fleetmesh
details · system architecture & design notes · how fleetmesh is built and operated
fleetmesh connects Nostr relays into a federated mesh. This section documents system operation:
the reference implementation (meshnode), subsystem compartments, wire protocols,
the bilateral accounting engine, and supporting design notes.
Implementation Overview
The reference implementation in node/ is a typed Python daemon that runs
alongside an existing relay to provide peering and accounting.
The daemon isolates execution into twenty core compartments, plus up to six optional ones
(p2p, gossip, compute, bridge, dvm) the config enables, coordinates bilateral budgets
over DIDComm v2, synchronizes events through Negentropy range reconciliation,
and meters transfers with signed receipt hash chains.
Reference Architecture
The reference node is built around the executable specification in ref/. It runs
under Python 3.12, requiring only the standard library and the cryptography
package. Internal components adhere to typed protocols defined in
node/interfaces.py.
Explicit failure boundaries in node/subsystem.py prevent cascading faults.
link, trust, strain, peering, budget, capacity, sync, reporter, discovery, announce, lan, presence, retention, scheduler, settlement, mediation, blob_wire, blob_replication, paid_fetch, and sidecars. Up to 6 optional ones join the order when the config enables them: p2p after lan, gossip after p2p (before presence), compute and bridge after scheduler, dvm, then updates last - it reports on all the others. The list is held to node/app/core.py by scripts/check-cli.py.capacity, auth, rate, schema) in internal logs.Persistent storage across restarts and host reboots.
Encrypted overlays across Nostr and TCP connections.
secp256k1 (nostr DID), X25519 (DIDComm agreement), and Ed25519 (transport signatures).Bilateral coordination between peers without global consensus.
Deterministic WASI and Groth16 zk-SNARK verification fabric.
node/compute/executors/wasm.py with bounded fuel and fuel rate pricing.alt_bn128 in node/zk.py.Micropayment rails and escrow settlement in node/settlement/.
Declarative manifests and local testnet simulation.
fleetmesh.org/v1alpha1 resources under manifests/, held to the constants by scripts/check-manifests.py and consumed by meshnode init --manifest. The standalone meshctl CLI (built in Rust) provides production declarative manifest management, non-destructive hot-reconciliation, and multi-target compilation (Kubernetes, Podman Quadlets, systemd, Compose).node/cluster.py configuring mesh, star, ring, and line topologies.Bidirectional ingress and egress across standard Nostr relays.
node/bridge.py with cryptographic signature verification and provenance tracking.#t) for local mesh replication.reconcile) over external WebSocket relays.NIP-90 deterministic compute and NIP-32 client moderation integration.
node/dvm/, producing signed responses.fleetmesh.reputation (s1-divergence, s2-misreport, s3-overrun, s4-tamper).Technical Guides & Design Notes
live · read only · § Discovery · § Coverage · § Relay projection
Every node publishes descriptors, heartbeats, and coverage claims as standard Nostr events. This page queries relays directly from the browser to display network topology, claims, and relay assertions without external servers.
Watch the mesh →
thesis · vision · § Compute layer · § Shard exchange · § Verifiable delivery · § Identity
Architectural overview: verifiable transmission, shard replication, distributed compute escrow, cryptographic identity, and network resilience against sybil swarms.
Read the overview →
field guide · § Implementation · § Operator surface · § Conformance
Operational guide to node/meshnode: four-command setup, systemd
service configuration, Caddy TLS reverse proxying, telemetry with meshwatch,
the 40-command CLI reference, and troubleshooting procedures.
Read the operator guide →
subsystems · § Grants · § Capacity · § Strain ledger
How node/capacity.py manages capacity ceilings and executes a three-rung
load-shedding ladder under peak pressure, and how node/strain.py tracks directional
anomalies.
Read the capacity guide →
accounting · § Grants & receipts · § Severity ladder · § Trust weighting
Published bilateral budgets, receipt hash chains, and the deterministic five-step severity ladder (S0–S4). Includes an interactive simulator demonstrating convergence and sybil resistance.
Read the deep dive →
economics · § Grants · § Replication · § Settlement
Why fleetmesh settles discrete retrieval requests rather than charging continuous storage rent, and how storage aligns with transit settlement.
Read the economic analysis →
standards · § Identity · § Cryptography · § FIPS 140-3
Audit of cryptographic algorithms in fleetmesh against NIST standards. Isolates non-approved curves at external relay edges to enable federal deployment compliance.
Read the compliance audit →
comparison · § Transports · § Discovery · § Overlay routing
Architectural comparison between fleetmesh and the FIPS overlay network: packet routing and application-level relay federation.
Read the network comparison →
visual overview · § Architecture · 10 Emblems
Core mechanisms of fleetmesh rendered visually: cryptographic identity knots, discovery lattices, Negentropy range reconciliation, reverse reputation, and the compute market.
View the concept emblems →
The formal rules and protocol schemas are codified in the fleetmesh Specification and the Schema Browser. These pages document operational rationale and reference code.