Serveronet
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Short description: Open-source peer-to-peer web hosting platform
| Serveronet | Details |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Cross-platform |
| Programming language | PHP |
| Genre | Peer-to-peer, Web hosting |
| License | MIT License |
| Website | serveronet.org |
| Source repository | github.com/Serveronet/Serveronet-App |
Serveronet is a free and open-source software¹ peer-to-peer (P2P) web hosting platform that allows websites, called Sites, to be hosted by a distributed network of participating peers rather than by a central server or traditional domain registry.² The software is distributed as the Serveronet Client, a PHP web application that can run on a personal computer or on a web server, and which both serves Sites to visitors and stores and replicates content for the network.³
The platform derives site addresses and user identities from post-quantum module-lattice-based public keys, uses BitTorrent) trackers for peer discovery, and can optionally employ the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) as a file-storage layer and the Tor) network for anonymized communication.² Unlike darknet-only P2P systems, Serveronet Sites are designed to behave like conventional websites and to remain compatible with clearnet tools such as search engine crawlers, ads, and content delivery networks (CDNs).² As of 2026 the project is in alpha development stage and is licensed under the MIT License.¹
History
Serveronet was published as open-source software on GitHub in September 2026.⁴ The authors describe the project as being in the alpha stage and not intended for production environments, while stating that they commit to providing security patches for the underlying stack for up to a year.¹
Architecture
Cryptography and identities
Serveronet uses post-quantum cryptographic identities based on module-lattice cryptography. Identities are generated locally by the client without requiring personal identifiers such as email addresses; each identity consists of a private seed and a corresponding verification (public) key.⁵ When a visitor posts a record or uploads a file, the client signs the data with the identity's private seed.⁵
A site's address is a hash of the site owner's post-quantum verification key, so control of a site is tied to possession of the corresponding key rather than to a registration authority.⁶
Peer-to-peer networking
Serveronet combines several decentralized components:²
- BitTorrent trackers – clients announce Sites and discover peers through BitTorrent-style trackers, which are used for content location and replication.
- IPFS – the InterPlanetary File System can optionally be used as an additional file-storage layer for site assets.
- Tor – all network communication can optionally be routed through the Tor anonymity network, and clients can be made reachable at .onion addresses.⁷
According to the project's documentation, this architecture is intended to remove single points of failure and to make hosted content resilient to takedown attempts, since no central server or mandatory domain registry is involved.²
Client
The Serveronet Client is a PHP web application that serves Sites from a local cache and interacts with the network through its back-end: database queries are sent to the network for sites not yet hosted, and missing files are requested from peers or from IPFS.⁶ Clients bootstrap their operations through an internal request loop; to be fully connectable to other peers, ports must be exposed or UPnP port forwarding enabled.³ The default HTTP endpoint of a local client is http://snet.localhost:15080.⁸ Client settings allow the user to configure Tor and IPFS connectivity, port forwarding, automatic updates, and the OpenNIC API address used for DNS resolution.⁹
Sites
Structure
A Serveronet Site is semi-encapsulated in the client and consists of three kinds of objects:⁶
- Site Definition – a set of configuration files signed by the site owner, including metadata, a file listing with chunks, and site configuration.
- Visitor Records – JSON files representing database entries, synchronized through the P2P network.
- Visitor Resources – JSON definitions of files published by visitors or the site owner.
On a first visit to a Site, the client retrieves the Site Definition and the required files; depending on the size of the Site, the client then decides whether to host it, in which case replication of the site's files, database records, and visitor files begins.³
Addressing and domains
Site addresses appear in URLs as subdomains of the form http://site-id.snet.localhost:15080/, where the site ID is the hash of the owner's verification key.⁶ In addition to raw site IDs, Serveronet supports human-readable names in two ways:⁶ ¹⁰
- .snet domains – alternative top-level domains resolved through OpenNIC-style DNS, e.g.
techdemo.snet. - Classic DNS – conventional domain names can be mapped to a site ID via a DNS TXT record published under a
snetdnslinksubdomain, allowing existing clearnet domains to resolve to Serveronet Sites.
Site development
The client serves static files (HTML, JavaScript, images) for each Site and exposes a per-site API back-end for database operations, supporting query parameters such as where, orderBy, and limit.¹⁰ Sites may define a database schema in the Site Configuration; schema versions are expressed as declarative operations (table creates, column alters, index creates, and similar), which the client translates into SQL executed on every peer hosting the site, so that databases stay consistent across the network.¹⁰ Single-page applications are supported through a dedicated configuration flag.¹⁰
Publishing a site involves placing the site's files in a local development directory, configuring the database schema and site options, and signing a new Site Definition; the client then validates and hashes the files, publishes them to IPFS, signs the definition, and distributes the new version to known peers.¹⁰ An API-token mechanism allows automated posting of records to a site.¹⁰
Deployment
Serveronet is distributed as a desktop client bundle for Windows, Linux, and macOS – each bundle combining the client with the FrankenPHP application server – and as a server bundle for deployment behind Apache or in Docker) containers.⁸ ⁷ ³ The documentation lists shared hosting, virtual private servers, and Raspberry Pi OS among supported server environments, and describes installation on Android) via Termux.⁸ ⁷ A client can additionally be exposed as a Tor hidden service.⁷ The client can also be configured to serve a single site through a regular domain, functioning as a conventional web server.³
Moderation and governance
Serveronet provides optional governance mechanisms alongside its decentralized model. Site owners can moderate content published to their sites and define site administrators in the Site Definition; access to post or edit records is granted through signed grant records, which can be revoked and are periodically revalidated by peers.⁵ ² Client owners can mark sites as banned, preventing them from being hosted or accessed locally, or pin sites to prioritize them; sites can optionally present an age-verification gate, and lists of banned sites may be provided by designated providers.³ ¹⁰
See also
References
- "About Serveronet". Serveronet-App. GitHub. Retrieved 20 September 2026.
- "About Serveronet". Serveronet documentation. GitHub. Retrieved 20 September 2026.
- "Client Administration". Serveronet documentation. GitHub. Retrieved 20 September 2026.
- "Serveronet/Serveronet-App". GitHub. Retrieved 20 September 2026.
- "Identities". Serveronet documentation. GitHub. Retrieved 20 September 2026.
- "About Serveronet Sites". Serveronet documentation. GitHub. Retrieved 20 September 2026.
- "Advanced Deployments". Serveronet documentation. GitHub. Retrieved 20 September 2026.
- "Installation and Deployment". Serveronet documentation. GitHub. Retrieved 20 September 2026.
- "Client Settings". Serveronet documentation. GitHub. Retrieved 20 September 2026.
- "Sites Development". Serveronet documentation. GitHub. Retrieved 20 September 2026.
External links
Categories: Free software programmed in PHP · Decentralization · Web hosting
Source: r/ServeronetP2PWebsites · by /u/Serveronet