# docker-archive-public/docker.libchan

Like Go channels over the network

Repository: https://github.com/docker-archive-public/docker.libchan
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/dockerlibchan
Language: Go
License: Apache-2.0
License Family: permissive
Archived: true
Last push: 2019-02-05T05:52:07+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 10/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 0, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 4468, "days_push": 2766, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_releases, archived
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 2448, forks 142 (observed 2026-08-28T04:06:52.833751+00:00)

## What it is
libchan is an ultra-lightweight Go networking library that lets network services communicate like goroutines over channels, supporting message passing, synchronization, and nested channels. It works over in-memory channels, Unix sockets, TCP, TLS, HTTP2/SPDY, and WebSockets.

## Use cases
- send messages between services like go channels over the network
- build loosely coupled concurrent microservices in go
- replace rpc and rest with bidirectional channel-style communication
- stream events in real time between processes and machines
- migrate an app from in-process goroutines to distributed services
- nest channels inside messages for worker registration patterns

## When to choose
- you want Go channel semantics across unix sockets, TCP, TLS, or HTTP2
- you need bidirectional, multiplexed communication beyond classic RPC or REST
- you want a minimal, easy-to-port message passing spec
- you are maintaining an existing Docker-era Go codebase already using libchan

## When to avoid
- you need a maintained library with active support and security fixes
- you require exactly-once delivery guarantees over network transports
- you need broad multi-language ecosystem support rather than a simple spec
- you are starting a new project where gRPC, NATS, or modern alternatives fit better

## Facets
- artifact type: library
- maturity: abandoned
- function: rpc, message-queue, serialization, websocket, concurrency
- domain: networking, microservices, developer-tools
- platform: go, windows, cross-platform
- tags: go-channels, message-passing, ipc, http2, tls, networking-library, archived, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- docker-archive-public/docker.libchan (main) score 10

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:52.833751+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T02:30:28.307723+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/docker-archive-public/docker.libchan (fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:52.833751+00:00, sha 0378848010f2)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.