mc-webui/docs/github-response-spaces-in-device-name.md

GitHub Issue Response: Spaces in MC_DEVICE_NAME

Issue: User @remowashere reported that the application fails when MC_DEVICE_NAME contains spaces (e.g., "Remo WebUI"), resulting in "file not found" errors for .msgs files.

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Hi @remowashere,

Thanks for reporting this issue! I've investigated the problem with spaces in MC_DEVICE_NAME and did some testing.

Good news: The current version of mc-webui (on both dev and main branches) handles spaces in device names correctly. I tested with MC_DEVICE_NAME="MarWoj Test" and the application successfully reads the .msgs file without any issues:

mc-webui | INFO - Loaded 1 messages from /root/.config/meshcore/MarWoj Test.msgs

The application uses Python's pathlib.Path for file operations, which properly handles spaces and special characters in filenames.

Possible causes of your issue

1. Outdated version - You might be running an older version of the application
2. meshcore-cli version - Older versions of meshcore-cli might have had issues creating files with spaces
3. Configuration issue - The MC_DEVICE_NAME environment variable might not match the actual device name used by meshcore-cli
4. File permissions - The .msgs file might not have been created yet or lacks proper permissions

Recommended steps

1. Update to the latest version

cd ~/mc-webui
git pull origin main
docker compose down
docker compose up -d --build

2. Verify your configuration

# Check your .env file
cat .env | grep MC_DEVICE_NAME

# List actual .msgs files
ls -la ~/.config/meshcore/*.msgs

Important: Make sure the value of MC_DEVICE_NAME in your .env file matches the device name configured in meshcore-cli. The .msgs file is created by meshcore-cli using the device name you configured on the device itself.

3. Check logs for more details

docker compose logs -f mc-webui | grep -i "messages file"

Look for log lines indicating which file path the application is trying to access and whether it exists.

4. Verify meshcore-cli version

The application requires meshcore-cli >= 1.3.12. The Docker container installs the latest version automatically, but if you're running an older version, please update.

Additional troubleshooting

If you're still experiencing issues after updating, please share:

1. Docker logs:

   docker compose logs --tail=100 mc-webui
   docker compose logs --tail=100 meshcore-bridge
   

2. Git version:

   git log -1 --oneline
   

3. Environment configuration (with sensitive data redacted):

   cat .env
   

4. Actual .msgs files on disk:

   ls -la ~/.config/meshcore/ | grep .msgs
   

This information will help me understand exactly what's happening in your environment.

Let me know if updating resolves the issue!

Best regards, Marek