feat: Update README and .gitignore for Docker deployment

- Added Docker deployment instructions to the README, including steps for creating data directories, updating configuration paths, and starting the application with Docker Compose.
- Updated .gitignore to include a new data directory structure, ensuring user-specific configurations, databases, and logs are ignored while maintaining the directory structure.

.dockerignore

@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+# Git
+.git
+.gitignore
+.gitattributes
+
+# Python
+__pycache__/
+*.py[cod]
+*$py.class
+*.so
+.Python
+*.egg-info/
+dist/
+build/
+*.egg
+
+# Virtual environments
+venv/
+env/
+ENV/
+
+# IDE
+.vscode/
+.idea/
+*.swp
+*.swo
+*~
+
+# OS
+.DS_Store
+Thumbs.db
+
+# Project specific
+*.db
+*.db-shm
+*.db-wal
+*.log
+logs/
+backups/
+*.ini
+config.ini
+config.ini.example
+config.ini.minimal-example
+config.min.ini
+
+# Documentation
+docs/
+*.md
+!README.md
+
+# Test files
+test_scripts/
+*.test.py
+*_test.py
+
+# Development
+dev/
+flake.lock
+flake.nix
+nix/
+
+# Service files
+*.service
+*.plist
+*.sh
+!install-service.sh
+!uninstall-service.sh
+
+# Website
+website/
+
+# MQTT bridge
+mctomqtt.py
+
+# Database backups
+backup_database.py

.github/workflows/docker-build.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+name: Build and Push Docker Image
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - main
+      - master
+    tags:
+      - 'v*'
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - main
+      - master
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+env:
+  REGISTRY: ghcr.io
+  IMAGE_NAME: ${{ github.repository }}
+
+jobs:
+  build:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      packages: write
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Set up Docker Buildx
+        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
+
+      - name: Log in to Container Registry
+        if: github.event_name != 'pull_request'
+        uses: docker/login-action@v3
+        with:
+          registry: ${{ env.REGISTRY }}
+          username: ${{ github.actor }}
+          password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+
+      - name: Extract metadata (tags, labels) for Docker
+        id: meta
+        uses: docker/metadata-action@v5
+        with:
+          images: ${{ env.REGISTRY }}/${{ env.IMAGE_NAME }}
+          tags: |
+            type=ref,event=branch
+            type=ref,event=pr
+            type=semver,pattern={{version}}
+            type=semver,pattern={{major}}.{{minor}}
+            type=semver,pattern={{major}}
+            type=sha,prefix={{branch}}-
+            type=raw,value=latest,enable={{is_default_branch}}
+
+      - name: Build and push Docker image
+        uses: docker/build-push-action@v5
+        with:
+          context: .
+          push: ${{ github.event_name != 'pull_request' }}
+          tags: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.tags }}
+          labels: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.labels }}
+          cache-from: type=gha
+          cache-to: type=gha,mode=max
+          platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm64

.gitignore

@@ -142,3 +142,8 @@ tests/
 test_scripts/
 dev/
 website/
+
+# Docker data directory (user-specific config, databases, logs)
+# Ignore contents but keep directory structure
+data/*
+!data/.gitkeep

