, or custom commands.

Key Features

Feature	Description
Terminal UI	Built with Bubble Tea, fully keyboard-navigable
Real-time Chat	WebSocket-based, low-latency communication
Plugin System	Install via `:plugin install`, browse with `:store`
E2E Encryption	Optional encryption with X25519/ChaCha20
File Sharing	Transfer files up to 1MB using `:sendfile`
Admin Controls	Kick, ban, wipe database, manage users
Docker Support	Run easily with Docker or Docker Compose
Cross-platform	Linux, macOS, and Windows binaries available

Getting Started

You can get started using prebuilt binaries or the Docker image.
For full instructions, see the GitHub README.

Binary Installation

# Linux
wget https://github.com/Cod-e-Codes/marchat/releases/download/v0.2.0-beta.3/marchat-v0.2.0-beta.3-linux-amd64.zip
unzip marchat-v0.2.0-beta.3-linux-amd64.zip

# macOS
wget https://github.com/Cod-e-Codes/marchat/releases/download/v0.2.0-beta.3/marchat-v0.2.0-beta.3-darwin-amd64.zip
unzip marchat-v0.2.0-beta.3-darwin-amd64.zip

Docker

docker pull codecodesxyz/marchat:v0.2.0-beta.3

docker run -d \
  -p 8080:8080 \
  -e MARCHAT_ADMIN_KEY=$(openssl rand -hex 32) \
  -e MARCHAT_USERS=admin1,admin2 \
  codecodesxyz/marchat:v0.2.0-beta.3

Example Usage

Start Server

export MARCHAT_ADMIN_KEY=your-key
export MARCHAT_USERS=admin1

./marchat-server

Connect Client

./marchat-client --username admin1 --admin --admin-key your-key --server ws://localhost:8080/ws

Encryption Support

To enable end-to-end encryption:

./marchat-client \
  --username alice \
  --e2e \
  --keystore-passphrase your-passphrase \
  --server ws://localhost:8080/ws

Use commands like :showkey, :addkey, and :encrypt to manage keys.

Plugin Ecosystem

The new plugin system allows for on-demand extensibility without changing core code.

Available commands:

:plugin list
:plugin install <name>
:plugin uninstall <name>
:store (to browse available plugins)

Security Best Practices

Generate a secure admin key using openssl rand -hex 32
Do not use the default changeme key
Restrict access to production instances
Use wss:// when exposing marchat over the internet
Secure config and database files with appropriate file permissions

Contributing

marchat is open source under the MIT license.
Whether you want to report bugs, suggest features, or build plugins, contributions are welcome.

GitHub repo: https://github.com/Cod-e-Codes/marchat
Plugin starter guide: PLUGIN_ECOSYSTEM.md

Final Thoughts

marchat v0.2.0 is the first step toward making terminal chat collaborative, secure, and truly customizable. If you enjoy self-hosted tools or want to build your own chat plugins, give it a spin and let me know what you think.

DEV Community