chore(release): 2.4.2

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -6,6 +6,22 @@ The format is inspired by Keep a Changelog, and this project adheres to semantic
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [2.4.2] - 2026-10-04
+
+### Fixed
+- `GenericEvent.update()` silently overwrote a caller-set `created_at`, so the id could be
+  computed for a different second than the one the caller published (relays rejected these as
+  `invalid: bad event id`), and NIP-59 randomised timestamps were replaced by the send time.
+  `update()` now keeps a `created_at` that is already set, as NIP-01 requires the id to be
+  derived from the event's own fields, and stamps the current time only when it is unset
+  (null or zero). ([#559](https://github.com/tcheeric/nostr-java/issues/559))
+
+### Added
+- `GenericEvent.updateWithCurrentTime()`, for callers that deliberately want to restamp an
+  event with the current time.
+- "See it in use" section in the MCP server how-to, pointing to the Lyrebird bot that posts
+  video clips and NIP-84 highlights through this server.
+
 ## [2.4.1] - 2026-09-25
 
 ### Fixed

docs/explanation/nip-17-direct-messages-spec.md

@@ -208,6 +208,12 @@ gift-wrap code the seam it needs. The alternative, a `Clock`/`Supplier<Long>` in
 This is not hypothetical: the absence of this seam is the direct cause of the timestamp bug
 found in the imani-bridge implementation (§3.1).
 
+**Update (issue #559).** Keeping the old `update()` behaviour turned out to be a trap of its
+own: callers that set `created_at` and then called `update()` still lost it, and published ids
+computed for a different second. `update()` now keeps any `created_at` already set and only
+consults the clock when it is unset (null or zero). Restamping is explicit, through
+`updateWithCurrentTime()`.
+
 ### 4.2 `MessageCipher44` takes raw key bytes and prefixes `02`
 
 ```java

docs/howto/multi-relay-publishing.md

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ send a private direct message.
 <dependency>
     <groupId>xyz.tcheeric</groupId>
     <artifactId>nostr-java-api</artifactId>
-    <version>2.4.1</version>
+    <version>2.4.2</version>
 </dependency>
 ```
 

docs/howto/run-the-mcp-server.md

@@ -286,6 +286,15 @@ mvn -pl nostr-java-mcp verify -Dexcluded.it.groups= -Dgroups=model-driven
 It is excluded from the ordinary build because it takes several minutes. Run it when you change
 a tool's name, description or schema: those are exactly the changes nothing else can catch.
 
+## See it in use
+
+[Lyrebird](https://njump.me/npub12sz2fjjlfw4ydpecw5w3cvqf3ac5ca9x86ekw00lcgmq655x4taqh63tcw)
+is a Nostr bot that runs on this server. It cuts clips from videos and posts them as notes with
+the video hosted on Blossom, and turns passages from articles into NIP-84 highlights (kind
+9802). Every post goes through the same tools described above: `nostr_blossom_upload` for the
+media, then a publish under `write-policy: confirm` so a person approves each post before it
+goes out.
+
 ## Related
 
 - [Send and read NIP-17 private direct messages](private-direct-messages.md)

nostr-java-api/pom.xml

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
     <parent>
         <groupId>xyz.tcheeric</groupId>
         <artifactId>nostr-java</artifactId>
-        <version>2.4.1</version>
+        <version>2.4.2</version>
         <relativePath>../pom.xml</relativePath>
     </parent>
 

nostr-java-client/pom.xml

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
     <parent>
         <groupId>xyz.tcheeric</groupId>
         <artifactId>nostr-java</artifactId>
-        <version>2.4.1</version>
+        <version>2.4.2</version>
         <relativePath>../pom.xml</relativePath>
     </parent>
 

nostr-java-core/pom.xml

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
     <parent>
         <groupId>xyz.tcheeric</groupId>
         <artifactId>nostr-java</artifactId>
-        <version>2.4.1</version>
+        <version>2.4.2</version>
         <relativePath>../pom.xml</relativePath>
     </parent>
 

nostr-java-event/pom.xml

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
     <parent>
         <groupId>xyz.tcheeric</groupId>
         <artifactId>nostr-java</artifactId>
-        <version>2.4.1</version>
+        <version>2.4.2</version>
         <relativePath>../pom.xml</relativePath>
     </parent>
 

nostr-java-event/src/main/java/nostr/event/impl/GenericEvent.java

@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.function.Consumer;
 import java.util.function.Supplier;
 
