mc-webui/README.md

mc-webui

A lightweight web interface for meshcore-cli, providing browser-based access to MeshCore mesh network.

Overview

mc-webui is a Flask-based web application that wraps meshcore-cli, eliminating the need for SSH/terminal access when using MeshCore chat on a Heltec V4 device connected to a Debian VM.

Key Features

• 📱 Mobile-first design - Optimized responsive UI with slide-out menu for small screens
• 💬 View messages - Display chat history with intelligent auto-refresh
• 🔔 Smart notifications - Bell icon with unread message counter across all channels
• 📊 Per-channel badges - Unread count displayed on each channel in selector
• ✉️ Send messages - Publish to any channel (140 byte limit for LoRa)
• 📡 Channel management - Create, join, and switch between encrypted channels
• 🔐 Channel sharing - Share channels via QR code or encrypted keys
• 🎯 Reply to users - Quick reply with @[UserName] format
• 🧹 Clean contacts - Remove inactive contacts with configurable threshold
• 📦 Message archiving - Automatic daily archiving with browse-by-date selector
• ⚡ Efficient polling - Lightweight update checks every 10s, UI refreshes only when needed

Tech Stack

• Backend: Python 3.11+, Flask
• Frontend: HTML5, Bootstrap 5, vanilla JavaScript
• Deployment: Docker / Docker Compose (2-container architecture)
• Communication: HTTP bridge to meshcore-cli (USB isolation for stability)
• Data source: ~/.config/meshcore/<device_name>.msgs (JSON Lines)

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Docker and Docker Compose installed
• Heltec V4 device connected via USB

Note: meshcore-cli is automatically installed inside the Docker container - no host installation required!

Installation

1. Clone the repository

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd mc-webui
   

2. Configure environment

   cp .env.example .env
   # Edit .env with your settings
   nano .env
   

3. Find your serial device

   ls -l /dev/serial/by-id/
   

   Update MC_SERIAL_PORT in .env with your device path.

4. Build and run

   docker compose up -d --build
   

5. Access the web interface Open your browser and navigate to:

   http://localhost:5000
   

   Or from another device on your network:

   http://<server-ip>:5000
   

Configuration

All configuration is done via environment variables in the .env file:

Variable	Description	Default
MC_SERIAL_PORT	Path to serial device	/dev/ttyUSB0
MC_DEVICE_NAME	Device name (for .msgs file)	MeshCore
MC_CONFIG_DIR	meshcore configuration directory	/root/.config/meshcore
MC_REFRESH_INTERVAL	Auto-refresh interval (seconds)	60
MC_INACTIVE_HOURS	Inactivity threshold for cleanup	48
MC_ARCHIVE_DIR	Archive directory path	/mnt/archive/meshcore
MC_ARCHIVE_ENABLED	Enable automatic archiving	true
MC_ARCHIVE_RETENTION_DAYS	Days to show in live view	7
FLASK_HOST	Listen address	0.0.0.0
FLASK_PORT	Application port	5000
FLASK_DEBUG	Debug mode	false

See .env.example for a complete example.

Architecture

mc-webui uses a 2-container architecture for improved USB stability:

1. meshcore-bridge - Lightweight service with exclusive USB device access

   • Runs meshcore-cli subprocess calls
   • Exposes HTTP API on port 5001 (internal only)
   • Automatically restarts on USB communication issues

2. mc-webui - Main web application

   • Flask-based web interface
   • Communicates with bridge via HTTP
   • No direct USB access (prevents device locking)

This separation solves USB timeout/deadlock issues common in Docker + VM environments.

Project Structure

mc-webui/
├── Dockerfile                      # Main app Docker image
├── docker-compose.yml              # Multi-container orchestration
├── meshcore-bridge/
│   ├── Dockerfile                  # Bridge service image
│   ├── bridge.py                   # HTTP API wrapper for meshcli
│   └── requirements.txt            # Bridge dependencies (Flask only)
├── app/
│   ├── __init__.py
│   ├── main.py                     # Flask entry point
│   ├── config.py                   # Configuration from env vars
│   ├── meshcore/
│   │   ├── __init__.py
│   │   ├── cli.py                  # HTTP client for bridge API
│   │   └── parser.py               # .msgs file parser
│   ├── routes/
│   │   ├── __init__.py
│   │   ├── api.py                  # REST API endpoints
│   │   └── views.py                # HTML views
│   ├── static/
│   │   ├── css/
│   │   │   └── style.css           # Custom styles
│   │   └── js/
│   │       └── app.js              # Frontend logic
│   └── templates/
│       ├── base.html               # Base template
│       ├── index.html              # Main chat view
│       └── components/             # Reusable components
├── requirements.txt                # Python dependencies
├── .env.example                   # Example environment config
├── .gitignore
├── README.md                      # This file
└── PRD.md                         # Product Requirements Document