DOCKER.md

@@ -0,0 +1,368 @@
+# Docker Deployment Guide
+
+This guide explains how to deploy meshcore-bot using Docker and Docker Compose.
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+- Docker Engine 20.10+ or Docker Desktop
+- Docker Compose 2.0+ (included with Docker Desktop)
+
+## Quick Start
+
+1. **Clone the repository** (if you haven't already):
+   ```bash
+   git clone <repository-url>
+   cd meshcore-bot
+   ```
+
+2. **Run the setup script** (recommended):
+   ```bash
+   ./docker-setup.sh
+   ```
+   
+   This will create the necessary directories and copy the example config file.
+
+   **Or manually:**
+   ```bash
+   mkdir -p data/{config,databases,logs,backups}
+   cp config.ini.example data/config/config.ini
+   ```
+
+3. **Edit configuration file**:
+   ```bash
+   # Edit data/config/config.ini with your settings
+   nano data/config/config.ini  # or your preferred editor
+   ```
+
+4. **Update database paths in config.ini**:
+   Make sure your `config.ini` uses paths that will be mapped to `/data/databases`:
+   ```ini
+   [Bot]
+   db_path = /data/databases/meshcore_bot.db
+   
+   [Web_Viewer]
+   db_path = /data/databases/bot_data.db
+   
+   [Logging]
+   log_file = /data/logs/meshcore_bot.log
+   ```
+
+5. **Start the container**:
+   ```bash
+   docker-compose up -d
+   ```
+
+6. **View logs**:
+   ```bash
+   docker-compose logs -f
+   ```
+
+## Configuration
+
+### Volume Mappings
+
+The `docker-compose.yml` file maps the following directories:
+
+- `./data/config` → `/data/config` (read-only) - Configuration files
+- `./data/databases` → `/data/databases` - SQLite database files
+- `./data/logs` → `/data/logs` - Log files
+- `./data/backups` → `/data/backups` - Database backups
+
+### Serial Port Access
+
+**⚠️ Important: Docker Desktop on macOS does NOT support serial device passthrough.**
+
+If you're using a serial connection, you have several options:
+
+**Option 1: Use TCP Connection (Recommended for macOS)**
+If your MeshCore device supports TCP/IP (via gateway or bridge), configure it in `config.ini`:
+```ini
+[Connection]
+connection_type = tcp
+hostname = 192.168.1.60  # Your device's IP or hostname
+tcp_port = 5000
+```
+Then comment out or remove the `devices` section in `docker-compose.yml`.
+
+**Option 2: Serial-to-TCP Bridge (macOS workaround)**
+Use a tool like `socat` to bridge the serial port to TCP on the host:
+```bash
+# On macOS host, create TCP bridge
+socat TCP-LISTEN:5000,reuseaddr,fork FILE:/dev/cu.usbmodem1101,raw,nonblock,waitlock=/var/run/socat.pid
+```
+Then configure the bot to use TCP connection to `localhost:5000`.
+
+**Option 3: Device Mapping (Linux only)**
+On Linux, you can map the serial device directly:
+```yaml
+devices:
+  - /dev/ttyUSB0:/dev/ttyUSB0
+```
+
+**Option 4: Host Network Mode (Linux only, for BLE)**
+For BLE connections on Linux, you may need host network access:
+```yaml
+network_mode: host
+```
+**Note**: Host network mode gives the container full access to the host network, which has security implications.
+
+### Web Viewer Port
+
+If you enable the web viewer, uncomment and adjust the `ports` section:
+```yaml
+ports:
+  - "8080:8080"
+```
+
+Make sure your `config.ini` has:
+```ini
+[Web_Viewer]
+enabled = true
+host = 0.0.0.0  # Required for Docker port mapping
+port = 8080
+```
+
+## Building the Image
+
+### Using Docker Compose
+
+The `docker-compose.yml` file will automatically build the image if it doesn't exist:
+```bash
+docker-compose build
+```
+
+### Using Docker directly
+
+```bash
+docker build -t meshcore-bot:latest .
+```
+
+## Running the Container
+
+### Start in background
+```bash
+docker-compose up -d
+```
+
+### Start in foreground (see logs)
+```bash
+docker-compose up
+```
+
+### Stop the container
+```bash
+docker-compose down
+```
+
+### Restart the container
+```bash
+docker-compose restart
+```
+
+## Managing the Container
+
+### View logs
+```bash
+# Follow logs
+docker-compose logs -f
+
+# Last 100 lines
+docker-compose logs --tail=100
+
+# Logs for specific service
+docker-compose logs meshcore-bot
+```
+
+### Execute commands in container
+```bash
+docker-compose exec meshcore-bot bash
+```
+
+### Update the container
+```bash
+# Pull latest changes
+git pull
+
+# Rebuild and restart
+docker-compose up -d --build
+```
+
+## Using Pre-built Images
+
+If you're using GitHub Container Registry images:
+
+1. **Update docker-compose.yml** to use the image:
+   ```yaml
+   services:
+     meshcore-bot:
+       image: ghcr.io/your-username/meshcore-bot:latest
+       # Remove or comment out the 'build' section
+   ```
+
+2. **Pull and start**:
+   ```bash
+   docker-compose pull
+   docker-compose up -d
+   ```
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+### Permission Issues
+
+If you encounter permission issues with database or log files:
+
+1. **Check file ownership**:
+   ```bash
+   ls -la data/databases/
+   ls -la data/logs/
+   ```
+
+2. **Fix permissions** (if needed):
+   ```bash
+   sudo chown -R 1000:1000 data/
+   ```
+
+The container runs as user ID 1000 (meshcore user).
+
+### Serial Port Not Found
+
+1. **Check device exists**:
+   ```bash
+   ls -l /dev/ttyUSB0  # or your device
+   ```
+
+2. **Add user to dialout group** (on host):
+   ```bash
+   sudo usermod -a -G dialout $USER
+   # Log out and back in
+   ```
+
+3. **Use host network mode** if device mapping doesn't work:
+   ```yaml
+   network_mode: host
+   ```
+
+### Database Locked Errors
+
+If you see database locked errors:
+
+1. **Stop the container**:
+   ```bash
+   docker-compose down
+   ```
+
+2. **Check for leftover database files**:
+   ```bash
+   ls -la data/databases/*.db-*
+   ```
+
+3. **Remove lock files** (if safe):
+   ```bash
+   rm data/databases/*.db-shm data/databases/*.db-wal
+   ```
+
+4. **Restart**:
+   ```bash
+   docker-compose up -d
+   ```
+
+### Container Won't Start
+
+1. **Check logs**:
+   ```bash
+   docker-compose logs
+   ```
+
+2. **Verify config file exists**:
+   ```bash
+   ls -la data/config/config.ini
+   ```
+
+3. **Test config file syntax**:
+   ```bash
+   docker-compose run --rm meshcore-bot python3 -c "import configparser; c = configparser.ConfigParser(); c.read('/data/config/config.ini'); print('Config OK')"
+   ```
+
+## Production Deployment
+
+For production deployments:
+
+1. **Use specific image tags** instead of `latest`:
+   ```yaml
+   image: ghcr.io/your-username/meshcore-bot:v1.0.0
+   ```
+
+2. **Set resource limits** in `docker-compose.yml`:
+   ```yaml
+   deploy:
+     resources:
+       limits:
+         cpus: '1.0'
+         memory: 512M
+       reservations:
+         cpus: '0.5'
+         memory: 256M
+   ```
+
+3. **Use secrets management** for sensitive configuration:
+   - Use Docker secrets (Docker Swarm)
+   - Use environment variables for API keys
+   - Mount secret files as read-only volumes
+
+4. **Enable log rotation** (already configured in docker-compose.yml):
+   ```yaml
+   logging:
+     driver: "json-file"
+     options:
+       max-size: "10m"
+       max-file: "3"
+   ```
+
+5. **Set up health checks** (already included in Dockerfile):
+   The container includes a basic health check. Monitor with:
+   ```bash
+   docker-compose ps
+   ```
+
+## Backup and Restore
+
+### Backup
+
+```bash
+# Backup databases
+docker-compose exec meshcore-bot tar czf /data/backups/backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz /data/databases
+
+# Or from host
+tar czf backups/backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz data/databases/
+```
+
+### Restore
+
+```bash
+# Stop container
+docker-compose down
+
+# Restore databases
+tar xzf backups/backup-YYYYMMDD.tar.gz -C data/
+
+# Start container
+docker-compose up -d
+```
+
+## Security Considerations
+
+1. **Non-root user**: The container runs as a non-root user (UID 1000)
+
+2. **Read-only config**: Config directory is mounted read-only to prevent accidental modifications
+
+3. **Network isolation**: By default, containers are isolated. Only expose ports you need
+
+4. **Secrets**: Never commit API keys or sensitive data to version control. Use environment variables or secrets management
+
+5. **Web viewer**: If enabled, ensure it's only accessible on trusted networks or use a reverse proxy with authentication
+
+## Additional Resources
+
+- [Docker Documentation](https://docs.docker.com/)
+- [Docker Compose Documentation](https://docs.docker.com/compose/)
+- [Main README](README.md) for general bot configuration

Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+# Multi-stage build for meshcore-bot
+FROM python:3.11-slim as builder
+
+# Install build dependencies
+RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+    build-essential \
+    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+
+# Set working directory
+WORKDIR /build
+
+# Copy dependency files
+COPY requirements.txt pyproject.toml ./
+
+# Install Python dependencies
+RUN pip install --no-cache-dir --user -r requirements.txt
+
+# Final stage
+FROM python:3.11-slim
+
+# Install runtime dependencies
+RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+    # For serial port access
+    udev \
+    # For BLE support (optional, but commonly needed)
+    libbluetooth3 \
+    # Cleanup
+    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+
+# Create non-root user
+RUN useradd -m -u 1000 meshcore && \
+    mkdir -p /app /data/config /data/databases /data/logs /data/backups && \
+    chown -R meshcore:meshcore /app /data
+
+# Copy Python dependencies from builder
+COPY --from=builder /root/.local /home/meshcore/.local
+
+# Set working directory
+WORKDIR /app
+
+# Copy application files
+COPY --chown=meshcore:meshcore . /app/
+
+# Set PATH to include user's local bin
+ENV PATH=/home/meshcore/.local/bin:$PATH \
+    PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1 \
+    PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE=1
+
+# Switch to non-root user
+USER meshcore
+
+# Health check
+HEALTHCHECK --interval=30s --timeout=10s --start-period=40s --retries=3 \
+    CMD python3 -c "import sys; sys.exit(0)" || exit 1
+
+# Default command
+CMD ["python3", "meshcore_bot.py", "--config", "/data/config/config.ini"]

README.md

@@ -84,6 +84,37 @@ sudo systemctl status meshcore-bot
 
 See [SERVICE-INSTALLATION.md](SERVICE-INSTALLATION.md) for detailed service installation instructions.
 
