meshcore-cli 0.8.1

Command line interface to meshcore companion radios

meshcore-cli

meshcore-cli : CLI interface to MeschCore companion app over BLE, TCP or Serial

Install

Meshcore-cli depends on the python meshcore package. You can install both via pip or pipx using the command :

$ pipx install meshcore-cli

It will install you meshcore-cli and meshcli, which is an alias to the former.

If you want meshcore-cli to remember last BLE device, you should have some $HOME/.config/meshcore where configuration for meschcore-cli will be stored (if not it will use first device it finds).

Usage

$ meshcli <args> <commands>

If using BLE, don't forget to pair your device first (using bluetoothctl for instance on Linux) or meshcli won't be able to communicate. There is a device selector for BLE, you'll just have to use meshcli -S to select your device, subsequent calls to meshcli will be send to that device.

Configuration

Configuration files are stored in $HOME/.config/meshcore

If the directory exists, default ble address and history will be stored there.

If there is an initialization script file called init, it will be executed just before the commands provided on command line are executed (and after evaluation of the arguments).

Arguments

Arguments mostly deals with ble connection

    -h : prints this help
    -j : json output
    -D : print debug messages
    -S : BLE device selector
    -l : lists BLE devices
    -a <address>    : specifies device address (can be a name)
    -d <name>       : filter meshcore devices with name or address
    -t <hostname>   : connects via tcp/ip
    -p <port>       : specifies tcp port (default 5000)
    -s <port>       : use serial port <port>
    -b <baudrate>   : specify baudrate

Available Commands

Commands are given after arguments, they can be chained and some have shortcuts. Also prefixing a command with a dot . will force it to output json instead of synthetic result.

  General commands
    chat                   : enter the chat (interactive) mode
    chat_to <ct>           : enter chat with contact                to
    script <filename>      : execute commands in filename
    infos                  : print informations about the node      i
    card                   : export this node URI                   e
    ver                    : firmware version                       v
    reboot                 : reboots node
    sleep <secs>           : sleeps for a given amount of secs      s
    wait_key               : wait until user presses <Enter>        wk
  Messenging
    msg <name> <msg>       : send message to node by name           m  {
    wait_ack               : wait an ack                            wa }
    chan <nb> <msg>        : send message to channel number     ch
    public <msg>           : send message to public channel (0)     dch
    recv                   : reads next msg                         r
    wait_msg               : wait for a message and read it         wm
    sync_msgs              : gets all unread msgs from the node     sm
    msgs_subscribe         : display msgs as they arrive            ms
  Management
    advert                 : sends advert                           a
    floodadv               : flood advert
    get <param>            : gets a param, "get help" for more
    set <param> <value>    : sets a param, "set help" for more 
    time <epoch>           : sets time to given epoch
    clock                  : get current time
    clock sync             : sync device clock                      st
    cli                    : send a cmd to node's cli (if avail)    @
  Contacts
    contacts / list        : gets contact list                      lc
    share_contact <ct>     : share a contact with others            sc
    export_contact <ct>    : get a contact's URI                    ec
    remove_contact <ct>    : removes a contact from this node
    reset_path <ct>        : resets path to a contact to flood      rp
    change_path <ct> <pth> : change the path to a contact           cp
  Repeaters
    login <name> <pwd>     : log into a node (rep) with given pwd   l
    logout <name>          : log out of a repeater
    cmd <name> <cmd>       : sends a command to a repeater (no ack) c  [
    wmt8                   : wait for a msg (reply) with a timeout     ]
    req_status <name>      : requests status from a node            rs

Interactive Mode

aka Instant Message or chat mode ...

Chat mode lets you interactively interact with your node or remote nodes. It is automatically triggered when no option is given on the command line.

You'll get a prompt with the name of your node. From here you can type meshcore-cli commands. The prompt has history and a basic completion (pressing tab will display possible command or argument options).

The to command is specific to chat mode, it lets you enter the recipient for next command. By default you're on your node but you can enter other nodes or public rooms. Here are some examples :

• to <nodename> : will enter nodename
• to /, to ~ : will go to the root (your node)
• to .. : will go to the last node (it will switch between the two last nodes, this is just a 1-depth history)
• to ! : will switch to the node you received last message from

When you are connected to a node, the behaviour will depend on the node type, if you're on a chat node, it will send messages by default and you can chat. On a repeater or a room server, it will send commands (autocompletioin has been set to comply with the CommonCli class of meshcore). To send a message through a room you'll have to prefix the message with a quote or use the send command.

