Meshtastic Firmware Update Notifier

Automatically monitors GitHub for new Meshtastic firmware releases and sends notifications to your mesh network. No custom firmware required!

Features

• 🔔 Automatic notifications - Sends messages to your mesh when new firmware is released
• 🎯 Alpha or Stable - Choose to monitor Alpha (pre-release) or Stable releases
• 🔌 Flexible connectivity - Supports both Serial/USB and Bluetooth connections
• ⏰ Configurable intervals - Check as often or as rarely as you like
• 💻 Windows optimized - Easy setup with Task Scheduler or Startup folder
• 🚫 No custom firmware - Works with stock Meshtastic firmware

Requirements

• Windows, macOS, or Linux (instructions below are Windows-focused)
• Python 3.7 or newer
• Meshtastic node connected via Serial/USB or Bluetooth
• Internet connection to check GitHub

Quick Start

1. Install Python

Download and install Python from python.org

Important: During installation, check "Add Python to PATH"

Verify installation:

python --version

2. Clone or Download This Repository

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/meshtastic-firmware-notifier.git
cd meshtastic-firmware-notifier

Or download the ZIP and extract it to a folder like:

C:\Projects\Meshtastic\Scripts\VersionBroadcast\

3. Install Dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

Or manually:

pip install meshtastic requests

4. Find Your COM Port (Serial/USB only)

1. Connect your Meshtastic device via USB
2. Open Device Manager (Windows + X → Device Manager)
3. Expand "Ports (COM & LPT)"
4. Note your device's COM port (e.g., COM3, COM4, COM5)

Tip: Unplug/replug the device to see which port appears/disappears

5. Run Setup Wizard

python meshtastic_firmware_checker.py --setup

You'll be asked to configure:

• Connection type: Serial/USB or Bluetooth
• Port/Address: Your COM port or Bluetooth MAC address
• Release type: Alpha (pre-releases) or Stable only
• Check interval: How often to check (default: 12 hours)

6. Test It

Run a single check to verify everything works:

python meshtastic_firmware_checker.py --check-once

First run output:

[2026-01-12 14:43:22] Checking for updates...
Found Alpha release: v2.5.0.abc123d
Latest version: v2.5.0.abc123d
Last known version: None
First run - saving current version as baseline
✓ Saved v2.5.0.abc123d as baseline

The first run establishes a baseline - no notification is sent. Subsequent runs will notify when a new version is detected.

Deployment Options

Option 1: Windows Startup Folder (Recommended)

The script will start automatically when you log in:

1. Press Windows + R
2. Type: shell:startup and press Enter
3. Right-click in the folder → New → Shortcut
4. Browse to run_checker.bat in your installation folder
5. Name it "Meshtastic Firmware Checker"
6. Click Finish

✅ Script now runs automatically on login!

Option 2: Windows Task Scheduler

For more control (e.g., run even when not logged in):

1. Open Task Scheduler (search in Start menu)
2. Click "Create Basic Task"
3. Name: Meshtastic Firmware Checker
4. Trigger: "When I log on" (or "Daily" for scheduled checks)
5. Action: "Start a program"
6. Program/script: Browse to run_checker.bat
7. Start in: Your installation folder
8. Finish

To run when not logged in:

• Right-click task → Properties
• Check "Run whether user is logged on or not"
• Enter your password when prompted

Option 3: Run Manually

Start the continuous checker whenever convenient:

python meshtastic_firmware_checker.py

Press Ctrl+C to stop.

Or run single checks on-demand:

python meshtastic_firmware_checker.py --check-once

Option 4: Scheduled Task (Check Once Per Day)

If your laptop isn't always on, set up a daily check:

1. Create Task Scheduler task as above
2. Trigger: "Daily" at a time your laptop is typically on
3. Action:
   • Program: python
   • Arguments: meshtastic_firmware_checker.py --check-once
   • Start in: Your installation folder

Configuration

Settings are stored in firmware_checker_config.json:

