explaingit

xtls/xray-core

📈 Trending★ 38,723GoAudience · developerComplexity · 4/5ActiveLicenseSetup · moderate

TLDR

Go-based network proxy engine that routes traffic through encrypted tunnels to bypass internet censorship and blocking systems.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      Bypass censorship
      Encrypt traffic
      Route connections
      Detect avoidance
    Protocols supported
      VLESS
      VMESS
      Shadowsocks
      Trojan
      Socks5
    Key features
      REALITY disguise
      XHTTP transport
      DNS handling
      Load balancing
    How to use
      GUI clients
      Web panels
      Linux script
      Docker

Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Set up a proxy server to access blocked websites and services in censored regions.

USE CASE 2

Deploy encrypted tunnels that disguise traffic as legitimate TLS connections to avoid detection.

USE CASE 3

Build a self-hosted VPN alternative with flexible routing rules and multiple protocol support.

USE CASE 4

Integrate with GUI clients or web panels to manage proxy connections across devices.

Tech stack

GoTLSDockerLinux

Getting it running

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

Requires Docker setup and configuration of tunnel endpoints before traffic routing works.

Use freely for any purpose, including commercial use, as long as you include the original copyright notice and disclose any modifications you make.

In plain English

Xray-core is the engine behind Project X, an open-source network proxy toolkit primarily used for bypassing internet censorship and restrictions. It supports a range of proxy protocols, including VLESS (the project's own protocol), VMESS, Shadowsocks, Trojan, Socks5, and more, and is designed to route internet traffic through encrypted tunnels in ways that are difficult for deep packet inspection systems to detect and block. The core is written in Go and functions as a network proxy backend that client applications and web management panels connect to. It supports TLS for encryption, and includes a protocol called REALITY which provides what the project describes as a more convincing disguise for traffic, it makes proxied connections appear to be legitimate TLS connections to real websites, reducing the chance of being flagged by censorship systems. The README also describes XHTTP, an HTTP-based transport layer designed to work even in heavily restricted environments. Features include flexible routing rules, DNS handling, load balancing across multiple proxy servers, and multiple inbound and outbound protocol combinations. You would use Xray-core when you need to circumvent internet censorship or access blocked services, particularly in environments with sophisticated traffic inspection. It is not a standalone user-facing app but rather the engine that powers GUI applications like v2rayN on Windows, v2rayNG on Android, Happ on iOS and macOS, and Streisand, as well as web management panels like Marzban and 3X-UI. Installation is available via a Linux install script, Docker, or Homebrew on macOS. It is licensed under the Mozilla Public License 2.0.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
How do I compile and run xray-core on a Linux server to create a proxy tunnel?
Prompt 2
What's the difference between VLESS and VMESS protocols in xray-core, and which should I use?
Prompt 3
Show me how to configure REALITY protocol in xray-core to disguise traffic as legitimate TLS.
Prompt 4
How do I set up load balancing across multiple xray-core instances?
Prompt 5
What web management panels work with xray-core, and how do I connect them?
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Generated 2026-05-18 · Model: sonnet-4-6 · Verify against the repo before relying on details.