@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@
 @EqualsAndHashCode
 public class GenericEvent implements ISignable {
 
+  /** A {@code created_at} of zero means the caller never set one, so the clock may supply it. */
+  private static final long UNSET_CREATED_AT = 0L;
+
   @EqualsAndHashCode.Include private String id;
 
 @JsonProperty("pubkey")
@@ -147,19 +150,37 @@
   }
 
   /**
-   * Stamps the event with the current time, then recomputes its serialization and id.
+   * Recomputes this event's serialization and id, keeping any {@code created_at} already set.
    *
-   * <p>Use {@link #update(long)} when the timestamp is significant, such as the randomised
-   * {@code created_at} that NIP-59 requires on seals and gift wraps.
+   * <p>The clock is consulted only when the event has no creation time yet. A timestamp the
+   * caller chose, such as the randomised {@code created_at} NIP-59 requires on seals and gift
+   * wraps, is never replaced, so the id always matches the {@code created_at} the caller sees.
+   * Use {@link #updateWithCurrentTime()} to restamp deliberately.
    */
   public void update() {
+    if (hasCreatedAt()) {
+      update(this.createdAt);
+    } else {
+      updateWithCurrentTime();
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Stamps the event with the current time, replacing any existing {@code created_at}, then
+   * recomputes its serialization and id.
+   */
+  public void updateWithCurrentTime() {
     update(Instant.now().getEpochSecond());
   }
 
+  private boolean hasCreatedAt() {
+    return this.createdAt != null && this.createdAt != UNSET_CREATED_AT;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Recomputes this event's serialization and id against the supplied creation time.
    *
-   * <p>Unlike {@link #update()} this does not consult the clock, so a deliberately chosen
+   * <p>This does not consult the clock, so a deliberately chosen
    * {@code created_at} survives id computation. NIP-59 requires seals and gift wraps to carry
    * timestamps randomised into the past to defeat time-correlation analysis, which is
    * impossible if computing the id resets the timestamp.
@@ -276,11 +297,7 @@
   @Transient
   @Override
   public Supplier<ByteBuffer> getByteArraySupplier() {
-    if (this.createdAt != null) {
-      this.update(this.createdAt);
-    } else {
-      this.update();
-    }
+    this.update();
     if (log.isTraceEnabled()) {
       log.trace("Serialized event: {}", new String(this.get_serializedEvent()));
     }

nostr-java-event/src/test/java/nostr/event/unit/GenericEventUpdateTest.java

@@ -7,7 +7,10 @@
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.DisplayName;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 
+import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
+import java.security.MessageDigest;
 import java.time.Instant;
+import java.util.HexFormat;
 import java.util.List;
 
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
@@ -75,13 +78,10 @@ void computesSameIdForSameCreatedAt() {
     assertEquals(first.getId(), second.getId());
   }
 
-  /**
-   * The no-argument overload still stamps the event with the current time, so existing callers
-   * are unaffected by the new seam.
-   */
+  /** An event with no creation time is stamped with the current time. */
   @Test
-  @DisplayName("still stamps the current time when no timestamp is supplied")
-  void stampsCurrentTimeWithoutArgument() {
+  @DisplayName("stamps the current time when no created_at is set")
+  void stampsCurrentTimeWhenUnset() {
     long before = Instant.now().getEpochSecond();
     GenericEvent event = anEvent();
 