Development Status

🚧 Current Phase: 1 - Backend Basics ✅

Roadmap

• Phase 0: Environment Setup
• Phase 1: Backend Basics (REST API, message parsing, CLI wrapper)
• Phase 2: Frontend Chat View (Bootstrap UI, message display)
• Phase 3: Message Sending (Send form, reply functionality)
• Phase 4: Auto-refresh (60s polling, live updates)
• Phase 5: Contact Management (Cleanup modal)
• Phase 6: Polish & Documentation (Testing, optimization)

See PRD.md for detailed requirements and implementation plan.

Usage

Viewing Messages

The main page displays chat history from the currently selected channel. The app uses an intelligent refresh system that checks for new messages every 10 seconds and updates the UI only when new messages actually arrive.

Unread notifications:

• Bell icon in navbar shows total unread count across all channels
• Channel badges display unread count per channel (e.g., "Malopolska (3)")
• Messages are automatically marked as read when you view them
• Read status persists across browser sessions

By default, the live view shows messages from the last 7 days. Older messages are automatically archived and can be accessed via the date selector.

Managing Channels

Access channel management:

1. Click the menu icon (☰) in the navbar
2. Select "Manage Channels" from the slide-out menu

Creating a New Channel

1. Click "Add New Channel"
2. Enter a channel name (letters, numbers, _ and - only)
3. Click "Create & Auto-generate Key"
4. The channel is created with a secure encryption key

Sharing a Channel

1. In the Channels modal, click the share icon next to any channel
2. Share the QR code (scan with another device) or copy the encryption key
3. Others can join using the "Join Existing" option

Joining a Channel

1. Click "Join Existing"
2. Enter the channel name and encryption key (received from channel creator)
3. Click "Join Channel"
4. The channel will be added to your available channels

Switching Channels

Use the channel selector dropdown in the navbar to switch between channels. Your selection is remembered between sessions.

Viewing Message Archives

Access historical messages using the date selector:

1. Click the menu icon (☰) in the navbar
2. Under "Message History" select a date to view archived messages for that day
3. Select "Today (Live)" to return to live view

Archives are created automatically at midnight (00:00 UTC) each day. The live view always shows the most recent messages (last 7 days by default).

Sending Messages

1. Select your target channel using the channel selector
2. Type your message in the text field at the bottom
3. Press Enter or click "Send"
4. Your message will be published to the selected channel

Replying to Users

Click the reply button on any message to insert @[UserName] into the text field, then type your reply.

Managing Contacts

Access the settings panel to clean up inactive contacts:

1. Click the settings icon
2. Adjust the inactivity threshold (default: 48 hours)
3. Click "Clean Inactive Contacts"
4. Confirm the action

Docker Commands

# Start the application
docker compose up -d

# View logs
docker compose logs -f

# Stop the application
docker compose down

# Rebuild after code changes
docker compose up -d --build

# Check container status
docker compose ps

Troubleshooting

Device not found

# Check if device is connected
ls -l /dev/serial/by-id/

# Verify device permissions
sudo chmod 666 /dev/serial/by-id/usb-Espressif*

Container won't start

# Check logs for both services
docker compose logs meshcore-bridge
docker compose logs mc-webui

# Verify .env file exists
ls -la .env

# Check if ports are available
sudo netstat -tulpn | grep -E '5000|5001'

USB Communication Issues

The 2-container architecture resolves common USB timeout/deadlock problems:

• meshcore-bridge has exclusive USB access
• mc-webui uses HTTP (no direct device access)
• Restarting mc-webui does not affect USB connection
• If bridge has USB issues, restart only that service:

  docker compose restart meshcore-bridge
  

Bridge connection errors

# Check bridge health
docker compose exec mc-webui curl http://meshcore-bridge:5001/health

# Bridge logs
docker compose logs -f meshcore-bridge

# Test meshcli directly in bridge container
docker compose exec meshcore-bridge meshcli -s /dev/ttyUSB0 infos

Messages not updating

• Check that .msgs file exists in MC_CONFIG_DIR
• Verify bridge service is healthy: docker compose ps
• Check bridge logs for command errors

Security Notes

⚠️ Important: This application is designed for trusted local networks only and has no authentication. Do not expose it to the internet without implementing proper security measures.

Contributing

This is an open-source project. Contributions are welcome!

• All code, comments, and documentation must be in English
• Follow the existing code style
• Test your changes with real hardware if possible

License

[License TBD]

References

• MeshCore Documentation
• meshcore-cli GitHub
• Product Requirements Document