Improve React Native Transport Support and Compatibility

[luisawatkins]

Overview

React Native applications currently face significant limitations when using js-libp2p, with limited transport support and ongoing compatibility issues that hinder mobile app adoption.

Current Limitations

• Limited Transport Support: Not all transports are supported in React Native environment
• TCP Support Issues: Ongoing problems with TCP transport implementation
• Dependency Compatibility: Some underlying dependencies don't work as expected in React Native
• Platform Differences: Inconsistent behavior between iOS and Android platforms

Impact

• Critical for Mobile Adoption: Prevents mobile apps from fully leveraging libp2p capabilities
• User Experience: Limited functionality reduces the appeal of mobile p2p applications
• Market Reach: Excludes a significant portion of potential users

Proposed Solutions

1. Transport Layer Improvements

   • Enhance WebRTC transport for React Native
   • Implement fallback mechanisms for unsupported transports
   • Add transport detection and graceful degradation

2. Dependency Resolution

   • Audit and fix React Native incompatible dependencies
   • Create React Native specific polyfills where needed
   • Implement platform-specific code paths

3. Testing & Validation

   • Add comprehensive React Native testing suite
   • Test on both iOS and Android platforms
   • Validate with real React Native applications

Technical Details

• Affected Packages: @libp2p/transport-webrtc, @libp2p/transport-tcp
• Platforms: React Native (iOS/Android)
• Dependencies: react-native-webrtc, platform-specific modules