ChattyBuddy

ChattyBuddy is a lightweight WPF peer-to-peer chat utility that uses Tailscale to discover and connect to devices on your mesh network.

Features

• Lightweight floating chat window
• Dark / Light theme that follows Windows app theme
• Persistent chat history per device
• Nudge feature with custom sound
• Auto-start with intelligent wait for Tailscale on boot
• Built-in update checker (downloads installer from GitHub Releases)

Requirements

• Windows 10/11
• Tailscale installed and logged in
• .NET runtime or use the self-contained published EXE

Install (recommended)

1. Download the installer from the Releases page: https://github.com/folliejester/ChattyBuddy/releases
2. Run the installer. It will bundle the published app and can download the Tailscale installer if missing.

Build (developer)

dotnet publish -c Release -r win-x64 --self-contained true /p:PublishSingleFile=true Place the publish output into the installer folder before building the Inno Setup script.

Usage

• Launch ChattyBuddy, select a Tailscale device, then click Connect.
• The app auto-start option registers a run key; on boot ChattyBuddy waits silently for the Tailscale network to be available before showing the UI.

Configuration & Assets

• Custom nudge sound (Optional, already shipped with one): place Nudge.wav in Assets next to the installed EXE.
• App icon (Optional again, already shipped with one) asset live in Assets/ in the project.

Troubleshooting

• If auto-start fails, verify the Run registry entry at HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run.
• If update downloads are flagged by AV, submit the binary to VirusTotal and request vendor reanalysis; code-signing reduces false positives.

FAQ

Q: Do I need to install Tailscale separately?

A: Yes, Tailscale must be installed and running on your machine for ChattyBuddy to discover peers.

Q: Does ChattyBuddy work over the regular internet?

A: ChattyBuddy is designed to work over your private Tailscale mesh network.

Q: Where are my chat logs stored?

A: Chat history is stored locally on your device.

Q: Does ChattyBuddy run on macOS or Linux?

A: Currently, ChattyBuddy is a Windows-only application (WPF).

Q: How do I switch between Dark and Light mode?

A: The application automatically follows your Windows system theme settings.

Q: What does the "Nudge" feature do?

A: It plays a sound on the recipient's device and shakes their window to get their attention.

Q: Is it lightweight?

A: You be the judge.

Contributing

Fork the repo, create a branch, implement changes, and open a PR. See CONTRIBUTING.md in repo (if present).

License

MIT — see LICENSE in the repository.

Releases

Releases and installers are available at https://github.com/folliejester/ChattyBuddy/releases