This document is beyond done, it will be subject to heavy change. PRs and ideas are welcome

TGP should provide a reliable, encrypted, decentralized, asynchronous, multi-device messaging system. However, unlike common chat protocols of this fashion, it is a non-goal to provide a system of untrusted home-servers interacting with another. Instead, TGPs goal is to provide the means of creating limited, controlled and trusted messaging networks, in which users are able to freely interact within. It is an explicit non-goal (at this point in time) to provide inter-network messaging.

The idea of TGP is to provide private messaging to communities and companies on the web and on site networks.

As TGP is about text-based communication, the limits of TGP target scope should be well-defined.

The primary goal, as of every text-based communication protocol, is in the end, the sending and receiving of messages between two or more parties, limitations and requirements of this are to be elaborated on in this section.

Additionally, as modern protocols have evolved beyond the needs of simple text transfer, the protocol may support file transfers and should be open for future expansions such as voice or video communication, e.G. via a TURN integration.

TGP tries to achieve reliability through the means of decentralization. Specifically, networks are formed of at minimum one server, also known as a node. Nodes in TGP are for the most parts transparent to the Client, as the client only has to decide to which node of a network it wants to connect.

Nodes use the Raft algorithm for consensus. Global configuration and room information is broadcast & preserved as a MLS channel where nodes act as user inside. Raft is required for commits, as only admin nodes can commit, the leadership role is exclusive to admin nodes. Any changes must be proposed to the leader by the other nodes.

• Nodes trust each other, this trust must be established cryptographically
• Nodes must be able to communicate securely over the internet as they may be spread beyond the limits of a local network
• Multiple nodes belonging to the same network should not run on the device

MLS (message layer security) will be used in all of TGP.

• Allow for messaging offline users
• Messages history must be preserved
• Users may use multiple devices for the same account

• Noise protocol
• Nodes have set keys they use for noise which they also use as proof of identity