You can alse set a channel as recipient, to public will switch to the public channel, and to ch1 to channel 1.

Examples

# gets info from first ble MC device it finds (was -s but now used for serial port)
$ meshcore-cli -d "" infos
INFO:meshcore:Scanning for devices
INFO:meshcore:Found device : C2:2B:A1:D5:3E:B6: MeshCore-t114_fdl
INFO:meshcore:BLE Connection started
{
    "adv_type": 1,
    "tx_power": 22,
    "max_tx_power": 22,
    "public_key": "993acd42fc779962c68c627829b32b111fa27a67d86b75c17460ff48c3102db4",
    "adv_lat": 47.794,
    "adv_lon": -3.428,
    "radio_freq": 869.525,
    "radio_bw": 250.0,
    "radio_sf": 11,
    "radio_cr": 5,
    "name": "t114_fdl"
}

# getting time
$ meshcli -a C2:2B:A1:D5:3E:B6 clock
INFO:meshcore:BLE Connection started
Current time : 2025-04-18 08:19:26 (1744957166)

# If you're familiar with meshcli, you should have noted that 
# now output is not json only, to get json output, use -j 
# or prefix your commands with a dot
$ meshcli -a C2:2B:A1:D5:3E:B6 .clock
INFO:meshcore:BLE Connection started
{
    "time": 1744957249
}

# Using -j, meshcli will return replies in json format ...
$ meshcli -j -a C2:2B:A1:D5:3E:B6 clock
{
    "time": 1744957261
}

# So if I reboot the node, and want to set time, I can chain the commands
# and get that kind of output (even better by feeding it to jq)
$ meshcli reboot
INFO:meshcore:BLE Connection started
$ meshcli -j clock clock sync clock | jq -c
{ "time": 1715770371 }
{ "ok": "time synced" }
{ "time": 1745996105 }

# Now check if time is ok with human output (I don't read epoch time yet)
$ meshcli clock
INFO:meshcore:BLE Connection started
Current time : 2025-04-30 08:56:27 (1745996187)

# Now you'll probably want to send some messages ... 
# For that, there is the msg command, wait_ack
$ meshcli msg Techo_fdl "Hello T-Echo" wa
INFO:meshcore:BLE Connection started
Msg acked

# I can check the message on the techo
$ meshcli -d Techo sm
INFO:meshcore:Scanning for devices
INFO:meshcore:Found device : DE:B6:D0:68:D5:62: MeshCore-Techo_fdl
INFO:meshcore:BLE Connection started
t114_fdl(0): Hello T-Echo

# And reply using json output for more verbosity
# here I've used jq with -cs to get a compact array
$ meshcli msg t114_fdl hello wa | jq -cs
[{"type":0,"expected_ack":"4802ed93","suggested_timeout":2970},{"code":"4802ed93"}]

# But this could have been done interactively using the chat mode
# Here from the techo side. Note that un-acked messages will be
# signaled with an ! at the start of the prompt (or red color in color mode)
$ meshcli chat
INFO:meshcore:BLE Connection started
Interactive mode, most commands from terminal chat should work.
Use "to" to selects contact, "list" to list contacts, "send" to send a message ...
Line starting with "$" or "." will issue a meshcli command.
"quit" or "q" will end interactive mode
t114_fdl(D): Hello T-Echo
EnsibsRoom> Hi
!EnsibsRoom> to t114_fdl
t114_fdl> Hi
t114_fdl(D): It took you long to reply ...
t114_fdl> I forgot to set the recipient with the to command
t114_fdl(D): It happens ...
t114_fdl> 

# Loging into repeaters and sending commands is also possible
# directly from the chat, because we can use meshcli commands ;)
$ meshcli chat (pending msgs are shown at connexion ...)
INFO:meshcore:BLE Connection started
Interactive mode, most commands from terminal chat should work.
Use "to" to selects contact, "list" to list contacts, "send" to send a message ...
Line starting with "$" or "." will issue a meshcli command.
"quit" or "q" will end interactive mode
Techo_fdl(0): Cool to receive some msgs from you
Techo_fdl(D): Hi
Techo_fdl(D): I forgot to set the recipient with the to command
FdlRoom> login password
Login success
FdlRoom> clock
FdlRoom(0): 06:40 - 18/4/2025 UTC
FdlRoom>