Akita Meshtastic IRC Gateway (AMIG)

Organization: Akita Engineering
Website: www.akitaengineering.com
Contact: info@akitaengineering.com

A simple, modular Python-based gateway that bridges an IRC channel to the Meshtastic network, allowing users to send commands and messages to the mesh via an IRC client.

Features

• Connect using a standard IRC client.
• Join a designated control channel (#meshtastic-ctrl by default).
• Modular command system: Easily add new commands by creating Python modules.
• Send messages to the Meshtastic default channel (SEND <message>).
• Send Direct Messages to specific Meshtastic nodes (DM <node_id|shortname|nodenum> <message>).
• List known nodes on the mesh (NODES).
• Get basic info about a specific node (INFO <node>).
• View gateway node's GPS location (LOCATION).
• Broadcast an ALARM message (ALARM <message>).
• Send a Meshtastic ping (PING <node>).
• Get server time (TIME).
• Get basic mesh stats (STATS).
• Get weather forecast via OpenWeatherMap (WEATHER - requires config).
• Get HF propagation conditions via NOAA SWPC (HFCONDITIONS).
• Relays standard chat messages between IRC users in the control channel.
• Relays received Meshtastic messages (broadcasts and DMs to the gateway node) back to the IRC channel.
• Relays ACK/NAK/PONG feedback to the IRC channel.

Disclaimer: This project provides a functional base but should be considered experimental. Real-world testing, robust error handling, and security hardening are ongoing considerations. Use with caution and ensure compliance with all applicable regulations.

Documentation

Full documentation is available: Please refer to the docs/ directory and use MkDocs (pip install mkdocs mkdocs-material, then mkdocs serve) to view the complete documentation site locally. A hosted version may be available at [Link to Hosted Docs - To be added].

Setup

Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/AkitaEngineering/Akita-Meshtastic-IRC-Gateway.git
cd Akita-Meshtastic-IRC-Gateway

Create Virtual Environment (Recommended)

python -m venv venv

Activate the Environment

• Linux/macOS:

  source venv/bin/activate

• Windows:

  venv\Scripts\activate

Install Dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

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Configuration

Edit src/gateway/config.py:

• Set one of the following based on your connection type:

  • MESH_DEVICE_PORT (e.g., /dev/ttyUSB0, COM3)
  • MESH_DEVICE_HOST (e.g., 192.168.1.100)
  • Leave the unused one as None.

• Weather Command Support:

  • Add your OpenWeatherMap API key to WEATHER_API_KEY or set the WEATHER_API_KEY environment variable.
  • Ensure WEATHER_LOCATION is set correctly.

• Review and adjust other settings:

  • IRC_SERVER_PORT
  • CONTROL_CHANNEL
  • And any other options as needed.

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Running the Gateway

From the project root:

python src/gateway/main.py [options]

Common Options (Override config.py)

--mesh-port /dev/ttyACM0  # Use a specific serial port.
--mesh-host <ip_address>  # Use a specific TCP/IP host.
-p <port_num>             # Run IRC server on a different port.
-v                        # Enable verbose (debug) logging.

See all options:

python src/gateway/main.py --help

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Connecting with an IRC Client

1. Connect your IRC client to the gateway host/IP and port (e.g., localhost:6667).
2. Disable SSL/TLS.
3. Join the control channel:

   /join #meshtastic-ctrl
   

   (Or your configured channel.)
4. Type HELP to list available commands.

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Adding New Commands

To extend functionality:

1. Create a new file in src/gateway/commands/, e.g. cmd_yourcommand.py
2. Define the following in the file:
   • COMMAND_NAME
   • COMMAND_HELP
   • execute(server, connection, nick, args)

The gateway auto-loads new command files on startup.

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Contributing

Contributions, issues, and feature requests are welcome.

To contribute:

• Fork the repository
• Create a branch
• Make your changes
• Submit a pull request

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License

Distributed under the GNU General Public License v3.0. See LICENSE for more information.