A Python-based GUI frontend for the Nebula mesh network CLI client for Windows and MacOS.
Read the Documentation in the Wiki
Pulsar is developed and maintained by JS Prodüksiyon Ltd. Şti. and is presented under the GNU GPL v3.0.
This document is also available in German (Deutsch) andTurkish (Türkçe).
This document was last updated on 2024-06-28.
Nebula client binary version 1.8.2
As nice as the Nebula mesh network is, it takes some technical know-how to implement. Many users are not technically savvy enough to handle the CLI commands necessary to run Nebula properly. As we have several such users in our organization, it behooved us to write a fairly simple GUI to allow the user to connect to the Nebula network. Setup takes a tiny bit of help by the IT department, but once it's running, it should be fairly easy to use.
| OS | Source | Compiled |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 11 | Works | Works |
| Windows 10 | Untested | Works |
| Windows 7 | Untested | Does not work |
| MacOS 13.6 (Intel) | Works | Works |
| MacOS 14.2 (M1) | Works | Works |
Technically speaking Pulsar should run on any OS that can handle Python 3.11 and the Nebula client. While we don't have the ability to test all platforms, looking at Python 3.11, PyQT 6.7, and Nebula system requirements, this application will run on the following operating systems:
- Windows: 11, 10
- macOS: Sonoma 14, Ventura 13, Monterey 12, Big Sur 11
Since we don't need this application to run on Linux, we did not add that functionality. However, if you want to fork it and make it work there, be our Guest.
PyQT 6 and Mac M1 chipset incompatibilities cause opening of the system file picker dialog and pasting into text boxes to fail. However, the application works if required information is typed in by hand. See the Wiki for details.
Please note that we are currently only giving minimal support to the MacOS version of Pulsar, as our company needs are focused on a working Windows client.
You can find compiled releases for Pulsar that work on Windows and MacOS by visiting the Releases page.
Download the latest release, unzip the file in a location of your choosing and run the enclosed executable. Pulsar does not need to be installed to be used.
You can manually add a shortcut link to Pulsar to the Start menu in Windows or the Launcher in MacOS
Pulsar requires Python 3.11 to run.
You can clone the source code of Pulsar to your machine by opening a CLI (PowerShell in Windows or Terminal on MacOS) using the git clone https://github.com/JS-Produksiyon/pulsar.git command.
Once cloned, create a virtual environment: python3.11 -m venv venv
Activate the virtual environment in Windows with venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1 or use source venv/bin/activate on MacOS.
Install the required packages using pip install -r requirements.txt
Once the requirements are installed, run the program with the command python src/pulsar.py
Due to the fact that the Nebula CLI client requires superuser access, Pulsar will automatically attempt to elevate its privileges, either with an UAC prompt on Windows or requesting your password on MacOS.
On first run, Pulsar will require you to select the necessary Nebula .yaml config file. Once you have selected this, click Save Settings and you should be able to immediately connect to the Nebula network by clicking the big green button.
The IT department will need to supply the Nebula CA file, and the user private key and certificate files along with the
.yamlconfiguration file.
Closing the Pulsar window will not end the program. You must do this by either clicking the Quit Pulsar button or by right-clicking the Pulsar icon System Tray (Windows) or by clicking on the Pulsar icon in the Menu Bar (MacOS) and selecting Quit.
Additionally, Pulsar provides the option of adding entries to the local hosts file to allow for easy domain name based access to the various resources the user needs to access.
These IP Address / Hostname pairs in
hostsfile format needs to be provided by the IT department.
The Nebula mesh network tool is named after the heavenly luminous gases that contain many stars. A mesh network is rather amorphous and contains many nodes as well. This application makes it possible for one node to connect to the network, much like one star exists in the nebula. And because it puts out a pulse to connect, the image of the pulsar, a magnetized neutron star that pulses at a certain frequency, seemed an apt image. Thus you use Pulsar to connect to the Nebula. Enjoy!