Install MeshDash

The Setup Wizard — Fastest Path

The Setup Wizard at meshdash.co.uk/c2_setup.php asks you a few questions and generates a single personalised curl | bash command. The command is pre-configured with your API key, version selection, and radio connection type. Paste it into your terminal and it handles everything.

The rusjpmd/meshdash-runner:latest image auto-downloads the latest MeshDash version on first boot and keeps your data across updates. For a quick start without an account, just run the container and configure everything through the built-in /setup wizard. Upgrading from the V2.0 Docker container? Use the same meshdash_data volume — the R3.0 runner will detect, back up, and migrate your existing data automatically.

docker-compose.yml

services:
  meshdash:
    image: rusjpmd/meshdash-runner:latest
    container_name: meshdash
    restart: unless-stopped
    network_mode: host
    privileged: true
    volumes:
      - meshdash_data:/app/data
      - /dev:/dev
    environment:
      - WEBSERVER_PORT=8000
      - TZ=Europe/London

volumes:
  meshdash_data:

Start, update, manage

docker compose up -d          # start
docker compose logs -f meshdash  # live logs
docker compose pull && docker compose up -d  # update
docker compose down           # stop

Standalone (no account needed)

docker run -d \
  --name meshdash \
  --restart always \
  --network host \
  --privileged \
  --log-opt max-size=10m --log-opt max-file=3 \
  -v /dev:/dev \
  -v meshdash_data:/app/data \
  rusjpmd/meshdash-runner:latest

# Then open http://localhost:8000/setup

• Fixed: Self-heal restart loop — Docker containers looping infinitely when migration fails with PermissionError or FileExistsError. Bootstrap marker now written before any file operations, stale backup dirs cleaned on entry, all I/O errors caught with sys.exit(0) instead of sys.exit(1).
• Fixed: shutil.copytree FileExistsError — backup copy now uses dirs_exist_ok=True for idempotent backups from partial failed attempts.
• Fixed: web_telemetry plugin crash on startup — missing asyncio import caused NameError.
• Fixed: macOS venv Python version — self-heal now prefers sys.executable over /usr/bin/python3 when running Python 3.10+, fixing anyio incompatibility.
• Fixed: Weather plugin daily/weekly schedule timezone — user-entered hour/minute was treated as UTC instead of local time. Frontend now converts local → UTC, and display shows local time with UTC offset note.
• Plugin version bumps: weather 1.0.3 → 1.0.4, web_telemetry 1.0.1 → 1.0.2.

• Security: TLS verification re-enabled on version-check and update-check endpoints (verify=False was disabling HTTPS cert validation).
• Security: CSRF enforcement added to 12 state-changing endpoints that previously skipped it (system restart, config update, node config save, console, MQTT key, monitor, messages, map download, slot delete, check/start update, alert).
• Security: XSS fixed in mesh_bb plugin — 19 injection sites now properly escape user-supplied room names, node names, block reasons, and schedule labels.
• Security: XSS fixed in core plugin API — badge and toolbar item HTML injection now uses escapeHtml().
• Security: PUBLIC_MODE defaults to False instead of True, preventing accidental unauthenticated access on config load failure.
• Security: CSP updated with translate.googleapis.com and translate-pa.googleapis.com in script-src so the Google Translate widget loads correctly.
• Security: tcp_proxy plugin default bind changed from 0.0.0.0 to 127.0.0.1 for local-only access by default.
• Fixed: map.js had 8 syntax errors from orphaned console.log fragments (stray }); }' and .length+' garbage lines) that silently broke the entire map view.
• Fixed: Google Translate bridge widget now loads — CSP was blocking the required translate.googleapis.com script source.
• Fixed: Startup import errors resolved — logging/_logging namespace clash and pathlib.Path/FastAPI.Path shadowing both fixed.
• Fixed: webserial.js debug console.log commented out for production.
• Polish: Decorative emoji removed from all production log/print output — replaced with clean bracketed tags across bootstrap, plugin manager, Meshtastic/MeshCore connection managers, and scheduler.

• Visualizer Fix: Replaced stub main.py with proper async plugin backend (context injection, asyncio watchdog, health endpoint with real radio state). The 3D scene frontend was complete but the backend was a placeholder — blank on R3.0.
• Weather Fix: Added credentials:'include' to channel/node fetch calls in loadChannels() and loadNodes(). Without it, auth-enabled instances got 401 on /api/channels and /api/nodes, leaving channel/node selects empty.
• CSP Fix: Added cdnjs.cloudflare.com and translate.google.com to script-src Content Security Policy. Visualizer loads Three.js from cdnjs (was blocked → 'THREE is not defined'). Google Translate bridge loads element.js from translate.google.com (was blocked → silent failure).
• Import Fix: Repaired corrupted import line in meshtastic_dashboard.py where '# Packet Source Detection' comment was spliced into the import statement, preventing source runs on some Python versions.

