Reticulum interfaces

Interfaces connect your MeshChatX node to the Reticulum mesh. Manage them from the Interfaces page.

What an interface does

Each interface is a Reticulum transport definition. Examples include TCP over the internet, UDP discovery, LoRa through an RNode, serial KISS devices, I2P tunnels, and automatic LAN discovery.

MeshChatX reads and writes interface configuration in your Reticulum config directory (default ~/.reticulum).

Supported interface types

The Add interface flow includes:

Type	Typical use
TCPClientInterface	Connect outbound to a known TCP peer
TCPServerInterface	Accept inbound TCP connections
BackboneInterface	High-throughput backbone link
UDPInterface	UDP transport with discovery helpers
RNodeInterface	LoRa via RNode (serial, BLE, or IP transport)
RNodeIPInterface	RNode reached over IP
SerialInterface	Direct serial devices
KISSInterface	KISS TNC devices
I2PInterface	I2P-based Reticulum transport
AutoInterface	Automatic discovery on local networks
HTTPInterface	HTTP/S tunnel (bundled RNS-over-HTTP)
Custom external types	Advanced setups

Community-curated suggestions come from bundled community_interfaces.json, built from directory.rns.recipes at release time. An optional public/community_interfaces.json override can replace that list locally. The app does not fetch the directory over the network at runtime.

Interface discovery

Discovery can automatically connect to peers on your LAN or configured networks. You can maintain allowlists and blocklists, set autoconnect behaviour, and assign a network identity for discovered peers.

Import and export

Export your interface set for backup or clone it to another machine. Import validates entries before applying them.

RNode tools

LoRa setups often need firmware management. Tools → RNode Flasher opens the bundled flasher at /rnode-flasher/. Configure frequency, bandwidth, spreading factor, and TX power when adding an RNode interface.

Websocket server interface

MeshChatX includes a custom WebsocketServerInterface for WebSocket-based Reticulum transport. Use it when bridging to web-friendly gateways.

HTTP tunnel interface

MeshChatX vendors RNS-over-HTTP and installs HTTPInterface.py into your Reticulum interfacepath on startup. Use Add interface → HTTP Tunnel for client or server mode when only HTTP/S egress is available. Default transport is HTTP/1.1. HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 need TLS and optional extra packages on the server side.

Getting onto the mesh

A minimal path for a new node:

Install MeshChatX
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    v
Add interface (TCP client, community suggestion, or RNode)
    |
    v
Reticulum establishes transport
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    v
Paths and announces populate in the UI
    |
    v
LXMF, LXST, and Nomad features become reachable

Pick a community interface or ask your mesh operator for TCP endpoint details.
Add the interface and enable it.
Watch the path table (Tools → RNPath) if connectivity fails.
Enable auto-announce so your services are visible.

I2P

I2P uses the local router's SAM API (usually 127.0.0.1:7656). Enable SAM in the router. Do not run Java I2P and i2pd at the same time.

MeshChatX allows one I2P interface, last in the list, with Transport Mode on. New interfaces default connectable off. Turn it on only if this node should accept inbound I2P peers. That makes the node an I2P transport. At least one b32.i2p peer is required.

Bundled documentation hints

The Interfaces UI links into the Reticulum manual sections on interface options. Open Documentation → Reticulum and search for interfaces if you need field-by-field reference.

Tips

Run only the interfaces you need. Each open port or radio adds attack surface and power draw.
On Raspberry Pi and Android, prefer a single well-known TCP uplink if LoRa hardware is not attached.
After editing Reticulum config externally, use the reload controls or restart MeshChatX so changes apply cleanly.
Keep firmware on RNodes current using the flasher tool before debugging RF issues.

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