Node to Node Short Messaging App

12 posts / 0 new

Wed, 01/30/2019 - 18:58

ZL2TB

Looking to see if there is interest in a feature to add to the AREDN FW and raising idea in requested features area

A short form node to node text messaging window for engineering communications and potentially emergency communications where no meshchat server can be reached. Recognize needs to be simple to keep code space requirements low in MESH Units

Regards Ted ZL2TB

Wed, 01/30/2019 - 20:47

K9CQB

Do you mean just point to point?

Do you mean just point to point from node to node, or from your node to another's node through the mesh network?
I love MeshChat - so much, but I would support this if it was very lightweight. It seems like the 32MB devices are even getting crowded for space.
I'd still love to get a light-weight version of iperf to be placed in the base AREDN FW. For those persons who set up or manage AREDN networks, especially core infrastructure, I wish everybody had a compatible version of iperf or iperfSpeed on their node. It would help folks regulate a bit more - SNR isn't everything - iperf is a must when near urban areas.
But to your lightweight chat function - I'm for it.

-Damon K9CQB

Thu, 01/31/2019 - 20:21

(Reply to #2) #3

ZL2TB

Yes just node to node over

Yes just node to node over the MESH within AREDN FW simple text to permit engineering messages without the need to access a server. It would also provide a basic tool to get comms going if server based communication is not available. I know there is space pressure some I'm advocating only a simple text box style
Ted ZL2TB in Wgtn NZ where we have 37 active nodes (today) and a few tunnels

Mon, 03/10/2025 - 15:01

(Reply to #3) #4

HB9XBO

Node to node Text

Would be a great idea: just to be able to write a short text for example straight to the Notes field (visible only to the logged-on owner of the node), and a flag to the user, that there is something in the Notes field to be read (and removed for memory space reasons). Could be really useful for basic comms.

Mon, 03/10/2025 - 19:01

(Reply to #4) #5

AB7PA

could use the Alert Message feature

You could use the Alert Message feature if you want specific messages to be displayed on nodes. It is described at the bottom of the Internal Services section (link) of the online documentation.

Mon, 03/10/2025 - 22:22

(Reply to #5) #6

nc8q

and a flag to the user, that there is something in the Notes fie

"and a flag to the user, that there is something in the Notes field to be read"

Do you mean something like a SMS message?

73, Chuck

Mon, 03/10/2025 - 22:22

K7EOK

Why do you want this?

Why do you want this? You need to remember, the point of AREDN is not sitting and looking at the node information page, the point is to use the services across the mesh you need to use. If a node operator is busy doing useful stuff, they are not looking at their node status page.

Is it to make your message immediately known to the other party? That would require the other party be actively logged in as admin for that node. You could instead send on MeshChat, that is very fast and easy to do.

Do you want privacy? Setup a MeshChat Zone and then people would have to actively look for that zone to read your messages, it's not actually private but hidden.

Do you want to communicate with the other party about some issue with their node? Most folks have contact info on their node, and if none you can use QRZ to find them and send them an email. I had to resort to QRZ recently to ask that someone lower their tx power.

Do you need to have private messages to another ham (no matter if they are looking at that particlar node or not)? Use Winlink Post Office or mesh based email such as Citadel.

The AREDN alert message package does work. You have to opt in to recieve messages.

Ed

Sat, 03/15/2025 - 19:32

K5RA

Meshchat Loading

There seems to be a general belief that Meshchat can overload the memory of AREDN nodes. Maybe I do not understand the problem, or maybe I am suffering some effects and just do not know it. But the Meshchat_2.13-all.ipk file that goes into a node is less than 65KB, and the memory file is limited to about 1MB and 500 messages by default.

In one of my nodes, the message count limit is in action, and the message buffer is about 150K. Our Meshchat Zone is not especially busy, but 500 messages today goes back to 2024-12-12.

Maybe you could run an experiment in an EMCOMM exercise to see Meshchat will work for you.

--Tim K5RA

Mon, 03/17/2025 - 05:37

N7CPZ

Alternate Messengers

Reticulum Mesh Chat does what you're asking, but it doesn't run on the node itself. Since you need to use a computer to make use of MeshChat already, running a standalone executable doesn't seem like that big of a complexity increase.

https://github.com/liamcottle/reticulum-meshchat

MeshChat as it currently exists is probably going away since the original dev isn't maintaining it and it constantly needs patches for the LUA component to work. Food for thought when considering alternatives.

Mon, 03/17/2025 - 10:55

#10

K7EOK

Reticulum looks interesting .

Reticulum looks interesting ... but a major advantage of MeshChat is that it self replicates the messages over multiple nodes with the same Zone name so it is more survivable in a true emergency. The only major disadvantage of MeshChat is that everything posted can be read by everyone else. So I've been looking for alternative easy to use apps that can reside on a server. But ... now we go back to network survivability (we can't be sure what buildings or parts of the network will survive an earthquake).

This is the first I've heard of MeshChat possibly going away ... the migration to Lua was a while ago. Perhaps there is an issue with the new Babel or something else no one has told us about? MeshChat is perhaps the most deployed and used service on AREDN and it would be awful for it to go away.

Ed

Mon, 03/17/2025 - 17:53

(Reply to #10) #11

N7CPZ

Basically the same

"but a major advantage of MeshChat is that it self replicates the messages over multiple nodes with the same Zone name so it is more survivable in a true emergency."

Reticulum Mesh Chat is functionally very similar, if so-configured, and isn't completely reliant on AREDN to survive. It can use just about any definable interface.

There's no deadline or announcement that MeshChat is going away, but it's been completely abandoned by the original dev and was emergency patched by KN6PLV after it stopped working on the latest OpenWRT build. He now hosts the custom version on GitHub.

MeshChat is the most-deployed service because it's very easy to install and runs directly on the node in two steps. Since many AREDN users don't already have self-hosting skills, it seems like they stop there. I'm not saying Mesh Chat is inherently bad per se, but with just a Pi running some lightweight services you can wield much more powerful capabilities on essentially the same power budget.

Mon, 03/17/2025 - 15:43

#12

K5RA

Meshchat

Meshchat had serious issues after a NB in October 2024 that deleted a couple of LUA packages that it needed to run. KN6PLV fixed the problem that Meshchat 2.12.1 had with stable release 3.25.2.0 and nightly builds after 3.24.10.0. It is probably correct that Meshchat does not have a development community to support it, but it is working with recent nightly builds. I have Meschat-api 2.13 in a hAP ac lite with NB 0316 and Meshchat_2.13 in a hAP ac2 with NB 0317. Our Meshchat zone works great in our mesh island.

--Tim K5RA

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