• Architecture: Complete core rebuild with modular file structure. 15 route modules, 3 connection handlers, 119+ API endpoints across 17k lines of Python. Every subsystem split into a dedicated module for easier maintenance and contribution.
• C2 Setup: API key creation and endpoint configuration moved from the setup wizard to the dashboard UI. Create, rotate, and manage C2 access without re-running the installer.
• Install Migration: Smart migration detects existing mesh-dash installations, creates timestamped backups of databases and plugins, and preserves all user data on upgrade. R2.x installations are detected and migrated automatically.
• Startup Detection: C2-installed systems authenticate and log straight in. Manual installs redirect to /setup for first-time configuration. No more guessing which path you're on.
• Multi-Radio Slots: Connect up to 16 Meshtastic radios simultaneously. Each slot gets its own isolated SQLite database, dedicated SSE stream, and independent connection config. Mix Serial, TCP, BLE, MQTT, and MeshCore on one dashboard.
• MQTT Connection: Connect to mqtt.meshtastic.org as an observer without owning a physical radio. Filter by region and channel. Stable for receiving; under active development for transmitting.
• MeshCore Connection: Alternative protocol via the meshcore Python library. Connects to MeshCore nodes over Serial, TCP, or BLE. Beta status.
• WebSerial: Configuration moved from the setup wizard to dashboard settings. Connect and disconnect browser-USB sessions from inside the app.
• Auth Hardening: JWT tokens stored in HttpOnly, SameSite cookies. Bcrypt password hashing with automatic salt generation. CSRF double-submit cookie protection on all state-changing requests. Optional TOTP two-factor authentication via pyotp.
• Packet Source Detection: Received-from-source attribution (RF/MQTT/LOCAL) with confidence scoring. Heuristic-based classification. Beta status.
• Self-Healing Bootstrap: R3.0 detects stale R2.x installations and repairs them automatically. Creates backups before any migration.
• Docker: Official rusjpmd/meshdash-runner image with standalone mode and C2 cloud setup. Auto-downloads latest version on boot, auto-updates on restart, migrates V2.0 data automatically.
• Plugin System: Drop-in folder architecture with FastAPI router, static file server, sidebar nav, and lifecycle management. Zero core modifications needed.
• Remote Access: Five access tiers (off, heartbeat, monitor, read, operator, full) with HMAC-signed outbound-only polling. No port forwarding required.
• Live Node Overview: Real-time node cards with battery, SNR, RSSI, GPS, signal bars, and source detection. Updates via SSE.
• MeshShark: Wireshark-style packet capture with BPF filter syntax, three-pane detail view, and source evidence scoring.
• Live Traceroute: Hop-by-hop bidirectional SNR with map visualisation and history log.
• Analytics: 9 telemetry metrics, 1H-30D ranges, network averages, 4-node side-by-side comparison.
• Direct Messaging: P2P and channel broadcast with ACK delivery tracking, unread counters, 230-char limit.
• Task Scheduler: Cron-based message broadcasts and web sensor ingress with 3-retry logic.
• Auto-Reply: Regex matching with 20+ dynamic placeholders, per-sender cooldowns, and menu trees.
• Direct Node Config: Full protobuf config read/write to flash memory with auto-reboot.

• Traceroute: Fixed a bug where traceroute would not always use the selected node to run the trace. Now correctly fires from the active radio slot.
• Plugins: Improved stability and documentation for the Medi AI and Mesh Chat AI plugins.
• MeshCore: Improved database handling for MeshCore nodes.
• Documentation: Plugin development guide expanded with guidance on migrating standalone Python apps into MeshDash plugins.

• Global Search: Panel-wide search for nodes, messages, and other elements. Find anything from any view.
• Context Menu: Right-click context menu added across the dashboard for quick actions on nodes, messages, and packets.
• Plugin Update: Fixed an issue where pressing Update on a plugin would not process. Updates now apply correctly.
• Mesh BB Plugin: New default plugin — an offline bulletin board for Meshtastic networks. Post, read, and subscribe to named boards using DM commands. DM vs. channel routing with per-channel permissions, paginated responses sized for 220-byte payloads, ACK-tracked chunked delivery, per-node block lists, conversation traces, auto-announce scheduling, popularity tracking, and a public read-only share URL. Designed for EMCOMM, SAR, and off-grid coordination.

