This is a placeholder for tracking open problems and related issues / notes

Embedding js-ipfs on a page binds it to specific tab, origin, and storage.

Open problems

Per Origin

js-ipfs embedded on a web page runs in the context of page's Origin, which means:

• datastore uses local storage allocated to the origin,
  this means permissions and storage limits are shared with other JS running on a page
• opening a new tab for the same page spawns a new, full instance of js-ipfs operating on the same datastore
  • 💚 ipfs-message-port modules now enable node sharing withing the same Origin: Sharing IPFS node across browsing contexts (tabs) on same origin js-ipfs#3022

Cross Origin

Each websites running js-ipfs does it on its own:

• new datastore is created per Origin
  • nodes are unable to share storage,
    • data for a single CID can be stored multiple times in the same browser profile

Same machine

js-ipfs is unable to discover ipfs-desktop running on the same machine.
It could leverage its existence for:

• delegated routing
• content preload
• circuit switching (relay)
• shared cache, data deduplication
• persistence (ensuring CIDs are cached outside non-persistent browser storage)

References

• Web API: "best-effort" vs "persistent" storage
• libp2p/specs/relay
• delegated routing: Add delegated routing to js-ipfs browser js-ipfs#2155 / Delegated Routing libp2p/js-libp2p#120

Prior Art

• multiple tabs leader election
  • https://github.com/jimpick/multiple-tab-logux/
• Exploration: P2P Network access through the service worker
  • PoC: https://github.com/Gozala/lunet/
  • https://gozala.io/work/lunet