+### Docker Deployment
+For containerized deployment using Docker:
+
+1. **Create data directories and configuration**:
+   ```bash
+   mkdir -p data/{config,databases,logs,backups}
+   cp config.ini.example data/config/config.ini
+   # Edit data/config/config.ini with your settings
+   ```
+
+2. **Update paths in config.ini** to use `/data/` directories:
+   ```ini
+   [Bot]
+   db_path = /data/databases/meshcore_bot.db
+   
+   [Logging]
+   log_file = /data/logs/meshcore_bot.log
+   ```
+
+3. **Start with Docker Compose**:
+   ```bash
+   docker-compose up -d
+   ```
+
+4. **View logs**:
+   ```bash
+   docker-compose logs -f
+   ```
+
+See [DOCKER.md](DOCKER.md) for detailed Docker deployment instructions, including serial port access, web viewer configuration, and troubleshooting.
+
 ## NixOS
 Use the Nix flake via flake.nix
 ```nix

data/.gitkeep

@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# This file ensures the data directory structure is tracked in git
+# User-specific files (config.ini, databases, logs) should not be committed
+# See DOCKER.md for setup instructions

docker-compose.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+version: '3.8'
+
+services:
+  meshcore-bot:
+    build:
+      context: .
+      dockerfile: Dockerfile
+    image: meshcore-bot:latest
+    container_name: meshcore-bot
+    restart: unless-stopped
+    
+    # Device access for serial ports
+    # NOTE: Docker Desktop on macOS does NOT support device passthrough
+    # Options for macOS:
+    #   1. Use TCP connection (if device supports it) - configure in config.ini
+    #   2. Use a serial-to-TCP bridge (e.g., socat) on the host
+    #   3. Run the bot natively on macOS instead of Docker
+    # For Linux: Uncomment and adjust device path below
+    # devices:
+    #   - /dev/ttyUSB0:/dev/ttyUSB0
+    
+    # Network mode for host access (needed for BLE and some serial setups)
+    # Uncomment if you need host network access
+    # network_mode: host
+    
+    # Environment variables (optional, can override config.ini settings)
+    environment:
+      - TZ=America/Los_Angeles  # Set your timezone
+      # - PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1  # Already set in Dockerfile
+    
+    # Volume mappings for persistent data
+    volumes:
+      # Configuration file
+      - ./data/config:/data/config:ro
+      # Databases (main bot database and web viewer database)
+      - ./data/databases:/data/databases
+      # Logs
+      - ./data/logs:/data/logs
+      # Backups (optional)
+      - ./data/backups:/data/backups
+    
+    # Port mappings (if web viewer is enabled)
+    # Uncomment and adjust if using web viewer
+    ports:
+      - "8082:8080"
+    
+    # Logging configuration
+    logging:
+      driver: "json-file"
+      options:
+        max-size: "10m"
+        max-file: "3"

docker-setup.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Setup script for Docker deployment
+# Creates necessary directories and copies example config
+
+set -e
+
+echo "Setting up meshcore-bot Docker environment..."
+
+# Create data directories
+echo "Creating data directories..."
+mkdir -p data/{config,databases,logs,backups}
+
+# Copy example config if config doesn't exist
+if [ ! -f "data/config/config.ini" ]; then
+    if [ -f "config.ini.example" ]; then
+        echo "Copying config.ini.example to data/config/config.ini..."
+        cp config.ini.example data/config/config.ini
+        echo ""
+        echo "⚠️  IMPORTANT: Please edit data/config/config.ini with your settings!"
+        echo "   - Update database paths to use /data/databases/"
+        echo "   - Update log file path to use /data/logs/"
+        echo "   - Configure your connection settings"
+    else
+        echo "⚠️  Warning: config.ini.example not found. Please create data/config/config.ini manually."
+    fi
+else
+    echo "✓ Config file already exists at data/config/config.ini"
+fi
+
+# Set permissions (container runs as UID 1000)
+echo "Setting permissions..."
+chmod -R 755 data/
+chown -R 1000:1000 data/ 2>/dev/null || echo "Note: Could not set ownership (may need sudo)"
+
+echo ""
+echo "✓ Setup complete!"
+echo ""
+echo "Next steps:"
+echo "1. Edit data/config/config.ini with your settings"
+echo "2. Update database paths in config.ini:"
+echo "   [Bot]"
+echo "   db_path = /data/databases/meshcore_bot.db"
+echo ""
+echo "   [Logging]"
+echo "   log_file = /data/logs/meshcore_bot.log"
+echo ""
+echo "3. Start the container:"
+echo "   docker-compose up -d"
+echo ""
+echo "4. View logs:"
+echo "   docker-compose logs -f"