@@ -91,21 +91,63 @@ void stampsCurrentTimeWithoutArgument() {
     assertTrue(event.getCreatedAt() >= before && event.getCreatedAt() <= after);
   }
 
+  /** A created_at of zero counts as unset, so it is replaced with the current time. */
+  @Test
+  @DisplayName("treats a zero created_at as unset")
+  void treatsZeroCreatedAtAsUnset() {
+    long before = Instant.now().getEpochSecond();
+    GenericEvent event = anEvent();
+    event.setCreatedAt(0L);
+
+    event.update();
+
+    assertTrue(event.getCreatedAt() >= before);
+  }
+
   /**
-   * A previously chosen timestamp is discarded by the no-argument overload. This is the
-   * behaviour that silently defeats gift-wrap privacy, so it is pinned here to document why
-   * {@code update(long)} must be used for seals and wraps.
+   * Regression for issue #559: a created_at the caller set survives {@code update()}. Losing it
+   * produced ids for a different second than the one the caller published, and erased the
+   * randomised timestamps NIP-59 seals and gift wraps depend on.
    */
   @Test
-  @DisplayName("overwrites a preset created_at when no timestamp is supplied")
-  void overwritesPresetCreatedAtWithoutArgument() {
+  @DisplayName("keeps a preset created_at when no timestamp is supplied")
+  void keepsPresetCreatedAtWithoutArgument() {
     long twoDaysAgo = Instant.now().minusSeconds(2 * 24 * 60 * 60).getEpochSecond();
     GenericEvent event = anEvent();
     event.setCreatedAt(twoDaysAgo);
 
     event.update();
 
-    assertNotEquals(twoDaysAgo, event.getCreatedAt());
+    assertEquals(twoDaysAgo, event.getCreatedAt());
+  }
+
+  /** The id computed by {@code update()} is the NIP-01 hash for the preset created_at. */
+  @Test
+  @DisplayName("computes the NIP-01 id for a preset created_at")
+  void computesNip01IdForPresetCreatedAt() throws Exception {
+    GenericEvent event = anEvent();
+    event.setCreatedAt(1_700_000_000L);
+
+    event.update();
+
+    String canonical =
+        "[0,\"" + AUTHOR + "\",1700000000," + Kinds.SEAL + ",[],\"encrypted-payload\"]";
+    byte[] digest =
+        MessageDigest.getInstance("SHA-256").digest(canonical.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8));
+    assertEquals(HexFormat.of().formatHex(digest), event.getId());
+  }
+
+  /** Restamping is still available, but only when asked for by name. */
+  @Test
+  @DisplayName("replaces a preset created_at when restamping explicitly")
+  void replacesPresetCreatedAtWhenRestampingExplicitly() {
+    long twoDaysAgo = Instant.now().minusSeconds(2 * 24 * 60 * 60).getEpochSecond();
+    GenericEvent event = anEvent();
+    event.setCreatedAt(twoDaysAgo);
+
+    event.updateWithCurrentTime();
+
+    assertTrue(event.getCreatedAt() >= Instant.now().getEpochSecond() - 1);
   }
 
   /** Tags are included in the serialization that backs the id. */

nostr-java-identity/pom.xml

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
     <parent>
         <groupId>xyz.tcheeric</groupId>
         <artifactId>nostr-java</artifactId>
-        <version>2.4.1</version>
+        <version>2.4.2</version>
         <relativePath>../pom.xml</relativePath>
     </parent>
 

nostr-java-mcp/pom.xml

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
     <parent>
         <groupId>xyz.tcheeric</groupId>
         <artifactId>nostr-java</artifactId>
-        <version>2.4.1</version>
+        <version>2.4.2</version>
         <relativePath>../pom.xml</relativePath>
     </parent>
 

pom.xml

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
     <groupId>xyz.tcheeric</groupId>
     <artifactId>nostr-java</artifactId>
-    <version>2.4.1</version>
+    <version>2.4.2</version>
     <packaging>pom</packaging>
 
     <name>nostr-java</name>