WhisperBox: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 21:01, 4 November 2026

WhisperBox

What it does: Forms and surveys with each answer end-to-end encrypted, synced peer to peer over Logos Messaging

Stage: Prototype

Licence: MIT or Apache-2.0

Verified on 4 November 2026 against README and commit of 3 November 2026.

WhisperBox is a forms and surveys app for Basecamp and Android that syncs peer to peer over Logos Messaging, with each answer end-to-end encrypted to the form's key. It is a rebuild of whisperbox-org/whisperbox for the Logos stack, published by the GitHub user vpavlin.

What it does

Lets a researcher publish a form. Respondents submit answers sealed to the form key, so that, the README says, only the creator and co-owners can read them.
Syncs over one shared Logos Messaging topic with its own catch-up for late joiners. The README says there is no server and no central store of readable data.
Lets the creator close and reopen a form, edit a published form, add co-owners, and send private replies or quiz scores.
Signs every answer inside the sealed payload. Forms limited to listed addresses and editable forms drop unsigned answers. Forms open to anyone show them as unverified.
Exports answers as CSV, with unverified answers marked.
Runs on Android through Loam, a separate app that runs one shared Logos node for the phone, or on its own node without Loam.
Runs headless as a hub, with the core under logosctl, the command-line host for the Basecamp 0.3 runtime.

The README lists the limits of its privacy model. Form definitions are public, and relaying nodes see which node sent an answer and when. Co-owner access cannot be revoked, there is no forward secrecy (a leaked key could expose earlier answers too), and local data in ~/.whisperbox-core is not encrypted.

Stage: Prototype. The README states no stage. The page lists it as Prototype because it has working code and install steps. It says WhisperBox 0.3.x, the version for Basecamp 0.2.x, "is no longer maintained". The README does not say whether it is an official Logos project.

Use it

This needs Basecamp 0.3. Add the repository https://apps.vpavlin.xyz/logos-repo.json and install WhisperBox. It pulls whisperbox_core and its transport loam_core, which brings the official delivery_module.
Always update whisperbox and whisperbox_core together.
On Android, install Loam and WhisperBox from the F-Droid repository https://apps.vpavlin.xyz/fdroid/repo ("Logos Apps"). Open Loam once and approve WhisperBox when asked. Without Loam, WhisperBox runs its own node.

Both packages are listed for Linux x64, Linux ARM64 and macOS (Apple Silicon). For the view, the README adds "from 0.4.2".

Build it

nix build .#whisperbox_core .#whisperbox builds the packages.
scripts/test.sh runs every test layer that does not need nix.
docs/BUILD.md covers the toolchain, the .lgx builds, the arm64 Android APK and releasing.

Releases

The latest tags are arm64-0.5.4 and darwin-0.5.4, both dated 3 November 2026. module/metadata.json gives whisperbox version 0.5.4, and whisperbox_core/metadata.json gives whisperbox_core version 0.5.4.

Sources

whisperbox-logos README, GitHub, last commit 3 November 2026
module/metadata.json and whisperbox_core/metadata.json, GitHub
whisperbox-logos tags, GitHub

Page status: Stub. Stub · Outline · Usable · Guide · Star. Anyone can improve this page and change its status.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Infobox tool
 | name        = WhisperBox
-| what        = Privacy-first forms and surveys, end-to-end encrypted, synced peer to peer over Logos Messaging
+| what        = Forms and surveys with each answer end-to-end encrypted, synced peer to peer over Logos Messaging
 | stage       = Prototype
 | licence     = MIT or Apache-2.0
@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 == What it does ==
-* Lets a researcher publish a form. Respondents submit answers sealed to the form key, so only the creator and co-owners can read them.
+* Lets a researcher publish a form. Respondents submit answers sealed to the form key, so that, the README says, only the creator and co-owners can read them.
-* Syncs over one shared Logos Messaging topic with its own catch-up for late joiners. There is no server and no central store of readable data.
+* Syncs over one shared Logos Messaging topic with its own catch-up for late joiners. The README says there is no server and no central store of readable data.
 * Lets the creator close and reopen a form, edit a published form, add co-owners, and send private replies or quiz scores.
-* Signs every answer inside the sealed payload. Forms limited to listed addresses drop unsigned answers, and forms open to anyone show them as unverified.
+* Signs every answer inside the sealed payload. Forms limited to listed addresses and editable forms drop unsigned answers. Forms open to anyone show them as unverified.
 * Exports answers as CSV, with unverified answers marked.
-* Runs on Android through the Loam shared node, or on its own node without Loam.
+* Runs on Android through Loam, a separate app that runs one shared Logos node for the phone, or on its own node without Loam.
-* Runs headless as a hub, with the core under <code>logosctl</code>.
+* Runs headless as a hub, with the core under <code>logosctl</code>, the command-line host for the Basecamp 0.3 runtime.
-The README lists the limits of its privacy model. Form definitions are public, relaying nodes see which node sent an answer and when, co-owner access cannot be revoked, there is no forward secrecy, and local data in <code>~/.whisperbox-core</code> is not encrypted.
+The README lists the limits of its privacy model. Form definitions are public, and relaying nodes see which node sent an answer and when. Co-owner access cannot be revoked, there is no forward secrecy (a leaked key could expose earlier answers too), and local data in <code>~/.whisperbox-core</code> is not encrypted.
 Stage: Prototype. The README states no stage. The page lists it as Prototype because it has working code and install steps. It says WhisperBox 0.3.x, the version for Basecamp 0.2.x, "is no longer maintained". The README does not say whether it is an official Logos project.