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clarify meshchat links by fw version

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Steve Lewis AB7PA 2023-07-31 14:21:48 -07:00
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arednServicesGuide/chat_programs.rst
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@ -9,17 +9,20 @@ Chat programs are one of the least network-intensive types of communication prog
MeshChat
--------
MeshChat has become the primary chat service for AREDN |trade| networks because it was written by Trevor Paskett K7FPV specifically for mesh communication. Users access MeshChat via web browser, and the service can run on the mesh node itself or preferably on a LAN-connected Debian or Raspberry Pi computer. After logging in by entering a call sign, you can send a message by typing into a text box and clicking the *Submit* button. The list of active users is displayed, and every message is visible to all participants on the chat service. Multiple *Zones* and *Channels* are supported for categorizing and separating message traffic.
MeshChat has become the primary chat service for AREDN |trade| networks because it was written by Trevor Paskett K7FPV specifically for mesh communication. Users access MeshChat via web browser, and the service can run on the mesh node itself or on a LAN-connected Debian or Raspberry Pi computer. After logging in by entering a call sign, you can send a message by typing into a text box and clicking the *Submit* button. The list of active users is displayed, and every message is visible to all participants on the chat service. Multiple *Zones* and *Channels* are supported for categorizing and filtering message traffic.
A copy of the message database is stored on every device where MeshChat is running. Nodes may have intermittent network connectivity, but as long as at least one node is available the MeshChat database remains intact. Once nodes come online they immediately sync by retrieving a full copy of the message database. If any new messages are found, they are appended to the local message database.
In addition to the keyboard-to-keyboard chat feature, MeshChat also allows files to be shared between nodes. Files may be uploaded from or downloaded to the user's computer at any time. If MeshChat is running on a radio node then the file storage is very limited, but if running on an external computer the file storage is limited only by the size of the disk that is allocated for MeshChat files.
In addition to the keyboard-to-keyboard chat feature, MeshChat also allows files to be shared between nodes. Files may be uploaded from or downloaded to the user's computer using the web interface. If MeshChat is running on a radio node then the file storage is very limited, but if running on an external LAN-connected computer the file storage is limited only by the size of the disk that is allocated for MeshChat files.
MeshChat *Action Scripts* also provide for functional extensions, such as sending messages to an SMS gateway for external distribution. It is also possible for action scripts to periodically save the message database for archive purposes or integration with external tools.
Although MeshChat is a commonly deployed service, it is a third party package which is not available in the AREDN |trade| repositories. You can find additional information by visiting this link: `MeshChat at Trevor's Bench <http://www.trevorsbench.com/meshchat-messaging-for-mesh-networks/>`_
As originally designed, MeshChat uses the Perl programming language and is able to run either on an AREDN |trade| node or on a LAN-connected Debian or Raspberry Pi computer. With the project to retire Perl on AREDN |trade| nodes, there are now alternative MeshChat packages which use the Lua programming language for running on nodes. If you are running the original Perl version on an external computer, you can still use the new Lua API on your node to provide the computer with the list of MeshChat nodes. These Lua packages are available at the following link: `Lua MeshChat <https://github.com/kn6plv/meshchat>`_
As originally designed, MeshChat uses the Perl programming language and is able to run either on an AREDN |trade| node or on a LAN-connected Debian or Raspberry Pi computer. After the retirement of Perl on AREDN |trade| nodes, there are now alternative MeshChat packages which use the Lua programming language for running on nodes. If you are running the original Perl version on an external computer, you can still use the new Lua API on your node to provide the computer with the list of MeshChat nodes. These packages are available at the following links:
- `Lua version of Meshchat for AREDN ≥3.22.6.0 <https://github.com/kn6plv/meshchat>`_
- `Perl version of Meshchat for AREDN ≤3.22.1.0 or for running Meshchat on a Raspbian or Debian computer <https://www.trevorsbench.com/meshchat-messaging-for-mesh-networks/>`_
.. image:: _images/meshchat.png
:alt: MeshChat Web Interface