{
  "github_repo": "meshtastic/firmware",
  "last_version": "v2.5.0.abc123d",
  "connection_type": "serial",
  "serial_port": "COM4",
  "bluetooth_address": null,
  "check_interval_hours": 12,
  "release_type": "alpha",
  "message_prefix": "🔔 New Meshtastic firmware available: "
}

Configuration Options

Option	Values	Description
connection_type	"serial" or "bluetooth"	How to connect to your device
serial_port	"COM3", "COM4", etc.	Serial port (Windows) or /dev/ttyUSB0 (Linux)
bluetooth_address	MAC address	Bluetooth address if using BLE
release_type	"alpha" or "stable"	Monitor pre-releases or stable only
check_interval_hours	Number	Hours between checks
message_prefix	Text	Message sent before version number

Edit Configuration

You can either:

• Edit firmware_checker_config.json directly
• Re-run setup: python meshtastic_firmware_checker.py --setup

Switch Between Alpha and Stable

Edit the config file and change:

"release_type": "stable"

Then reset the baseline by setting:

"last_version": null

Run --check-once to establish new baseline.

Command Line Options

python meshtastic_firmware_checker.py [OPTIONS]

Option	Description
(no options)	Run continuously with configured interval
--check-once	Run a single check and exit
--setup	Run interactive setup wizard
--config FILE	Use alternate config file
--help	Show help message

How It Works

1. First Run: Queries GitHub for latest release matching your release_type (alpha/stable)
2. Baseline: Saves version as baseline in config file
3. Subsequent Checks: Compares GitHub's latest release to saved baseline
4. New Version: Sends notification to mesh network via your connected node
5. Update Baseline: Saves new version to avoid duplicate notifications

Troubleshooting

"Module not found" errors

Install dependencies:

pip install meshtastic requests

Or if you have multiple Python versions:

python -m pip install meshtastic requests

"Failed to connect to Meshtastic"

Serial/USB:

• Verify device is connected
• Check COM port in Device Manager
• Close other programs using the device (Meshtastic app, serial terminals)
• Try different USB cable or port

Bluetooth:

• Verify device is paired in system Bluetooth settings
• Check Bluetooth address is correct
• Ensure device is in range and powered on

"Port already in use"

Another program is using your device. Close:

• Meshtastic mobile/desktop app
• Serial terminal programs
• Other instances of this script

Python PATH issues (Windows)

If python command not found:

1. Settings → Apps → Advanced app settings → App execution aliases
2. Turn OFF "App Installer python.exe"
3. Close and reopen Command Prompt

Or reinstall Python and check "Add Python to PATH"

Script not running at startup

• Verify shortcut/task path is correct
• Run run_checker.bat manually to see errors
• Check Task Scheduler History for error details

Advanced Usage

Multiple Configurations

Monitor different release types or use different devices:

python meshtastic_firmware_checker.py --config alpha_config.json
python meshtastic_firmware_checker.py --config stable_config.json

Custom Notification Messages

Edit message_prefix in config:

"message_prefix": "⚡ FIRMWARE UPDATE: "

Run on Linux/macOS

Find your serial device:

# Linux
ls /dev/ttyUSB* /dev/ttyACM*

# macOS
ls /dev/tty.usb*

Use this path as your serial port (e.g., /dev/ttyUSB0)

Setup and usage commands are the same as Windows.

Project Structure

meshtastic-firmware-notifier/
├── meshtastic_firmware_checker.py    # Main script
├── run_checker.bat                   # Windows launcher
├── requirements.txt                  # Python dependencies
├── README.md                         # This file
├── LICENSE                           # MIT License
└── .gitignore                        # Git ignore rules

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Feel free to:

• Report bugs
• Suggest features
• Submit pull requests

Support

• Meshtastic Documentation: https://meshtastic.org/docs/
• Issues: Open an issue on GitHub
• Discussions: Start a discussion on GitHub

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details

Acknowledgments

• Built for the Meshtastic community
• Uses the Meshtastic Python API

Changelog

v1.0.0 (2026-01-12)

• Initial release
• Support for Alpha and Stable release monitoring
• Serial/USB and Bluetooth connectivity
• Windows Task Scheduler integration
• Configurable check intervals

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Made with ❤️ for the Meshtastic community