AutoConf General Availability

[lidel]

Stage 0: prototype

Prototype with 1 project (Kubo, as it has the most things supported) to identify correct abstractions.

• initial schema for feedback
• initial prototype in Kubo feat(config): AutoConf with "auto" placeholders ipfs/kubo#10883
• iterate/agree on JSON schema
• update feat(config): AutoConf with "auto" placeholders ipfs/kubo#10883 to new schema
• Document Threat Model and Risk Mitigations #5
• agree (freeze) JSON schema is good enough
• boxo client library feat: autoconf client library ipfs/boxo#997
• Rainbow prototype feat(config): AutoConf with "auto" placeholders ipfs/rainbow#286

Stage 2: GA

Switch the most popular or impactful projects to use AutoConfig and not hardcoded bootstrappers etc.

GO

• released Kubo with AutoConfig (feat(config): AutoConf with "auto" placeholders ipfs/kubo#10883)
  • docs updated as well
• released Rainbow with AutoConfig (feat(config): AutoConf with "auto" placeholders ipfs/rainbow#286)
  • docs updated as well
• released Someguy with AutoConfig (PR: feat: autoconf support ipfs/someguy#123)
  • https://github.com/ipfs/someguy/releases/tag/v0.11.0
  • docs updated as well

JS

• released Verified Fetch with AutoConfig (PR: TODO)
  • docs / examples updated as well
• released inbrowser.link with AutoConfig (PR: TODO)
  • docs / examples updated as well
• TBD plan for Helia itself (also remove hardcoded defaults and use AutoConfig?)

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Obligatory painting commemorating this endeavor:

"The AutoConf" (1533) by Hans Holbein the Younger

[cewood]

Since this isn't an official grant item, we're happy to de-prioritise the last JS parts of this, temporarily, to land any last-minute Service Worker Gateway things before the libp2p team winds down.

[lidel]

As a provisional solution the JS side of things uses autoconf via https://delegated-ipfs.dev/routing/v1 (backed by someguy >=0.11 https://github.com/ipfs/someguy/releases/tag/v0.11.0).

Implementation in JS needs to be triaged for 2026+