Akita Meshtastic IPFS Plugin

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

This Meshtastic plugin, akita-meshtastic-ipfs, integrates the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) with Meshtastic, enabling decentralized data storage and retrieval over your Meshtastic network. It is implemented as a Meshtastic plugin to simplify integration with Meshtastic-based projects.

Features

• Plugin Integration: Designed to integrate with Meshtastic's plugin framework for modularity and maintainability.
• Decentralized Data Storage: Store and retrieve messages and files using IPFS.
• Offline Access: Access previously retrieved data even without an internet connection.
• Content Addressing: Ensure data integrity and authenticity using IPFS CIDs.
• Message Metadata: Messages are stored with sender ID and timestamp.
• Configuration: Configure plugin settings through the Meshtastic app or CLI.
• Resource Management: Includes memory checks and configurable storage limits.
• FreeRTOS Task: IPFS operations run in a separate FreeRTOS task to prevent blocking the main Meshtastic loop.
• Progress Indication: Displays connected peers and free heap memory.
• Security: Includes basic authentication with a pre-shared key.
• Robustness: Implements retries and detailed error logging.
• HTTP Gateway Bridge: The plugin exchanges JSON requests with the gateway over HTTP and receives CID or data responses immediately.

Installation

1. Dependencies:

   • Install the required libraries as described in the Gateway Installation and Plugin Installation sections.

2. Plugin Files:

   • Place akita-meshtastic-ipfs.cpp and akita-meshtastic-ipfs.h in the src/plugins directory of your Meshtastic project.

3. Compile and Flash:

   • Compile and flash the Meshtastic firmware to your devices.
   • Depending on your Meshtastic setup, you may need to register the plugin in main.cpp or follow your project's plugin registration process.

4. Configuration:

   • Use the Meshtastic app or CLI to configure the plugin:
     • Enable or disable the plugin (enabled).
     • Set the IPFS gateway address (gatewayAddress).
     • Set the IPFS gateway port (gatewayPort).
     • Set the shared gateway key (gatewayKey) when gateway authentication is enabled.

Gateway Installation

1. Dependencies:

   • Install Python 3.7 or later.

   • Install the required Python packages:

     pip install -r gateway/requirements.txt

   • Ensure IPFS is installed and running on your system. See the IPFS documentation for installation instructions.

2. Configuration:

   • Configure the gateway using environment variables. See the gateway/src/config.py file for available options.

   • Important: Set a strong PRESHARED_KEY environment variable for authentication.

   • Example:

     export PRESHARED_KEY="your_secure_key"
     export MESHTASTIC_DEVICE="/dev/ttyUSB0" # Or use MESHTASTIC_HOST and MESHTASTIC_PORT
     python gateway/src/main.py

Plugin Installation

1. Dependencies:

   • You'll need the Meshtastic development environment set up for your specific platform (e.g., Arduino IDE for ESP32).
   • Install the following libraries:
     • IPFS_Lite
     • ArduinoJson
     • TimeLib
     • WiFi (for ESP32)

2. Include Plugin Files:

   • Place akita-meshtastic-ipfs.cpp and akita-meshtastic-ipfs.h in the src/plugins directory of your Meshtastic project.

3. Compile and Flash:

   • Compile and flash the Meshtastic firmware to your devices.

Configuration Options

Gateway

The following environment variables can be used to configure the gateway:

• IPFS_PORT: The Meshtastic port number used for IPFS communication. Default: 200.
• USE_MESH_INTERFACE: Set to True to use a Meshtastic Mesh Interface (TCP/IP), False to use serial. Default: True.
• MESHTASTIC_HOST: The hostname or IP address of the Meshtastic device (for TCP/IP). Default: 127.0.0.1.
• MESHTASTIC_PORT: The port number of the Meshtastic device (for TCP/IP). Default: 4444.
• WEB_PORT: The port number for the SocketIO web server. Default: 8080.
• AUTHENTICATION_ENABLED: Set to True to enable authentication, False to disable. Default: True.
• PRESHARED_KEY: The pre-shared key used for authentication. Required if authentication is enabled. Default: secret_key (CHANGE THIS!).

Plugin

The following options can be configured in the Meshtastic settings (using the app or CLI):

• enabled: (Boolean) Enables or disables the IPFS plugin. Default: true.
• gatewayAddress: (String) The IP address of the IPFS gateway.
• gatewayPort: (Integer) The port number of the IPFS gateway.
• gatewayKey: (String) The pre-shared key sent as Authorization: PSK <key>. Default: secret_key.

Usage

• Once the plugin and gateway are set up, Meshtastic devices can send and receive data via IPFS.
• When sending data, the Meshtastic device sends the data to the gateway, which stores it on IPFS and returns the CID. The CID is then broadcast over the Meshtastic network.
• When receiving a CID, a Meshtastic device can request the data from the gateway, which retrieves it from IPFS and sends it back to the device.
• The gateway also provides a SocketIO interface for web applications and an authenticated HTTP endpoint at /api/ipfs for the embedded plugin.

Important Notes

• Resource Usage: IPFS can be resource-intensive. Monitor device memory and CPU usage, especially on the gateway.
• Network Connectivity: IPFS and Meshtastic require network connectivity. Ensure that your devices have a stable connection.
• Security: This plugin includes basic authentication. For production environments, use a more secure solution (e.g., OAuth 2.0, certificates).
• Testing: Thoroughly test the plugin and gateway in your specific Meshtastic environment before deployment.

License

This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0.