- Introduced a new `maintenance` module to handle data retention, log rotation, and nightly email tasks. - Updated the `scheduler` to utilize the `MaintenanceRunner` for executing maintenance tasks, improving code organization and clarity. - Enhanced documentation to reflect changes in logging configuration and data retention processes. - Adjusted tests to accommodate the refactored scheduler methods and ensure proper functionality.
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Configuration
The bot is configured via config.ini in the project root (or the path given with --config). This page describes how configuration is organized and where to find command-specific options.
config.ini structure
- Sections are named in square brackets, e.g.
[Bot],[Connection],[Path_Command]. - Options are
key = value(orkey=value). Comments start with#or;. - Paths can be relative (to the directory containing the config file) or absolute. For Docker, use absolute paths under
/data/(see Docker deployment).
The main sections include:
| Section | Purpose |
|---|---|
[Bot] |
Bot name, database path, response toggles, command prefix |
[Connection] |
Serial, BLE, or TCP connection to the MeshCore device |
[Channels] |
Channels to monitor, DM behavior, optional channel keyword whitelist |
[Admin_ACL] |
Admin public keys and admin-only commands |
[Keywords] |
Keyword → response pairs |
[Weather] |
Units and settings shared by wx / gwx and Weather Service |
[Logging] |
Log file path and level |
Logging and log rotation
-
Startup (config.ini): Under
[Logging],log_file,log_max_bytes, andlog_backup_countare read when the bot starts. They control the initialRotatingFileHandlerfor the bot log file (seeconfig.ini.example). -
Live changes (web viewer): The Config tab can store
maint.log_max_bytesandmaint.log_backup_countin the database (bot_metadata). The scheduler’s maintenance loop applies those values to the existing rotating file handler without restarting the bot—but only after you save rotation settings from the web UI (which writes the metadata keys). Editingconfig.inialone does not updatebot_metadata, so hot-apply will not see a change until you save from the viewer (or set the keys another way).
If you rely on config-file-only workflows, restart the bot after changing [Logging] rotation options.
Channels section
[Channels] controls where the bot responds:
monitor_channels– Comma-separated channel names. The bot only responds to messages on these channels (and in DMs if enabled).respond_to_dms– Iftrue, the bot responds to direct messages; iffalse, it ignores DMs.channel_keywords– Optional. When set (comma-separated command/keyword names), only those triggers are answered in channels; DMs always get all triggers. Use this to reduce channel traffic by making heavy triggers (e.g.wx,satpass,joke) DM-only. Leave empty or omit to allow all triggers in monitored channels. Per-commandchannels =(empty) in a command’s section also forces that command to be DM-only; seeconfig.ini.examplefor examples (e.g.[Joke_Command]).
Command and feature sections
Many commands and features have their own section. Options there control whether the command is enabled and how it behaves.
Enabling and disabling commands
enabled– Common option to turn a command or plugin on or off. Example:[Aurora_Command] enabled = true- Commands without an
enabledkey are typically always available (subject to Admin_ACL for admin-only commands).
Command-specific sections
Examples of sections that configure specific commands or features:
[Path_Command]– Path decoding and repeater selection. See Path Command for all options.[Prefix_Command]– Prefix lookup, prefix best, range limits.[Weather]– Used by thewx/gwxcommands and the Weather Service plugin (see Weather Service).[Airplanes_Command]– Aircraft/ADS-B command (API URL, radius, limits).[Aurora_Command]– Aurora command (default coordinates).[Alert_Command]– Emergency alerts (agency IDs, etc.).[Sports_Command]– Sports scores (teams, leagues).[Joke_Command],[DadJoke_Command]– Joke sources and options.
Common per-command options (when supported by that command):
channels– Restrict where that command runs in channels:- Omit key: follow global
[Channels] monitor_channels - Empty (
channels =): DM-only - Comma list: only those channels
- Omit key: follow global
aliases– Extra trigger words for that command, comma-separated stems only (e.g.aliases = weather, w). Do not put the bot'scommand_prefixor punctuation in this value (no!or.)
Full reference: see config.ini.example in the repository for every section and option, with inline comments.
Data retention
Database tables (packet stream, stats, repeater data, mesh graph) are pruned automatically. Retention periods and defaults are described in Data retention. The bot’s scheduler runs cleanup daily even when the standalone web viewer is not running.
Path Command configuration
The Path command has many options (presets, proximity, graph validation, etc.). All are documented in:
Path Command – Presets, geographic and graph settings, and tuning.
Service plugin configuration
Service plugins (Discord Bridge, Packet Capture, Map Uploader, Weather Service) each have their own section and are documented under Service Plugins.
Config validation
Before starting the bot, you can validate section names and path writability. See Config validation for how to run validate_config.py or meshcore_bot.py --validate-config, and what is checked (required sections, typos like [WebViewer] → [Web_Viewer], and writable paths).
Reloading configuration
Some configuration can be reloaded without restarting the bot using the reload command (admin only). Radio/connection settings are not changed by reload; restart the bot for those.