Indra: Meshtastic for Ubuntu Touch

projectmoon

Indra is now available on the OpenStore!

https://next.open-store.io/app/indra.projectmoon/

This thread will serve as a sort of unofficial support thread for now. Proper issues/bugs/feature requests should be done on the issue tracker.

Indra is a Ubuntu Touch app for off-grid communication using LoRa (long range) mesh radios. You can text friends, family, and neighbors without an internet connection. Messages are sent via the radio, which connects to other radios nearby to form a network completely separate from traditional communication infrastructure.

You need an external radio to use this app. They are cheap to build or buy, and a one-time investment in off-grid communication. Indra currently supports radios running Meshtastic firmware. You can connect to your radio over Bluetooth, the local network, or a USB cable (depending on your radio).

The app currently does not support configuring or setting up your radio; please use the Android/iOS app or the Meshtastic web client at https://client.meshtastic.org to set up your radio or change its settings.

This is a work-in-progress app. The initial release supports what the author considers the essential, core features of Meshtastic. Currently supported features:

Connect to a configured radio over Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or USB.
Send messages to public channels, private channels, or directly to other users on the mesh.
View and search the list of other radios that your radio is picking up.

Things currently NOT supported:

Configuring the radio. Please use the Android/iOS app or Meshtastic web client to set up the radio.
Showing positions of radios on the map (next major feature to be implemented).

majorquibble

I am very interested in this project but I'm an end user not a dev. Any chance of getting some guidance on installing the alpha version you've provided for testing?

projectmoon

@majorquibble You can download the proper click package from the link in the post. If you have a more modern phone, it's probably arm64. Then you just open it with the OpenStore and install manually.

One very important bug I am trying to squash is being unable to direct message some nodes while being able to message other nodes. Need info on the patterns behind it.

majorquibble

@projectmoon cool thanks! I'm on a Pixel 3a running the latest version of UT. I tried opening all three click packages in the OpenStore and got a "installation failed could not install package make sure it's a valid click package" error for each one. I'd be happy to test out that bug once I get the app running!

Vlad Nirky

@projectmoon
Hello.
Interesting project.
I have install it on my both Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro running 24.04-2.x.
Would you prefer we discuss the tests here or on the repository?

projectmoon

@Vlad-Nirky said in Indra: Meshtastic for Ubuntu Touch:

@projectmoon
Hello.
Interesting project.
I have install it on my both Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro running 24.04-2.x.
Would you prefer we discuss the tests here or on the repository?

Good question. Since it's Christmas, not much will be happening from my end during the next two or so weeks. I think general discussion of the state of the app would work best here, and specific problems/ideas should be filed in the repository.

projectmoon

@majorquibble said in Indra: Meshtastic for Ubuntu Touch:

@projectmoon cool thanks! I'm on a Pixel 3a running the latest version of UT. I tried opening all three click packages in the OpenStore and got a "installation failed could not install package make sure it's a valid click package" error for each one. I'd be happy to test out that bug once I get the app running!

Odd. What version of Ubuntu Touch are you on?

majorquibble

@projectmoon I'm running 20.04.6

I also tried using UT Tweak Tool to install and got "failed with miscellaneous internal error". It's conceivable that there's some setting I could have changed when trying to set up MMS on this phone that's causing an issue? I don't have any data on this device that needs to be backed up so if there's a straightforward way to restore system defaults I would be OK with trying that...

projectmoon

@majorquibble are you on 20.04 or 24.04?

Edit: sorry didn't see your put the version in your message.

This is probably caused by Indra being built specifically for 24.04. Is it possible for you to update to 24.04? Otherwise, I will see if I can build for 20.04.

majorquibble

@projectmoon just updated and now the app is installed! thanks! will do some testing over the holidays

Vlad Nirky

@projectmoon
The application launches and works fine, but the Bluetooth connection fails.
The phones exchange verification codes, then Bluetooth switches to speaker mode and stops.
https://dpaste.com/4B5PV687Q

projectmoon

@Vlad-Nirky said in Indra: Meshtastic for Ubuntu Touch:

@projectmoon
The application launches and works fine, but the Bluetooth connection fails.
The phones exchange verification codes, then Bluetooth switches to speaker mode and stops.
https://dpaste.com/4B5PV687Q

Well that is interesting. Is the radio already paired in system settings? And is the Meshtastic firmware already configured on the radio?

Edit: ok uhh after looking at the log, I'm not sure you are using the app correctly ;D

Meshtaastic requires a dedicated LoRa radio, which you connect to via USB, Bluetooth, or WiFi (not yet supported). The phones do not directly connect to one another.

Vlad Nirky

@projectmoon
Hello.
Oh, good news.
Do you have any documentation explaining how it works in detail?
I thought the BT connection could be established directly.
I'll also look into it on my end.
Oh, okay, you need a LoRa device to propagate the signal.
And the BT connection is used to connect to it...
I'm new to these technologies, but it's clearer now.
Do you have any hardware recommendations for these devices to get started (or a link to them)?

projectmoon

@Vlad-Nirky you can find everything at https://meshtastic.org.

projectmoon

The major problems currently found that need to be fixed for alpha 2:

PKI errors when trying to send direct messages trying some nodes but not others. Don't know what causes this.
Node names (and probably other info) not updating correctly when that information changes.
Handling of unsent messages is very poor. Cannot delete or resend. Cannot tell difference between an unsent vs unacknowledged message.

projectmoon

Alpha 2!

https://git.agnos.is/projectmoon/indra/releases/tag/v0.0.2

Next alpha release, focused on dealing with reported bugs and adding features required for MVP user experience. No work was done on Bluetooth connection stability in this release.

A database wipe is required for this release!

Delete the database by doing rm ~/.local/share/indra.projectmoon/indra.db on your phone, or by deleting indra.db using the file manager.

Changelog

Store and utilize last heard from nodes.
Update Direct Conversation (Direct Messages in the main list) when a node's long or short name changes.
Allow deletion of errored or unsent messages.
Allow resend of errored or unsent messages.
Color messages gray if they've been unsent for a long time (only on channel view load).
Alter message sending logic to first queue the message for sending, then send it, then delete the queued message. Theoretically helps with Bluetooth instability.
Add ability to search the node list.
Separate nodes into online and offline (not heard for at least 24 hours).
Catch errors relating to specific messages and mark the message as errored.
Render non-public encrypted channels as "group chats."

projectmoon

I think I have finally figured out why some nodes cannot be DMed. The fix for this will likely not be in the initial OpenStore release (undergoing review right now), but it will be part of the first update after.

projectmoon

Alpha 4!

https://git.agnos.is/projectmoon/indra/releases

Next alpha release that focuses on finalization of MVP functionality ahead of OpenStore release. This release also contains the changes in the unreleased alpha 3.

A database wipe is required for this release!

Delete the database by doing rm ~/.local/share/indra.projectmoon/indra.db on your phone, or by deleting indra.db using the file manager.

Changelog

Support connecting to radios via network/wi-fi.
Ensure contact info is on radio when sending direct messages.
Fix channels not showing up if they don't have a name.
Node list is now one large list off online + offline.
Actually reliable message queueing system.
Adhere to firmware-imposed text message rate limits.
Security indicators on channel/DM list.
Sortable node list.
Move more Meshtastic-specific stuff out of app domain.
Show and enforce character limits on sending text messages.

projectmoon

https://next.open-store.io/app/indra.projectmoon/

Indra is now available on the OpenStore, with all the fixes in Alpha 4 and a few more tweaks! From this point forward, the database will be treated as something that needs to be migrated instead of wiped on every update. (The setting in the menu to wipe the database does not actually do anything, and will be removed).