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Show HN: Malai – securely share local TCP services (database/SSH) with others

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Re: Show HN: Malai – securely share local TCP services (database/SSH) with others

#31

Post by lxgr »

amitu wrote: post #18
candiddevmike wrote: post #17

I read the readme and I don't quite understand the relationship between malai and kulfi, or what the "total cost" (what I need to know, what I need to install) of the stack is here.

Kulfi is the official name of the project, and the name of the "peer to peer internet" "id52/identity based internet", so kulfi net. Kulfi App is going to be a browser like Google Chrome, available on various app stores, and it will speak both http over tcp and http over kulfi. Kulfi app acts like client (but is also a server, so on your iPhone tomorrow you can install Kulfi, which will let you access any http over k…

What's id52?

I feel like I'm missing a lot of context to understand what's being shared here.

Re: Show HN: Malai – securely share local TCP services (database/SSH) with others

#32

Post by lxgr »

immibis wrote: post #22

Kulfi red flags: Does the same thing as a bunch of other systems (e.g. Tor) without providing any comparison of what this one does better. Docs pages are TODO, certainly don't explain how it works. Website is "Copyright 2025 YourCompany, Inc." Discord link goes to something called "fastn" with apparently no relation to Kulfi.

To be fair, assigning copyright to the reader is a good first step to build trust :)

Re: Show HN: Malai – securely share local TCP services (database/SSH) with others

#34

Post by apitman »

I maintain a list of tunneling solutions here: https://github.com/anderspitman/awesome-tunneling

Usually my first question is what makes this different than the many existing options. Looks like the answer in this case is that it's p2p and built on iroh (which is built on QUIC), which I find interesting. Would love a PR on the list.

Re: Show HN: Malai – securely share local TCP services (database/SSH) with others

#35

Post by OJFord »

amitu wrote: post #13
OJFord wrote: post #12

'hehe, malai, wonder if they know' -- 'oh, kulfi, ok they definitely know' -- just a fun quirky name, or an analogy I'm missing?

malai: cream that forms on top of milk when it cools down, its a flavor of kulfi. kulfi: a milk based ice cream / desert. Nothing to do with networking etc, just a desert I enjoyed since childhood :-)

Yep, just wondered if there was some analogy/joke like malai is the layer on top and kulfi is.. I don't know, the rod that connects A to B or something (that's nonsense, but that's why I was asking!)

Anyway, project seems great and all, but I'll wait for pista. :)

Re: Show HN: Malai – securely share local TCP services (database/SSH) with others

#36

Post by [deleted] »

apitman wrote: post #34

I maintain a list of tunneling solutions here: https://github.com/anderspitman/awesome-tunneling Usually my first question is what makes this different than the many existing options. Looks like the answer in this case is that it's p2p and built on iroh (which is built on QUIC), which I find interesting. Would love a PR on the list.

[deleted]

Re: Show HN: Malai – securely share local TCP services (database/SSH) with others

#39

Post by p0w3n3d »

hamburglar wrote: post #38

This desperately needs a “how the hell does this work” page for either malai or kulfi (preferably both) because the vibe I’m getting is “it’s magic! Trust us and sign up for an account.”

It's magic man-in-the-middle and we're the magicians here

Re: Show HN: Malai – securely share local TCP services (database/SSH) with others

#40

Post by hamburglar »

p0w3n3d wrote: post #39
hamburglar wrote: post #38

This desperately needs a “how the hell does this work” page for either malai or kulfi (preferably both) because the vibe I’m getting is “it’s magic! Trust us and sign up for an account.”

It's magic man-in-the-middle and we're the magicians here

I’m always wary when there’s clearly some infrastructure required and it isn’t clear how it gets paid for. What’s the catch? What’s between my bridge listener and my target, and what’s their incentive to be there?
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