Meshtastic Web Chat

Meshtastic Web Chat is a lightweight, self-hosted web-based chat system that bridges local network users to the Meshtastic mesh network. It allows anyone connected to your local network to participate in mesh chats through a web browser even if they don't have a Meshtastic device.

By connecting a Meshtastic node via USB to your offline/local server, you can instantly provide seamless browser-based access to the mesh.

🚀 Features

• 📡 Web-Based Mesh Access – Chat with the Meshtastic mesh using only a web browser.
• 🔌 No Device Required – Users on the local network can join the chat without Meshtastic hardware.
• 🌐 Offline-First – Fully self-hosted and operates without internet access.
• ⚡ Real-Time Updates – Powered by Server-Sent Events (SSE) for instant message delivery.
• 🔧 Powered by Open Source – Built with Flask, Meshtastic Python API, and other open-source tools.

📦 Requirements

• Python 3.x
• Flask
• Meshtastic Python API (meshtastic)
• A Meshtastic node connected via USB

🔧 Setup

1. Clone the Repository

   git clone https://github.com/wasted-alien/meshtastic-web-chat.git
   cd meshtastic-web-chat

2. Install Dependencies

   pip install flask meshtastic pubsub

3. Connect Your Meshtastic Node via USB

4. Run the Server

   python app.py

5. Access the Chat

   • On any device connected to the same network, go to:

   http://[server-ip]:5000
   

✨ How It Works

• Local users access the chat via a web browser and set a username when they join.
• Messages are sent from the browser to the server using simple POST requests.
• The server automatically tags messages with the user’s chosen username before broadcasting them to the Meshtastic mesh via the USB-connected node.
• Messages sent from the mesh (from other nodes) are displayed in the chat with their node name or ID when available.
• New messages (from both the mesh and local users) are pushed to all connected browsers in real-time using Server-Sent Events (SSE).
• This system ensures that all participants can see who is saying what - both web users and mesh users are clearly identified.

📄 License & Attribution

GNU General Public License v3.0

Created by Wasted Alien.

Disclaimer: This is an unofficial project and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Meshtastic team.

🛰️ Acknowledgments

• Meshtastic – Mesh communication platform.
• Meshtastic Python API – For direct serial communication with the mesh.
• Flask – Lightweight web server and framework.