Files
wraith/docs/architecture/decisions/001-pluggable-transport.md
glm-5.1 dad8224686 Add architecture specification for wraith SSH tunnel tool
Docs:
- README.md: index with doc table, ADR table, lifecycle definitions
- overview.md: purpose, exports, dependencies, constraints
- transport.md: Transport trait, TCP/TLS/iroh implementations, stream join
- client.md: SOCKS5 server, port forwarding, channel manager, reconnection
- server.md: auth, channel handling, stealth mode, outbound proxy
- tun-shim.md: separate privileged process, virtual DNS, --unshare mode
- napi-and-pubsub.md: NAPI wrapper, pubsub event target adapter

ADRs:
- 001: Pluggable transport via AsyncRead+AsyncWrite trait
- 002: TUN shim as separate process
- 003: iroh stream via tokio::io::join
- 004: SSH runs over transport, not alongside
- 005: SOCKS5 as primary interface, TUN as add-on
- 006(007): NAPI exposes single duplex stream

Open questions: 11 items covering TLS certs, iroh relay defaults,
Windows TUN, auth expansion, NAPI surface, TCP reconstruction
2026-06-01 15:01:45 +00:00

26 lines
2.1 KiB
Markdown

# ADR-001: Pluggable Transport via AsyncRead+AsyncWrite Trait
## Status
Accepted
## Context
Wraith needs to support multiple transport modes (TCP, TLS, iroh) for SSH sessions. Each mode has different connection establishment logic but produces the same result: a bidirectional byte stream. Without an abstraction, each transport would need its own SSH connection code path.
russh's `client::connect_stream()` and `server::run_stream()` both accept `AsyncRead + AsyncWrite + Unpin + Send`, meaning SSH is already transport-agnostic at the API level. The design question is whether to enshrine this in wraith's own type system or handle each transport case-by-case.
## Decision
Define a `Transport` trait that produces `AsyncRead + AsyncWrite + Unpin + Send` streams. Each transport (TCP, TLS, iroh) implements this trait. The SSH layer calls `transport.connect()` and passes the result to `russh::client::connect_stream()`.
On the server side, define a `TransportAcceptor` trait that produces incoming streams. Each acceptor (TCP listener, TLS listener, iroh endpoint) implements this trait. The server calls `acceptor.accept()` and passes the result to `russh::server::run_stream()`.
This makes adding a new transport (e.g., WebSocket, QUIC directly) a matter of implementing the trait, not modifying SSH code.
## Consequences
- **Positive**: Clean separation between transport and protocol. Adding transports is additive. SSH code is transport-agnostic.
- **Positive**: Testing is simplified — mock transports can produce in-memory streams.
- **Negative**: Slight indirection for the single-transport case (just TCP). The trait boilerplate is minimal though.
- **Negative**: The trait must be object-safe if we want dynamic dispatch. Using `impl Trait` in function signatures avoids this but limits runtime transport selection. CLI-selected transport needs dynamic dispatch: `Box<dyn Transport<Stream = Box<dyn AsyncRead+AsyncWrite+Unpin+Send>>>`.
## References
- [transport.md](../transport.md)
- [Feasibility assessment §3](../../../../conversations/research/ssh-tunnel-vpn-alternative-feasibility.md)