• Plugin UI: Improved plugin UI integration capabilities. Plugins can now modify more areas of the dashboard interface.
• Themes: Fixed an issue where applied themes were not persistent across page refreshes.
• Plugin Store: Second batch of officially supported plugins released.

• MQTT Pipeline: Overhauled MQTT data handling. Packets are now stored in 500ms bursts instead of writing every received packet to the database individually.
• DM Switching: Fixed a bug that prevented historical direct messages and channel chats from displaying when switching between radio slots.
• ACK Display: Fixed ACK delivery indicators not appearing under a switched node.
• Database: Optimised MQTT packet storage. 500ms burst writes instead of per-packet inserts reduces write amplification on active MQTT connections.

• Plugin UI: Enhanced plugin support — plugins can now make edits and additions to the default dashboard UI, not just add isolated pages.
• MQTT Support: Add an MQTT server connection as if it were a node. Monitor the wider mesh without owning a physical radio. Region and channel filtering supported.
• Cold Nodes Plugin: New official plugin — alerts on node cards when a node's last-heard time exceeds a configurable threshold.
• Translate Plugin: New official plugin — translate the MeshDash panel into your native language.
• PKI Alerts SOC Plugin: New official plugin — track node authentication keys and security events.
• Proximity Pruner Plugin: New official plugin — purge nodes from the database beyond a defined distance. Ideal for portable nodes.
• Polar Grid Plugin: New official plugin — azimuth lines and range rings on the map, centred on your node. Draggable centre, interactive distance bands, configurable units.
• Push Notifications Plugin: New official plugin — real-time browser push alerts via SSE bridge. DMs, channel messages, keyword watchlists, position reports, telemetry alerts, node events, SOS detection, quiet hours, and live packet log.
• Theme Editor Plugin: New official plugin — live CSS variable theming. Pick accent colours, backgrounds, and borders with instant preview. Includes preset themes and a reset to default.

• Multi-Radio Architecture: Connect up to 16 Meshtastic radios simultaneously. Each slot gets its own independent connection, isolated SQLite database, dedicated SSE stream, and packet processing pipeline.
• Slot Persistence: Secondary radios are saved to .mesh-dash_slots.json and automatically reconnect on every server restart. No manual re-configuration required.
• Radio Switcher: New topbar dropdown showing all connected radios with live status dots, connection type badges, and an ALL RADIOS aggregate mode that merges data from every radio simultaneously.
• Multiplexed SSE: New /sse/all endpoint fans out events from every connected radio to the browser in a single stream. ALL RADIOS mode receives live data from all nodes at once.
• Slot-Aware Pages: Every dashboard page scopes its data to the selected radio. Overview, DMs, Channels, Map, Traceroute, Analytics, Compare, Shark, IoT, Monitor, Tasks, Node Config, and Terminal all correctly isolate per-slot data.
• Multi-Radio DMs: In ALL RADIOS mode, direct messages aggregate from every radio's database. Messages from any of your radios display as 'You'. Channels merge broadcast history across all slot databases.
• Multi-Radio Traceroute: In ALL RADIOS mode, traceroute fires sequentially from every connected radio and collects all results, showing which radios can reach a target node.
• Slot-Aware Automation: The automation pipeline (Tasks, Monitor/Alerts, IoT) stores and executes against the specific radio a rule was configured for. No cross-contamination between slots.
• Task Scheduler: Fixed the website monitor endpoint (was calling a non-existent route). Added slot_id propagation to all scheduled message sends.
• Schema Migration: Added slot_id column and automatic migration to tasks.db and monitor_rules. Existing databases upgrade on first boot.
• Overview Flicker: Fixed node cards flickering on update. Soft-update path now patches battery, signal, and status values in-place without destroying mini-maps or sparklines.
• Map Blank on Switch: Fixed map view going blank when switching radio slots. Added concurrent draw guard and correct timing for post-switch redraws.
• State Reset on Switch: Fixed all view state not resetting on slot switch. Every view's init() now performs a full state reset.
• Chrome Web Serial: Fixed browser detection always failing in Chrome. Chrome's user agent includes 'Safari/' for compatibility, causing the previous regex to incorrectly reject it.
• Multi-Radio 'You' Rendering: Added _getLocalNodeIds() and _isFromSelf() helpers so 'You' labels and unread badge suppression work correctly across all connected radios.
• Console Routing: Console CLI commands now route to the correct radio's interface instead of always using the primary radio.

