Implement go-libp2p interop tests (echo protocol over QUIC)

[Jineshbansal]

Fixes #1136

What was wrong?

The tests/interop/go_libp2p/ directory only contained a placeholder test that didn't verify any actual interoperability with go-libp2p. This meant py-libp2p had no automated way to verify it can communicate with the reference libp2p implementation (go-libp2p) .

Related: Following the pattern established by nim-libp2p interop tests

How was it fixed?

Implemented a complete interop testing suite that verifies py-libp2p can communicate with go-libp2p over QUIC transport using the echo protocol (/echo/1.0.0).

Components Added

1. Go Echo Server (go_echo_server.go

   • Lightweight go-libp2p server that echoes back messages
   • Uses QUIC transport (same as py-libp2p tests)
   • Implements msgio varint-prefixed message format

2. Build Script (scripts/setup_go_echo.sh)

   • Automated build process with caching
   • Checks Go installation and version
   • Skips rebuild if binary already exists

3. Test Fixtures (conftest.py)

   • Manages Go server lifecycle (start/stop)
   • Parses server output to extract connection address
   • Gracefully skips tests if Go isn't installed

4. Test Suite (test_echo_interop.py)

   • 6 comprehensive tests covering various scenarios
   • Tests basic echo, large messages, unicode, and multiple connections

Tests Implemented

Test	Purpose
test_basic_echo	Verify basic message exchange works
test_echo_empty_string	Edge case handling
test_echo_large_message	10KB message handling
test_echo_unicode	Verify Unicode support
test_echo_multiple_sequential	10 sequential messages
test_multiple_connections	Multiple separate connections

Testing

All tests passing

Screenshot: Test Results

Manual verification

# Build the Go server
cd tests/interop/go_libp2p

./scripts/setup_go_echo.sh

# Run tests
pytest -v

[seetadev]

@Jineshbansal : Hi Jinesh.

Wish to share that for all interop related tasks, please work at https://github.com/libp2p/test-plans.

In any case, we should avoid having .sh and .go files in py-libp2p main library.

As discussed in the maintainer's call, kindly collaborate with @sumanjeet0012 and @acul71 , who will help you in taking initiatives on interop suite front.

CCing @pacrob.

Please also study the documentation added by @dhuseby.

[Jineshbansal]

Hi @seetadev ,

Thanks for the feedback. I actually followed the existing pattern from nim_libp2p which already has .nim and .sh files in py-libp2p.

That said , I'll collaborate with @sumanjeet0012 and @acul71 on moving this work in test-plans repo.

[seetadev]

@Jineshbansal : Hi Jinesh — thanks for opening this and for the very clear, well-structured proposal 🙌
You’ve done a solid job laying out the motivation, current gap, and an implementation plan, and you’re absolutely right that Echo-based interop with go-libp2p is high-value, especially given Go’s role as the reference implementation.

A few important alignment pointers to help you get this landed smoothly, especially since you’re a new contributor:

📍 Where interop tests should live

Even though there’s currently a placeholder under py-libp2p/tests/interop/go_libp2p, new interoperability test suites should not be implemented directly in the py-libp2p repo.

All cross-implementation interop tests (Go ↔ Python, Rust ↔ Python, JS ↔ Python, etc.) should live in the canonical repo:
👉 https://github.com/libp2p/test-plans

That repo is where:

• Cross-stack interop scenarios are defined and reviewed
• Shared orchestration patterns live
• Long-term interop coverage is tracked consistently across implementations

Please follow the structure and conventions documented here:
https://github.com/libp2p/test-plans/tree/master/docs

So the Go echo server, build scripts, pytest fixtures, and test flow you outlined should be implemented under test-plans, rather than under py-libp2p/tests/interop.

📦 Scope of py-libp2p PRs

PRs to py-libp2p → main should only be opened if:

• You’re changing core library behavior, or
• You’re adding/updating shared utilities used by py-libp2p itself

If, while implementing the Go Echo interop test, you uncover:

• A protocol mismatch
• A missing feature
• Or a bug in py-libp2p

…then a focused PR to py-libp2p is absolutely appropriate. Otherwise, the interop logic itself should stay in test-plans.

🧭 On your proposed approach

• Using Echo (not just Ping) is the right call — it exercises real bidirectional stream behavior and catches issues that simpler tests miss.
• Mirroring the nim-libp2p interop structure is the correct reference point.
• The outlined flow (build → spawn server → interop test → teardown) makes sense and should translate well into test-plans.

From a roadmap perspective, this aligns very well with the Universal Connectivity / v0.6.0 goals.

🤝 Maintainers sync (recommended for new contributors)

Since you’re new to the libp2p ecosystem, please try to join the libp2p maintainers meeting every Thursday.
It’s the fastest way to:

• Sanity-check interop scope (Echo expectations, reuse across Go/Rust/JS)
• Coordinate with parallel work already happening
• Avoid duplicated effort and get early feedback

Overall, this is a strong and well-motivated issue, and exactly the kind of contribution we want to encourage.
I’d suggest moving the implementation to test-plans, referencing this issue for context, and opening a draft PR there for early feedback. Happy to review and help iterate once it’s up — keep it up 🚀