# 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!