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+# `r n s h` Shell over Reticulum
+
+`rnsh` is a utility written in Python that facilitates opening 
+shell sessions over Reticulum networks. It is based off the `rnx` 
+utility that ships with Reticulum.
+
+`rnsh` is still pretty raw; there are some things that are 
+implemented badly, and many other things that haven't been 
+built at all (yet). Signals (i.e. Ctrl-C) need some work, so have
+another terminal handy to send a SIGTERM if things glitch
+out.
+
+## Quickstart
+
+`rnsh` isn't quite ready to be available on pip, but it will be.
+For the folks who are brave enough to try it now, you'll need
+Python 3.11. Clone this repo, start a venv, and install a few 
+packages (I'll keep adding them as I remember more things I
+installed)
+
+- psutil
+- docopt
+- RNS (from source, at least one pre-release feature is used)
+
+Then you can run it in using 
+`python <path_to_rnsh>/rnsh.py <options>`
+
+```
+Usage:
+    rnsh [--config <configdir>] [-i <identityfile>] [-s <service_name>] [-l] -p
+    rnsh -l [--config <configfile>] [-i <identityfile>] [-s <service_name>] [-v...] [-q...] [-b] 
+         (-n | -a <identity_hash> [-a <identity_hash>]...) [--] <program> [<arg>...]
+    rnsh [--config <configfile>] [-i <identityfile>] [-s <service_name>] [-v...] [-q...] [-N] [-m]
+         [-w <timeout>] <destination_hash>
+    rnsh -h
+    rnsh --version
+
+Options:
+    --config DIR             Alternate Reticulum config directory to use
+    -i FILE --identity FILE  Specific identity file to use
+    -s NAME --service NAME   Listen on/connect to specific service name if not default
+    -p --print-identity      Print identity information and exit
+    -l --listen              Listen (server) mode
+    -b --no-announce         Do not announce service
+    -a HASH --allowed HASH   Specify identities allowed to connect
+    -n --no-auth             Disable authentication
+    -N --no-id               Disable identify on connect
+    -m --mirror              Client returns with code of remote process
+    -w TIME --timeout TIME   Specify client connect and request timeout in seconds
+    -v --verbose             Increase verbosity
+    -q --quiet               Increase quietness
+    --version                Show version
+    -h --help                Show this help
+
+```
+
+## How it works
+
+1. Set up one or more listeners. Each listener is configured 
+   with an RNS identity, and a service name. Together, RNS makes
+   these into a destination hash that can be used to connect to
+   your listener.
+   
+   Multiple listeners can use the same identity. As long as 
+   they are given different service names. They will have 
+   different destination hashes and not conflict.
+   
+   Listeners must be configured with a command line to run (at 
+   least at this time). The identity hash string is set in the
+   environment variable RNS_REMOTE_IDENTITY for use in child
+   programs.
+   
+   Listeners are set up using the `-l` flag.
+   
+ 2. Set up your initiator (client) and get the identity hash. 
+    You'll need this value to configure the listener to allow 
+    your connection. It is possible to run the server without
+    authentication, but hopefully it's obvious that this is an
+    advanced use case. 
+    
+    To get the identity hash, use the `-p` flag.
+    
+    With the initiator identity set up in the listener command
+    line, and with the listener identity copied (you'll need to
+    do `-p` on the listener side, too), you can run the
+    initiator.
+    
+    I recommend staying pretty vanilla to start with and
+    trying `/bin/zsh` or whatever your favorite shell is these 
+    days. The shell should start in login mode. Ideally it
+    works just like an `ssh` shell session.
+   
+## Roadmap
+1. Plan a better roadmap
+2. ?
+3. Keep my day job
+
+## TODO
+- [X] ~~Initial version~~
+- [ ] Pip package with command-line utility support
+- [ ] Publish to PyPI
+- [ ] Improve signal handling
+- [ ] Protocol improvements (throughput!)
+- [ ] Test on several *nixes
+- [ ] Make it scriptable (currently requires a tty)
+- [ ] Documentation improvements