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

• 📱 View messages - Display chat history with auto-refresh
• ✉️ Send messages - Publish to any channel (200 char 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

Tech Stack

• Backend: Python 3.11+, Flask
• Frontend: HTML5, Bootstrap 5, vanilla JavaScript
• Deployment: Docker / Docker Compose
• Communication: subprocess calls to meshcli
• Data source: ~/.config/meshcore/<device_name>.msgs (JSON Lines)

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Docker and Docker Compose installed
• Heltec V4 device connected via USB
• meshcore-cli configured on host system

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.

Project Structure

mc-webui/
├── Dockerfile                  # Docker image definition
├── docker-compose.yml          # Docker Compose configuration
├── app/
│   ├── __init__.py
│   ├── main.py                 # Flask entry point
│   ├── config.py               # Configuration from env vars
│   ├── meshcore/
│   │   ├── __init__.py
│   │   ├── cli.py              # meshcli wrapper (subprocess)
│   │   └── 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. Messages auto-refresh every 60 seconds by default.

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 by clicking the broadcast icon (📡) in the navbar:

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 in the navbar:

1. Click the date dropdown in the navbar
2. 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
docker compose logs mc-webui

# Verify .env file exists
ls -la .env

# Check if port 5000 is available
sudo netstat -tulpn | grep 5000

Messages not updating

• Ensure meshcore-cli is properly configured
• Check that .msgs file exists in MC_CONFIG_DIR
• Verify serial device is accessible from container

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