This project is an educational implementation of a networked application, built to explore core concepts such as client–server architecture, TCP sockets, blocking vs non-blocking I/O, and collaborative debugging. It prioritizes learning and clarity over production readiness.

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Who This Project Is For

• Students learning networking fundamentals
• Beginner cybersecurity practitioners
• Anyone wanting a hands-on introduction to TCP sockets without heavy abstractions

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Tech Stack

• Language: Python 3.x
• Core Libraries: socket, select (Python standard library)
• Operating System: Linux (developed and tested on Kali Linux)
• Optional Tooling: Public TCP tunnel (e.g., Pinggy) for remote access

No external dependencies or databases are used.

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Features

• TCP-based client–server chat
• Multiple concurrent clients
• Event-driven I/O using select()
• Message broadcasting (including sender echo)
• Temporary client identifiers (scalable to usernames)

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Demo / Screenshots / GIFs

TODO: Add screenshots or GIFs

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Requirements

• Linux OS
• Python 3.9+
• OpenSSH client (optional, for tunnel usage)

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Installation

git clone https://github.com/ZakariaHn/chat-socket.git
cd chat-socket
pip install -r requirements.txt

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Environment Variables

.env.example

SERVER_HOST=0.0.0.0
SERVER_PORT=5050
CLIENT_SERVER_HOST=localhost
CLIENT_SERVER_PORT=5050

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How to Run

Start server

python3 src/server.py

Start client

python3 src/client.py