feat: host-derived nicks and generic identity

Nick is now deterministically generated from the exit endpoint
hostname via seeded markov chain. Same exit IP always produces the
same nick. Config nick field is optional fallback only.

Registration uses generic ident (user/ident) and realname
(realname/unknown) instead of random markov words.

Also fixes compose env vars and build target to use podman-compose.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

Containerfile

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ RUN pip install --no-cache-dir \
     "aiosqlite>=0.19"
 
 ENV PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1
+ENV PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE=1
 ENV PYTHONPATH=/app/src
 
 VOLUME /app/src

Makefile

@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ run: ## Run bouncer locally
 	$(BOUNCER) --config config/bouncer.toml
 
 build: ## Build container image
-	podman build -t $(APP_NAME) -f Containerfile .
+	podman-compose build
 
 up: ## Start container (podman-compose)
 	podman-compose up -d

compose.yaml

@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ services:
     network_mode: host
     logging:
       driver: k8s-file
+    environment:
+      PYTHONUNBUFFERED: "1"
+      PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE: "1"
+      PYTHONPATH: /app/src
     volumes:
       - ./src:/app/src:Z,ro
       - ./config:/data:Z

config/bouncer.example.toml

@@ -13,13 +13,15 @@ port = 1080
 
 # Registration uses a random nick and generic ident/realname.
 # After surviving the probation window (no k-line), the bouncer
-# switches to your configured nick and joins channels.
+# derives a stable nick from the exit endpoint hostname. The same
+# exit IP always produces the same nick across reconnects.
+# Set nick to override (optional, used as fallback only).
 
 [networks.libera]
 host = "irc.libera.chat"
 port = 6697
 tls = true
-nick = "mynick"
+# nick = "mynick"       # optional: override host-derived nick
 channels = ["#test"]
 autojoin = true
 
@@ -27,5 +29,4 @@ autojoin = true
 # host = "irc.oftc.net"
 # port = 6697
 # tls = true
-# nick = "mynick"
 # channels = ["#debian"]

src/bouncer/config.py

@@ -39,9 +39,9 @@ class NetworkConfig:
     host: str
     port: int = 6667
     tls: bool = False
-    nick: str = "bouncer"
-    user: str = "bouncer"
-    realname: str = "bouncer"
+    nick: str = ""
+    user: str = ""
+    realname: str = ""
     channels: list[str] = field(default_factory=list)
     autojoin: bool = True
     password: str | None = None
@@ -94,9 +94,9 @@ def load(path: Path) -> Config:
             host=net_raw["host"],
             port=net_raw.get("port", 6697 if net_raw.get("tls", False) else 6667),
             tls=net_raw.get("tls", False),
-            nick=net_raw.get("nick", "bouncer"),
-            user=net_raw.get("user", net_raw.get("nick", "bouncer")),
-            realname=net_raw.get("realname", "bouncer"),
+            nick=net_raw.get("nick", ""),
+            user=net_raw.get("user", ""),
+            realname=net_raw.get("realname", ""),
             channels=net_raw.get("channels", []),
             autojoin=net_raw.get("autojoin", True),
             password=net_raw.get("password"),

src/bouncer/network.py

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import asyncio
+import hashlib
 import logging
 import random
 from enum import Enum, auto
@@ -98,15 +99,41 @@ def _random_nick() -> str:
     return base
 
 
-def _random_user() -> str:
-    """Generate a pronounceable ident."""
-    return _markov_word(4, 7)
+_GENERIC_IDENTS = ["user", "ident"]
+_GENERIC_REALNAMES = ["realname", "unknown"]
 
 
-def _random_realname() -> str:
-    """Generate a plausible first-name-like realname."""
-    name = _markov_word(4, 7)
-    return name[0].upper() + name[1:]
+def _nick_for_host(host: str) -> str:
+    """Generate a deterministic pronounceable nick from a hostname.
+
+    The same hostname always produces the same nick. Uses the host string
+    as a seed for the markov generator so nicks are stable across reconnects
+    to known endpoints.
+    """
+    seed = int(hashlib.sha256(host.encode()).hexdigest(), 16)
+    rng = random.Random(seed)
+    length = rng.randint(5, 8)
+    ch = rng.choice(_STARTERS)
+    word = [ch]
+    consonant_run = 0 if ch in _VOWELS else 1
+
+    for _ in range(length - 1):
+        followers = _BIGRAMS.get(ch, "aeiou")
+        if consonant_run >= 2:
+            vowels = [c for c in followers if c in _VOWELS]
+            ch = rng.choice(vowels) if vowels else rng.choice("aeiou")
+        else:
+            ch = rng.choice(followers)
+        if ch in _VOWELS:
+            consonant_run = 0
+        else:
+            consonant_run += 1
+        word.append(ch)
+
+    base = "".join(word)
+    if rng.random() < 0.3:
+        base += str(rng.randint(0, 99))
+    return base
 
 
 class Network:
@@ -121,7 +148,7 @@ class Network:
         self.cfg = cfg
         self.proxy_cfg = proxy_cfg
         self.on_message = on_message
-        self.nick: str = cfg.nick
+        self.nick: str = cfg.nick or "*"
         self.channels: set[str] = set()
         self.state: State = State.DISCONNECTED
         self._reader: asyncio.StreamReader | None = None
@@ -201,7 +228,10 @@ class Network:
             if self.cfg.password:
                 await self.send_raw("PASS", self.cfg.password)
             await self.send_raw("NICK", self._connect_nick)
-            await self.send_raw("USER", _random_user(), "0", "*", _random_realname())
+            await self.send_raw(
+                "USER", random.choice(_GENERIC_IDENTS), "0", "*",
+                random.choice(_GENERIC_REALNAMES),
+            )
 
             # Start reading
             self._read_task = asyncio.create_task(self._read_loop())
@@ -293,14 +323,20 @@ class Network:
         await self._go_ready()
 
     async def _go_ready(self) -> None:
-        """Transition to ready: switch to desired nick, then join channels."""
+        """Transition to ready: switch to host-derived nick, then join channels."""
         self.state = State.READY
 
-        # Switch from random nick to desired nick
-        if self._connect_nick != self.cfg.nick:
-            log.info("[%s] switching nick: %s -> %s", self.cfg.name, self.nick, self.cfg.nick)
-            await self.send_raw("NICK", self.cfg.nick)
-            # nick will be updated when we get the NICK confirmation from server
+        # Derive a stable nick from the exit endpoint
+        if self.visible_host:
+            desired = _nick_for_host(self.visible_host)
+        elif self.cfg.nick:
+            desired = self.cfg.nick
+        else:
+            desired = _random_nick()
+        log.info("[%s] switching nick: %s -> %s (host=%s)", self.cfg.name, self.nick, desired,
+                 self.visible_host or "unknown")
+        await self.send_raw("NICK", desired)
+        # nick will be updated when we get the NICK confirmation from server
 
         # Join configured channels
         if self.cfg.autojoin and self.cfg.channels: