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QUICKSTART.md

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+# Quick Start Guide
+
+Get your Meshtastic MQTT Dashboard up and running in 5 minutes!
+
+## Step 1: Install Dependencies
+
+```bash
+npm install
+```
+
+## Step 2: Configure Environment
+
+```bash
+cp .env.example .env
+```
+
+Edit the `.env` file and change the `SESSION_SECRET` to a random string:
+
+```env
+SESSION_SECRET=your-random-secret-here-change-this
+```
+
+Leave other settings as default to connect to the public Meshtastic MQTT broker.
+
+## Step 3: Create a User Account
+
+```bash
+npm run create-user
+```
+
+Enter your desired username and password when prompted.
+
+Example:
+```
+Enter username: admin
+Enter password: ********
+Confirm password: ********
+
+User 'admin' created successfully!
+```
+
+## Step 4: Start the Application
+
+```bash
+npm start
+```
+
+You should see:
+```
+Connected to MQTT broker
+Subscribed to topic: msh/US/#
+Server running on http://localhost:3000
+```
+
+## Step 5: Access the Dashboard
+
+Open your web browser and navigate to:
+
+```
+http://localhost:3000
+```
+
+Login with the username and password you created in Step 3.
+
+## What's Next?
+
+- **View Messages**: Navigate to the Messages tab to see incoming mesh messages
+- **Check the Map**: Click on the Map tab to see node locations
+- **Monitor Nodes**: View all discovered nodes in the Nodes tab
+- **Send Messages**: Use the message form to send text to the mesh network
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+**Can't see any data?**
+- Wait a few minutes for MQTT messages to arrive
+- Check that the MQTT status indicator in the header shows as connected (green dot)
+- The public Meshtastic network may have variable activity depending on your region
+
+**Can't login?**
+- Make sure you created a user with `npm run create-user`
+- Check that the SESSION_SECRET is set in your `.env` file
+- Try clearing your browser cookies
+
+**Port 3000 already in use?**
+- Change the PORT in your `.env` file to another port (e.g., 3001)
+- Restart the application
+
+## Default Configuration
+
+The default configuration connects to:
+- **MQTT Broker**: mqtt.meshtastic.org (public)
+- **Topic**: msh/US/# (all US channels)
+- **Port**: 3000
+- **Data Retention**: 30 days
+
+To change these, edit your `.env` file.
+
+## Production Deployment
+
+For production use:
+1. Change `NODE_ENV=production` in `.env`
+2. Use a strong, random `SESSION_SECRET`
+3. Set up HTTPS with a reverse proxy (nginx, Caddy, etc.)
+4. Configure firewall rules
+5. Set up automatic backups of the `data/` directory
+
+Enjoy your Meshtastic dashboard!