• Graceful Disconnection: Radios now disconnect cleanly during system updates and restarts, reducing the risk of data loss or incomplete state saves.
• Plugin Watchdog: Plugin installation now strictly enforces the 'watchdog' field in manifest.json. Incomplete manifests are rejected at install time.
• Startup Delay: Added a 30-second delay before the initial periodic version check, giving the system time to fully initialise.
• Plugin Restart Flag: API responses now include 'requires_restart: true' when starting a previously crashed, stopped, or hung plugin.
• UI Performance: Preconnect hints for CDN origins, deferred loading of Leaflet, Chart.js, and Luxon, lazy-loaded view scripts, and optimised Google Fonts. Initial JS payload reduced by approximately 400 KB.
• SSE Reliability: Integrated Wake Lock API to prevent browser throttling. Improved SSE watchdog to handle zombie connections. Debounced rapid node updates to reduce unnecessary re-renders.
• Background Optimisations: Background stats collection for fresh charts on return. Terminal persistence trimmed to 50 lines with a 2-second save interval, preventing localStorage quota errors.
• XSS Mitigation: Fixed cross-site scripting vulnerabilities in modals by switching to delegated data-* event listeners and safe modal button handling.
• SSE Recovery: Fixed a bug where SSE connections would fail to recover after a temporary network outage.
• Map Grid Lines: Corrected white grid line rendering artefacts in Leaflet tiles.
• Fetch Robustness: Ensured all fetch calls consistently handle timeouts and abort signals properly.

• Node Status Bar: Fixed the Node Status mini-bar in the top navigation not displaying properly on initial load.
• Message Context: Integrated Node Information directly into Direct Messages and Channel chat bubbles. See node details inline during conversations without switching views.
• UI Polish: Finalised the new UI template with remaining global stylesheets. Cohesive, polished, and responsive across the entire application.
• Node Config Overhaul: Completely redesigned the Node Configuration page with a more intuitive layout and streamlined UX for managing core hardware settings.

• Responsive Redesign: UI redesigned with dynamic screen sizing for seamless mobile device support.
• Plugin Stability: Resolved multiple bugs and edge cases related to plugin support enablement.
• GUI Traceroute: New dashboard page with historical traceroute logs. One-click node routing directly from the UI.
• Mesh Visualiser: New real-time 3D network map where active nodes orbit your local node. Nodes shift from green to red based on last-heard time, dropping out of orbit after 72 hours of inactivity.
• Node Config UI: New endpoint and dashboard interface for managing core hardware settings directly from the browser.
• Menu Creator: Upgraded Automated Tasks with a wizard-driven menu creator for deploying nested, actionable menus across the mesh.

• Plugin System: Complete backend overhaul introducing a custom plugin system. Drop in a Python module with a manifest.json — zero core modifications needed. Plugins get their own FastAPI router, static file server, sidebar nav, and lifecycle management.
• Hello Mesh Dev Plugin: New interactive documentation plugin providing live examples and instant API endpoint responses for developers.
• MeshShark Analyser: New Wireshark-style packet capture feature with BPF-style filter syntax and three-pane detail view.
• Node Comparison: New dedicated tool to select and compare signal stats, hardware, and performance differences between nodes side-by-side.
• Telemetry Alerts: New Mesh Monitor for automated telemetry alerts. Set thresholds on battery, SNR, RSSI, and other metrics. Trigger warning messages when conditions are met.

• Database Scaling: Enhanced backend SQL management to efficiently handle larger databases. Query performance stays consistent as packet and node history grows.
• Large DB Navigation: UI improvements to support and navigate larger database structures. Node lists, message archives, and packet logs remain responsive at scale.
• Connection Reuse: Optimised database performance by implementing connection reuse. Single persistent connection instead of opening a new one per request, significantly reducing server overhead and query latency.

• Multi-Connection: Redesigned connectivity architecture to fully support USB Serial, WiFi (TCP), and Bluetooth (BLE) connections. Switch between connection types without restarting.
• C2 Remote Access: Introduced MeshDash C2 Server. Securely access your dashboard from anywhere via meshdash.co.uk without port forwarding, dynamic DNS, or VPN. Five configurable access tiers from heartbeat-only to full operator control.
• Connection Monitoring: Hardened backend logic with advanced monitoring of node connection states. Failed connections are auto-managed with retry logic and status reporting.
• Auth Hardening: Strengthened authentication protocols for the local panel login. Bcrypt password hashing and improved session management.
• Installer Overhaul: Comprehensive installer update with a smoother initial setup process.
• Unified Settings: Configure Node settings and C2 access during initial setup or anytime via the local dashboard. No more editing config files by hand.

