Interoperability between py-libp2p & go-libp2p

[seetadev]

🔄 Py ↔ Go libp2p Interoperability: /ipfs/ping/1.0.0

The aim of this project is to establish interoperability between py-libp2p and go-libp2p, focusing on the foundational /ipfs/ping/1.0.0 protocol.

By validating cross-language compatibility, we aim to support protocol research, testbed infrastructure, and development tooling across multiple libp2p implementations.

🎯 Objective

Ensure a py-libp2p node can connect to and exchange pings with a go-libp2p node using:

• /ipfs/ping/1.0.0 protocol
• TCP transport
• Multiaddr-based peer discovery

🛠️ Tech Stack

Component	Technology
Python node	py-libp2p
Go node	go-libp2p
Protocol	/ipfs/ping/1.0.0
Transport	TCP
Format	32-byte raw echo ping

✅ Phase 0: Setup & Basic Ping

Go (Listener)

• Run a basic go-libp2p ping server (use examples from go-libp2p/examples)
• Listen on a TCP multiaddr and log peer events

Python (Dialer)

• Launch a minimal py-libp2p node
• Connect to Go peer using multiaddr
• Dial /ipfs/ping/1.0.0 and send a 32-byte payload
• Validate echoed response

🔍 Phase 1: Interop Validation

Tests

• Validate handshake and stream opening
• Measure round-trip latency
• Compare behavior with malformed payloads or timeouts

Logs

• Log peer IDs, multiaddrs, payloads, and latencies

📦 Directory Structure

interop-py-go-libp2p/
├── go_node/
│   └── main.go             # Go ping server
├── py_node/
│   └── ping_client.py      # Python dialer
├── scripts/
│   └── run_test.sh         # Launch & validate
├── README.md               # This file

Sample Multiaddr Flow

# Go node prints:
Listening on /ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/9000/p2p/QmGoNode

# Python node dials:
/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/9000/p2p/QmGoNode

📊 Success Criteria

• Stream to /ipfs/ping/1.0.0 opens
• Ping echoed back within acceptable RTT (<100ms localhost)
• No data loss, mismatch, or protocol errors

🚀 Future Roadmap

Once ping is interoperable:

• Add /libp2p/identify/1.0.0 interop test
• Enable NAT traversal (using relay and /libp2p/dcutr)
• Extend to WebRTC and QUIC transports