ChaTerminal

ChaTerminal is a cross-platform terminal-based encrypted chat system built with Python. It supports multiple users on a local network or via tunneling tools like Ngrok or LocalXpose, providing a lightweight and interactive chat experience — right from the terminal.

Features

• Encrypted communication using custom crypto utilities
• Multi-user chat over LAN or tunneled internet
• Color-coded messages with timestamp formatting
• Auto-complete for commands via readline and TAB
• Direct messaging using /dm <user> <message>
• Username renaming with /rename <new_name>
• List online users using /list
• Admin controls: /kick <user> (admin-only)
• Emote support: /me <action>
• Help menu: /help displays command reference
• User join/leave notifications
• Sound alert for DMs and admin actions
• Graceful client disconnect and server feedback
• Color personalization based on username hash

Getting Started

Requirements

• Python 3.9+
• pip packages: colorama, pyfiglet, readline (Linux/macOS), pyreadline3 (Windows)

Installation

pip install ChaTerminal

Running the Server

python -m ChaTerminal init server

• Enter a port (e.g., 5555) and the admin username
• Displays local IP with instructions for LAN or tunneled access

Running the Client

In a new terminal window:

python -m ChaTerminal init client

• Enter the server IP, port, and a unique username

Commands

Command	Description
/dm <user> <msg>	Send a private message
/kick <user>	Kick a user (admin only)
/list	View online users
/rename <name>	Change your username
/me <action>	Send an action/emote (e.g., waves)
/help	Show all available commands

Networking Tips

To let others join:

• Local network: Share the IP and port printed on server start
• Ngrok: ngrok tcp <port>
• LocalXpose: ./lx tcp <port>
• Port Forwarding: Map the server's port on your router

Example

# Start server
$ python -m ChaTerminal init server
Port: 5555
Admin Username: admin

# Start client
$ python -m ChaTerminal init client
Server IP: 192.168.1.100
Server Port: 5555
Username: myname

Security Note

All messages are encrypted using the crypto_utils module before transmission. Ensure that this module uses secure encryption practices for production deployments.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for more info.

Author

Gofaone Tlalang
GitHub: @Gofaone315

Contributors ✨

Thanks goes to these wonderful people:

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ChaTerminal – Real-time encrypted chat, right from your terminal.