# markqvist/Sideband

LXMF client for Android, Linux and macOS allowing you to communicate with people or LXMF-compatible systems over Reticulum networks using LoRa, Packet Radio, WiFi, I2P, or anything else Reticulum supports.

Repository: https://github.com/markqvist/Sideband
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/sideband
Language: Python
License: NOASSERTION
License Family: other
Topics: android, lora, mesh, p2p, packet-radio, reticulum, rns, lxmf, lxst
Last push: 2026-07-26T21:09:04+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 96/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 94, release rhythm 95, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 1609, "days_push": 38, "days_rel": 38, "gap_med": 8, "n_releases_24m": 30}
- flags: no_license
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1753, forks 161 (observed 2026-08-28T04:05:31.837231+00:00)

## What it is
Sideband is an end-to-end encrypted, infrastructure-less LXMF messaging and LXST telephony client for Android, Linux, macOS and Windows, built on Reticulum networks. It supports communication over LoRa, packet radio, WiFi, I2P and other mediums, with telemetry sharing, offline maps, file transfers and an extensible plugin system.

## Use cases
- send encrypted messages without internet or servers
- communicate over lora radio off-grid
- make secure voice calls over mesh networks
- share location and telemetry peer-to-peer
- exchange messages via encrypted QR codes on paper
- set up a reticulum mesh network with android devices
- monitor and control remote systems over radio

## When to choose
- you need messaging that works without internet infrastructure or cell coverage
- you want anonymous, surveillance-free communication with no accounts
- you operate over lora, packet radio or other reticulum-supported mediums
- you need offline maps and situational awareness in the field

## When to avoid
- you need to message people on mainstream platforms like SMS or WhatsApp
- you require a hosted service with central backups and account recovery
- you want a polished consumer messenger with large user base
- you need a permissively licensed codebase for commercial reuse

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: active
- function: chat-interface, geospatial, cryptography, plugin-system, networking, p2p
- domain: messaging-platforms, privacy, networking, self-hosted, cross-platform, censorship-circumvention
- platform: windows, python, cross-platform
- tags: reticulum, lxmf, lxst, mesh-messaging, lora, packet-radio, offline-maps, telemetry, voice-calls, infrastructure-less, android, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- markqvist/Sideband (main) score 96

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:05:31.837231+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 2026-08-30T03:28:13.726975+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/markqvist/Sideband (fetched 2026-08-28T04:05:31.837231+00:00, sha 3d4135a9900a)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.