Tlon / Urbit - profClaw

profClaw includes experimental support for the Urbit network via Tlon. Urbit is a decentralized OS and network where each user controls their own server (a ship). Tlon is the primary messaging client for Urbit.

Overview

Urbit messaging works differently from traditional chat platforms:

Each user runs their own “ship” (server node)
Identity is based on cryptographic keys, not accounts
Messages are peer-to-peer
No central server or account required

Capabilities

Feature	Supported
Direct messages (DMs)	Yes
Group chats (Channels)	Yes
Encrypted transit	Yes (Urbit built-in)
Long-form posts	Yes
Notebooks	No
Collections	No

Requirements

A running Urbit ship (comet, planet, or star)
Urbit HTTP API accessible
Tlon installed on the ship

Setup

Set up an Urbit ship

Follow urbit.org/getting-started to boot a ship. A comet (free, temporary identity) works for testing.

# Boot a comet
urbit -c mycomet

Get your ship's URL and code

Once running, note your ship’s HTTP port (usually 8080) and access code:

# In the Urbit dojo:
+code

Configure profClaw

TLON_SHIP_URL=http://localhost:8080
TLON_ACCESS_CODE=sampel-palnet-sampel-palnet
TLON_SHIP_NAME=~sampel-palnet

Environment Variables

string

required

HTTP URL of your Urbit ship (e.g., http://localhost:8080).

string

required

Ship access code from +code in the dojo.

string

required

Your ship’s Urbit name (e.g., ~sampel-palnet).

Configuration Example

.env
settings.yml

TLON_SHIP_URL=http://localhost:8080
TLON_ACCESS_CODE=sampel-palnet-sampel-palnet
TLON_SHIP_NAME=~sampel-palnet

chat:
  tlon:
    ship_url: "${TLON_SHIP_URL}"
    access_code: "${TLON_ACCESS_CODE}"
    ship_name: "${TLON_SHIP_NAME}"

Notes

Status: Experimental
Urbit/Tlon has a small but dedicated community. Best for privacy-focused deployments.
Ship names come in the form ~sampel-palnet (planets) or ~sampel-palnet-sampel-palnet (comets).
Comets are free to boot but are anonymous. Planets are NFT-style identities.
The Tlon provider uses Urbit’s Eyre HTTP API for subscription-based message delivery.

Chat Providers Overview - Compare all 27 supported channels
Matrix - Another decentralized federated messaging protocol
Signal - End-to-end encrypted private messaging
Custom Chat Providers - Build your own provider integration

​Overview

​Capabilities

​Requirements

​Setup

​Environment Variables

​Configuration Example

​Notes

​Related

Overview

Capabilities

Requirements

Setup

Environment Variables

Configuration Example

Notes

Related