• Docker: Introduced Docker deployment support alongside native installs. Users can now run MeshDash in a container with a single docker-compose command.
• Installer: Updated install script with improved Docker detection, volume mounting for persistent data, and corrected default configuration paths for containerised environments.
• Bug Fixes: Patch release addressing stability issues and edge cases discovered in R1.6 shortly after deployment.

• Dashboard: Single-page Meshtastic dashboard with real-time node cards showing battery, SNR, RSSI, signal quality, and last-heard timestamps.
• Map: Interactive Leaflet GPS map with node positions and trajectory paths.
• Messages: Direct message and channel chat interface with real-time message delivery via SSE.
• Auto-Reply: Keyword-triggered automated message rules with scheduled broadcast support.
• Tasks: Cron-based task scheduler for periodic message sending and web sensor data ingestion.
• IoT/Sensors: Telemetry charts for battery, voltage, SNR, RSSI, temperature, humidity, and pressure.
• Settings: Radio configuration panel and connection management.
• Auth: Login system with bcrypt password hashing and session cookies.
• Community Map: Integration with the Meshtastic community map for sharing node positions.
• Installer: Automated install script for Debian/Ubuntu/Raspberry Pi OS with Python venv setup.
• License: GPL-3.0-only. Free and open source.

• Privacy Follow-up: Further refinements to node position and telemetry sharing controls introduced in R1.5. Added granular per-node toggles for location sharing, fixed an edge case where node positions could still be sent to the community map when global sharing was disabled.
• OS Detection: Fixed OS version detection for non-integer version IDs (e.g. Ubuntu 22.04). The installer now correctly handles dotted version strings.
• Shell Compatibility: Fixed 'local' variable declarations outside functions that caused errors on some shells.

• Privacy Controls: Addressed community privacy concerns. Added opt-out controls for community map position sharing, telemetry data reporting, and node information broadcasting. Users can now disable each independently. Location offset fuzzing available for nodes that share approximate positions without revealing exact coordinates.
• Community Map: Integration with the Meshtastic community map. Nodes can optionally share their position and telemetry with the wider community. All sharing is opt-in.
• Dashboard: Polished single-page Meshtastic dashboard with real-time node cards showing battery, SNR, RSSI, and signal quality.
• Map: Interactive Leaflet GPS map with node positions and trajectory paths.
• Messages: Direct message and channel chat interface with real-time message delivery via SSE.
• Auto-Reply: Keyword-triggered automated message rules with scheduled broadcast support.
• Tasks: Cron-based task scheduler for periodic message sending and web sensor data ingestion.
• IoT/Sensors: Telemetry charts for battery, voltage, SNR, RSSI, temperature, humidity, and pressure.
• Auth: Login system with bcrypt password hashing and session cookies.

• Node Cards: Real-time node overview cards with battery level, signal quality, and hardware model.
• Direct Messages: P2P messaging interface with ACK tracking and unread counters.
• Channel Chat: Broadcast messaging to configured Meshtastic channels.
• Task Scheduler: Cron-based automated message broadcasting.
• Installer: First automated install script for Raspberry Pi and Debian-based systems.

• First Public Release: MeshDash is now available to the community.
• Dashboard: Live node overview with real-time updates via Server-Sent Events. Node cards show battery, SNR, RSSI, and last-heard timestamps.
• GPS Map: Leaflet-based real-time map with node positions and trajectory history.
• Direct Messages: P2P messaging with ACK delivery tracking and unread counters.
• Channel Chat: Broadcast messaging to configured Meshtastic channels.
• Auto-Reply: Keyword-triggered automated message responses with per-keyword cooldowns.
• Task Scheduler: Cron-based periodic message broadcasting and web sensor data ingestion.
• Telemetry: Battery, voltage, SNR, RSSI, temperature, humidity, and pressure charts with time-series data.
• Radio Configuration: Basic settings management for connected Meshtastic devices.
• Auth: Login system with bcrypt password hashing and session cookies.

• Node Overview: Live node cards with hardware model, short name, and last-heard time.
• Messages: Basic direct messaging with a Meshtastic node.
• Sensors: Telemetry readout for battery level and voltage from device metrics.

• Dashboard: Basic web interface displaying connected node information.
• Serial Connection: USB Serial connection to a single Meshtastic radio.
• Real-Time Updates: Server-Sent Events for live node data without polling.

• Initial Proof of Concept: First working build. Single-page dashboard connecting to a Meshtastic radio over USB Serial. Displayed node info and battery level. Proved the concept of a self-hosted, real-time Meshtastic web dashboard.