RetroShare

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I start sharing using RetroShare?

There is a getting started guide which can be accessed from the side menu.

Why would I want to share using RetroShare?

RetroShare allows you to share information with only the people you want to. I use it to access information when I'm away from home, and to share stuff with my friends.

How many people are required for a working RetroShare network?

Because Retroshare is a private filesharing network. It doesn't really matter how many people use RetroShare, the network will function well with only a couple of friends. Of course, the amount of material and the network availability both improve as the network grows.

Remember that a RetroShare connection allows direct secure communication between the two peers, and noone else. The amount of available shared files increases as you connect to more and more people. As you connect to more people the AutoDiscovery system introduces you to further friends of friends. This allows the network to expand and develop.

Is RetroShare safe?

Of Course ;)

I am a software engineer and take some pride in the quality of my work (except for the GUI). But like any Alpha software it probably still contains some bugs. Therefore the usual caveat applies: Use at your own risk. To my knowledge, however, it has never damaged anyones computer or files.

How private/secure is RetroShare? /And/ Does anyone else know what I'm sharing?

Quick Answer: retroShare is private and secure, but it is not anonymous.

Firstly, retroShare is a private network. Only you and your peers can see which files you are sharing. All peers must be authenticated and approved before a connection will take place, and all communication is also encrypted using standard openSSL techniques.

RetroShare is, however, not an anomymous file-sharing network. Your peers know who you are, and what you are sharing. Noone else on the network can see this information. The friends of your peers also know of your existance, and can attempt to connect to you through the Auto-Discovery system.

Your security is primarily dependent on the reliability of the people you connect to. Connect to trustworthy people and your secrets will be save. Allow anyone to connect and who knows what will happen.

What can I share using RetroShare?

RetroShare is a generic File-Sharing system, and can used to share any information you want. Sharing of illegal material is discouraged.

How do I get a RetroShare Certificate?

When RetroShare is run, an Startup Window is launched. This window allows you to either use an existing Certificate, or create a new Certificate.

What is a RetroShare Certificate?

Your certificate is basically a self-signed RSA public key. Your private key is encrypted by the password you specify. As you use retroShare, your certificate will be signed by more and more people. These signatures signify that the signer believes that your certificate belongs to YOU, and form the basis of the Web of Trust Authentication scheme.

Who Should I get to sign my Certificate?

Quick Answer: Anyone and everyone.

If you know me personally, then I am very willing and able to sign certificates.

More Info Coming Soon.

Can I connect from behind a Firewall?

Unfortunately firewalls cause a problems.

Each RetroShare server attempts to open an external port to receive connections. If

In reality I see there being several common setups. If you are having trouble connecting to people, please look through the list to see which scenario most closely describes your computer setup.

• A Home User.
  • A Single Home Computer: which is connected directly to the Internet via a Broadband or Dialup Connection. You are lucky, RetroShare should work perfectly on your computer. If you have your Windows Personal Firewall switched on, then you must make sure that RetroShare is included as an exception. Instructions are provided Here.
  • On a Home Network: using either a Wireless-Router Box or another Firewall system. For optimal performance you need to open a port in your firewall, which allows RetroShare to recieve connections. Examples of how to do this are provided for some simple systems:
• Work / Public Network that is behind a firewall. Unfortunately unless you can persuade the network admin to open an external port, you can only make outgoing connections. This will limit the people you can share with. You will not be able to connect to peers who are also behind a firewall.

A Proxy connection system is being developed to try to alleviate the firewall problems. If you want to help develop this let me know.

If anyone has some smart way to get around this network problem. Please let me know.

Could Other Services be provided over this type of Private Network?

Yes. Anything could be provided. There is a plugin system that is underdevelopment. However care must be taken as plugins can lead to significant security issues. And so any plugins will be carefully checked, and compiled into the release.

An alternative option is to use the underlying PQI libraries to allow other programs to communicate securely with your friends over the RetroShare network.

Anyone with good plugin suggestions, or interested in collabrating should contact me.

Why is my friends Certificate not approved by RetroShare?

There could be a number of reasons for this. The most likely reason is that their Certificate was signed my someone that is unknown to RetroShare. Ask the person to send you their CA Certificate.

FAQ Coming Soon

FAQ Coming Soon

Will you release the source code?

Yes, I hope to. If you are interested in helping with the development of it, let me know. Or if you want a version for a different platform, i also let me know.

How do I ..... You haven't Answered this Question!

I'm not a mind-reader, email your Questions to retroshare _AT_ lunamutt.com, and I'll do my best to answer them.