
Show HN: Pichi – An application-layer proxy which can be controlled via API - pichi-router
https://github.com/pichi-router/pichi
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conmarap
This looks pretty cool, although it's missing a little more explanation on how
to actually use it. I think the API section doesn't have enough information.

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pichi-router
Please follow the link ([https://app.swaggerhub.com/apis/pichi-router/pichi-
api/1.2](https://app.swaggerhub.com/apis/pichi-router/pichi-api/1.2)) to get
full API document, or some suggestions in detail are welcome.

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rahimnathwani
First, thanks for creating and sharing this. Second, I'd like to offer some
thoughts related to what you said above ("some suggestions in detail are
welcome"):

You describe it as:

1) An application-layer proxy

2) Which can be controlled by an API

The README and the Swagger API docs do a reasonable job of explaining #2. But
it doesn't include much about #1.

First-time visitors might find it helpful if you started off by explaining the
basics:

\- What are some situation in which you might want to use this?

\- What was your motivation for creating this? (What were you using before,
and what was missing that made you want something different?)

\- An example of how to set it up for a simple use case (not just how to
install pichi, but how to point the other software to it (e.g. what protocol
do clients use to talk to Pichi?)

For example, let's say I install Pichi, and then use the API to point it to
several SS servers. What do I do next? How do connect my web browser to Pichi
so that the traffic goes via those servers?

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pichi-router
Thanks for these comments.

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rahimnathwani
Is this an alternative to using HAProxy + SS + URL whitelists/blacklists?

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pichi-router
Not fully. Cons I think so far might contain:

1\. much lower performance than HAProxy; 2\. there is no direct design for
white/black lists, which has to be setup mannually and carefully; 3\. only IP
range, domain name, country of IP, regex pattern of domain are supported, no
URL yet; 4\. no UDP support yet.

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fiatjaf
What is an application-layer proxy?

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pichi-router
Just proxy

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dvh
Piči (pronounced pichi) is a common Slovak cussword, it means (to) vagina.

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tdhz77
Fascinating. Do you have an opinion on if they should keep name or not?

I’m in favor.

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dvh
Mám v piči (I don't care)

