react-native support

[dyegolara]

I have tried to polyfill my react-native app so it could use the crypto native module, but then I realized that this library is meant to be used by clients, a lot of which doesn't support node's native crypto module.

May I suggest using some library instead, like https://github.com/entronad/crypto-es ?
Do you think it would be possible?

[aussedatlo]

With Expo and react-native, you can patch the new version of @noble/secp256k1 to use expo-random instead of node's native crypto module.

It's not the best solution but it work.

[fiatjaf]

I forgot to answer this, but that was fine because I didn't have an answer, and @aussedatlo has provided us with a potential solution here that I don't understand either.

@KoalaSat any insight here?

[KoalaSat]

Yes, I hacked it for Nostros by forking the cipher-base library and changing this dependency browserify/cipher-base@master...KoalaSat:cipher-base:master

At that point I'm just downloading it on my package https://github.com/KoalaSat/nostros/blob/main/package.json#L22

As a little bit of background, the issue is that nostr-tools depends on an ECMA version that Android still does not implements (can't remember the number it was like 19 vs 21 or something) but this only relays on a 3rd level dependency, so by changing that library you just make it compatible with Android's ECMA version

[KoalaSat]

you might also have problems with Buffer, let me know if it's your case @dyegolara

[fiatjaf]

In the newest nostr-tools version there is no usage of Buffer anymore.

[KoalaSat]

I wasn't aware of that then maybe I'll try to get rid of the hack for Nostros 👍

[facinick]

what's the status of this issue, does nostr-tools support react native now?

[Eosxx]

Try this.

import * as secp256k1 from "@noble/secp256k1";
import { randomBytes  } from 'react-native-randombytes'

secp256k1.utils.randomBytes = function (bytesLength  = 32) {
  return Uint8Array.from(randomBytes(bytesLength));
}

[earonesty]

@Eosxx even with randomBytes working, crypto.subtle isn't going to work on RN. not sure how this is a solution. need a polyfill for subtle for nostr-tools to work on RN reliably.

[earonesty]

looks like other projects just don't use the libs from nostr-tools instead.... https://github.com/KoalaSat/nostros/blob/main/frontend/lib/nostr/Nip04/index.ts. im having some luck with isomorphic-webcrypto. everything works but the randomBytes. going to patch it up soon, and then release a new version (maintainer unresponsive). don't like "rolling my own". nostr-tools has more eyeballs.

[Saleciani]

Any news on this? trying to implement a client with expo react-native and functions such as getSignature and generatePrivateKey do not seem to work.

I have had a quick fix for generatePrivate key such as

async function generatePrivateKey(): Promise<string> {
  const privateKeyBytes = await Crypto.digestStringAsync(Crypto.CryptoDigestAlgorithm.SHA256, Math.random().toString());
  return privateKeyBytes.substring(0, 64);
}

Any tips on getting around this?

[earonesty]

i use this: https://github.com/earonesty/isomorphic-webcrypto + expo-crypto

works fine to get you all the stuff you need. working on a faster one. will have it up in a week or so

[Saleciani]

So you are currently working on a PR to add react native support?

Or the solution you say is to use those libraries and emulate the functions from nostr tools?

[thevikas]

I am getting Property TextDecoder doesn't exists on my RN usage. Any way around it? any polyfills that work to implement this method in RN?

[earonesty]

https://www.npmjs.com/package/text-encoding-polyfill

[thevikas]

Is there any react native proj using nostr-tools? the getRandomValues is also undefined.

[minibits-cash]

I use nostr-tools in my RN project the following way:

1. Install react-native-quick-crypto following their readme. It exposes part of the node crypto functions using C++ implementation and JSI bridge - fast and without the need for shim.js
2. There are still some functions missing that are used by nostr-tools, notably crypto.subtle used e.g. for encrypting NIP04 messages. However encryption/decryption can be easily implemented using examples in nip04 docs that does not use subtle, just replace node crypto functions with their Quickcrypto implementation.

[SamSamskies]

I used react-native-get-random-values to polyfill crypto.getRandomValues. It's recommended in the README for @noble/curves. Haven't tested much, but signing events and generating private keys are now working for me.

[SamSamskies]

Using a SimplePool instance doesn't work for me in react native though. I haven't been able to figure out why. I've tried both pool.publish and pool.get and both don't work. Promises all get rejected. Works fine if I use relay.publish and relay.get.

[gasparnd]

Someone can use nostr-tools in React Native? I have the next problems:
Error: crypto.getRandomValues must be defined
Error: crypto.getRandomValues must be defined

[gasparnd]

With Expo and react-native, you can patch the new version of @noble/secp256k1 to use expo-random instead of node's native crypto module.

It's not the best solution but it work.

Can your share the code please, i have a bare react native app with Expo modules and it doesn't work for me

[SamSamskies]

With Expo and react-native, you can patch the new version of @noble/secp256k1 to use expo-random instead of node's native crypto module.
It's not the best solution but it work.

Can your share the code please, i have a bare react native app with Expo modules and it doesn't work for me

Try using react-native-get-random-values. That's I used for the Wavlake mobile app.

https://github.com/wavlake/mobile/blob/467b0824c5adde4da556e86e478ee9a6a1b4cb61/utils/nostr.ts#L4-L5

[gasparnd]

With Expo and react-native, you can patch the new version of @noble/secp256k1 to use expo-random instead of node's native crypto module.
It's not the best solution but it work.

Can your share the code please, i have a bare react native app with Expo modules and it doesn't work for me

Try using react-native-get-random-values. That's I used for the Wavlake mobile app.

https://github.com/wavlake/mobile/blob/467b0824c5adde4da556e86e478ee9a6a1b4cb61/utils/nostr.ts#L4-L5

It works fine, but the moment I set up React navigation it stopped working. What can i do? I'm presenting the same problem that i received before

[Egge21M]

It works fine, but the moment I set up React navigation it stopped working. What can i do? I'm presenting the same problem that i received before

Did you upgrade nostr-tools? Later versions are even less compatible with react-native.

Here is what works for all the projects that I work on:

• [email protected] (pre curves and MessageQueue
• patch @noble packages to use expo-crypto for entropy
• polyfill TextEncoder and TextDecoder