A new dawn on the briar: Briar Desktop 0.5.0-beta (28 June 2023)
Not sure what they mean exactly by "Linux", but this works fine on Trisquel GNU/Linux 11 Aramo:
https://briarproject.org/download-briar-desktop
"The new version 0.5.0-beta brings support for private groups that complement private messaging and forums. Private groups were previously only available on Android devices." Private groups are fully controlled by their owner, who can dissolve them any time.
"Another update is the ability to link a Briar Mailbox to your desktop client." Briar Mailbox was released last month and is currently available on android only, but it will hopefully follow the same path as private groups: "The target for this project will come as Android application since it will be easy to setup and besides a spare phone, no special hardware is required. Once this is done support for any hardware supporting Java could be added." -- https://github.com/briar/briar-mailbox.
Did you try it? Looks like it's still using about 500mb of ram when I open it. Kind of a hefty boy, it could stand to lose some weight.
Here's my add-a-contact link if you want to try a chat: briar://acrxmoin7u2s7eak4w555ucnrjak24btcaxkm6k7etuymlrzjp4ee
EDIT: Let me know here if you try to add me, I'm not going to leave the program open but I'll open it up if you do try.
> it's still using about 500mb of ram when I open it.
Same here. But now we have a culprit:
https://code.briarproject.org/briar/briar says "Java 97.9%".
> briar://acrxmoin7u2s7eak4w555ucnrjak24btcaxkm6k7etuymlrzjp4ee
I believe I already added you twice. How many are you?
I don't know, but I'm on a different laptop and Briar said I needed a new password, so I guess I'm a different contact again.
Oh yes, of course: https://code.briarproject.org/briar/briar/-/issues/110.
So I guess the answer is that we are as many as there are devices on which we have installed Briar. This feels a bit like a John Malkovich situation. On Briar, everyone is andyprough.
EDIT: I added you as "jak24". You can add me as "bug":
briar://acfrjynfcnbrtbugjmupn2j5wkjameqql6amppgtu4l7s6axmrtsq.
Ahh, I think we're golden now. I always wanted to be jak24, how did you know? I think you've been hacking my old Palm Pilot again, reading my secret diary entries.
Nothing is secret for prospero. Remember, I have my magic books to read your mind remotely.
And now, Briar.
> Not sure what they mean exactly by "Linux"
It means that it can run directly on top of the kernel named Linux, without anything additional. :>
I am almost tempted to post a feature request on their GitLab.