Making separate SSB networks

@Dan %uYz6apr...

To make a pub/node isolated from the main SSB network, you must change either or ideally both of two config settings. Then any peers must use these same settings to be able to communicate with your node.

The config settings are these capability keys:

• caps.shs - "shs cap", "network ID", "network key". Isolates gossip / peer connections.
• caps.sign - "sign cap", "signing key". Isolates signing/verification/replication of messages.

More info:

• %tWGy2kn... - @josiah posted about how to set both capability keys, for making test networks. Note that the scuttlebot module was renamed to ssb-server - but it still provides the sbot command.
• %vABVV1P... - comment by @keks about sign cap
• %qQxD+1r... - thread by @mixmix - shs cap as network identifier
• %Jm+/spO... - thread by @micro - calculating network keys from mnemonics
• %s9hJIVd... - thread by @cinnamon about separate networks
• %9yC1XNJ... - comment by @cel (me) explaining this previously
• https://github.com/ssbc/ssb-config - config settings documented

@Stavros you're welcome.

Rather than a pub with members, I would see the situation rather as a network with participants. Any participant could announce their own pub to the network as well, and then your pub is no longer a single hub for the network. But the network does remain private, limited to whomever has the cap keys.

Every participant has to edit their ~/.ssb/config to set the cap keys, unless their SSB app has its own way to change the settings.

Another reference for use of cap keys I should have listed:

• %ZulcQJm... - @regular - using a public key as a network key

Note you can't and DO NOT WANT TO change the caps.sign after you've started a feed.

For reference #ahau has different caps for production + development, and neither are the same as ssb-main network caps.