Connecting to People
There are two steps to connect to others.
- Add a locator to help you connect with others.
- Share your identity with people you want to connect with.
1. Using a Locator
To connect to people across the internet you need to use a locator. A free locator provided by mempko.com is added by default when you first run Fire★.
If you want to use a different locator or your own, you can click on Manage Contacts in the Contacts menu. This will open up the Contacts dialog. Then go to the Locator tab and click on the green add button.
The locator is a signaling service that helps Fire★ find your peers across the internet and helps initiate the peer-to-peer connections. None of your communication with someone is routed through a locator.
If you are using static IPs, you do not need to use a locator.
2. Adding Contacts
There are two ways you can connect to others.
- Using identities.
- Someone sent you an introduction.
Using Identities
Everyone has an identity and you can connect with others by giving them your identity and getting theirs.
You can email your identity to someone using the Contacts menu. Click on Email Identity which will open your mail client with a ready to send email.
To add someone as your contact, click on the Contacts menu and select Add Contact. Paste their identity and click on the green add button.
Once both of you have added each other, Fire★ should automatically connect you within a couple seconds. It will use the Locator to find the person you just added.
Introducing People
Fire★ has a mechanism where you can introduce a person to another in your contact list. To introduce someone, click on Manage Contacts in the Contacts menu. This will bring up a dialog. Click on Introductions tab and click the green introduction button at the bottom.
If you receive an introduction you can add that person by clicking on the green add button to the right of the introduction.
Both people have to be online to be able to introduce them to each other.
More About Locators
Locators do not route any of your communications. They simply are a signaling service that helps Fire★ locate your contacts across the internet when they change location and network address.
A Public Locator
A public locator is a locator that is run by someone or an organization for free. Mempko.com provides a public locator for your convenience.
- mempko.com:8080
If you are using ZeroTier One, a public locator is provided on the following network.
- Network: 8056c2e21cae4b10
- Locator: 10.181.3.204:7070
Using Your Own
You can also run your own locator by downloading the code and compiling it. Once compiled, running your own locator is as simple as running the firegreet executable.