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refactor: always decrypt RX_LOG, remove rx_log_decrypt setting #23

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Merged
sg merged 1 commit into from
Jun 16, 2026
Merged

refactor: always decrypt RX_LOG, remove rx_log_decrypt setting #23

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15 changes: 6 additions & 9 deletions Bot_Usage.md
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -78,14 +78,12 @@ keys are operator-managed via `mcbot.conf [channels]` (first-run seed) and
`!adm channel add/remove` (runtime), and pushed into the radio from there.

So the client-side `RX_LOG_DATA` decrypt path is **redundant** for message
capture on message-queueing firmware (and is deduped away). It is kept
because it is the only source of raw on-air bytes for the packet monitor,
it observes traffic the radio doesn't decrypt for us, and it still decodes
messages on firmware that doesn't queue (older versions, or non-companion
roles like repeater/room-server) and on channels not programmed into the
radio (e.g. beyond its slot capacity). The decrypt+ingest half can be
turned off with `[bot] rx_log_decrypt = false` to run capture-only; the
raw packet monitor keeps working regardless.
capture on message-queueing firmware (and is deduped away). It is always on
because it is the only source of raw on-air bytes for the packet monitor and
routing paths, it observes traffic the radio doesn't decrypt for us, and it
still decodes messages on firmware that doesn't queue (older versions, or
non-companion roles like repeater/room-server) and on channels not programmed
into the radio (e.g. beyond its slot capacity).

### Client-side decryption

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -307,7 +305,6 @@ CLI: `--logs-dir`, `--log-level`, `--debug` (sets meshcore lib to DEBUG)
|-----|---------|-------------|
| `commands_dir` | `./commands` | Plugin directory |
| `enabled` | `true` | If false, dispatch is suspended (sync/log only) |
| `rx_log_decrypt` | `true` | Client-side decrypt + ingest of DMs/channel msgs from `RX_LOG_DATA`. On message-queueing firmware (v1.15) this duplicates the radio's `get_msg` path and is deduped; set false to run capture-only. The raw packet monitor is unaffected. Leave on for non-queueing firmware or channels not programmed into the radio. |
| `privkey_path` | `<db>.privkey` | Where to cache the radio's private key |
| `owner_pubkeys` | (none) | Comma list of 64-hex pubkeys bootstrapped into the `owner` group at startup |
| `dm_max_attempts` | 3 | `send_msg_with_retry` max attempts |
Expand Down
10 changes: 1 addition & 9 deletions mcbot.conf.example
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Expand Up @@ -63,13 +63,6 @@ log_level = INFO
commands_dir = ./commands
; Set to false to disable command dispatch (sync/log only).
enabled = true
; Client-side decrypt + ingest of DMs/channel messages from the RX_LOG_DATA
; RF firehose. On firmware that queues messages (v1.15) this duplicates the
; radio's get_msg path and is deduped, so it can be set false to run
; capture-only. The raw packet monitor is unaffected either way. Leave true
; to also cover non-queueing firmware and channels not programmed into the
; radio (e.g. beyond its slot capacity). Default: true.
;rx_log_decrypt = true
; Track repeaters rebroadcasting the bot's OWN sent messages. When a DM or
; channel message the bot sent is heard being repeated on RF, each repeat is
; logged and shown on the web Packets screen (packet_type REPEAT). If no
Expand All @@ -78,8 +71,7 @@ enabled = true
; its path and is labelled DIRECT_0HOP (delivered direct, nothing to repeat —
; expected, not a failure). NO_REPEAT thus means "sent where a repeater could
; have rebroadcast (flood/multi-hop), but none was HEARD in the window," not
; that delivery failed. Detection runs on the always-on packet firehose, so it
; works even with rx_log_decrypt=false. Default: true / 5 seconds.
; that delivery failed. Default: true / 5 seconds.
;repeat_tracking = true
;repeat_timeout = 5
; Path to the exported radio private key (0600). Default: <db>.privkey
Expand Down
59 changes: 22 additions & 37 deletions mcbot.py
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Expand Up @@ -396,18 +396,10 @@ class Config:
max_contacts: int = 500
auto_reconnect: bool = True
commands_enabled: bool = True
# Client-side decrypt + ingest of DMs/channel msgs from RX_LOG_DATA.
# On firmware that queues messages this duplicates the get_msg path
# (and is deduped), so it can be turned off to run capture-only — the
# raw packet monitor (firehose) is unaffected either way. Leave on to
# also cover non-queueing firmware and channels not programmed into the
# radio (e.g. beyond its slot capacity).
rx_log_decrypt: bool = True
# Track whether repeaters rebroadcast the bot's own sent messages. When a
# sent DM/channel message is heard being repeated on RF (RX_LOG_DATA), log
# each repeater and surface it on the web Packets screen; if none is heard
# within repeat_timeout seconds, log + surface that. Works regardless of
# rx_log_decrypt (it runs on the always-on firehose).
# within repeat_timeout seconds, log + surface that.
repeat_tracking: bool = True
repeat_timeout: float = 5.0
debug: bool = False
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -510,9 +502,6 @@ def load_config(args) -> Config:
cfg.commands_enabled = parser["bot"].getboolean(
"enabled", cfg.commands_enabled
)
cfg.rx_log_decrypt = parser["bot"].getboolean(
"rx_log_decrypt", cfg.rx_log_decrypt
)
cfg.repeat_tracking = parser["bot"].getboolean(
"repeat_tracking", cfg.repeat_tracking
)
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -2222,18 +2211,16 @@ async def _on_advertisement(self, event) -> None:
self._contacts_dirty = True

async def _on_rx_log_data(self, event) -> None:
# RX_LOG_DATA contains every observed RF frame as raw bytes. if rx_log_decrypt
# is set to true in the config, DMs using radio's exported private key and
# channel messages using configured channel secrets are decrypted here.
# on firmware that queues messages (v1.15), this duplicates the get_msg path.
# since the radio also decrypts and delivers DMs (CONTACT_MSG_RECV) and channel
# msgs on its programmed channels (CHANNEL_MSG_RECV), the ingest funnel dedups
# the two. grabbing the RX_LOG_DATA is useful even if we aren't relying on it
# to decrypt messages since it's the only source of raw on-air bytes for
# the packet monitor. it sees traffic the radio doesn't decrypt for us, and
# it covers channels beyond the radio's slot capacity / non-queueing firmware.
# (the decrypt+ingest is configured via [bot] rx_log_decrypt; the raw-byte
# capture in _firehose runs regardless.)
# RX_LOG_DATA contains every observed RF frame as raw bytes. DMs (using
# the radio's exported private key) and channel messages (using
# configured channel secrets) are decrypted here. On message-queueing
# firmware (v1.15) this duplicates the radio's get_msg path — the radio
# also decrypts and delivers DMs (CONTACT_MSG_RECV) and channel msgs on
# its programmed channels (CHANNEL_MSG_RECV) — so the ingest funnel
# dedups the two. RX_LOG is still essential: it is the only source of
# raw on-air bytes (packet monitor) and routing paths, it sees traffic
# the radio doesn't decrypt for us, and it covers channels beyond the
# radio's slot capacity / non-queueing firmware.
payload = event.payload
if not isinstance(payload, dict):
return
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -3616,9 +3603,8 @@ async def run(self) -> int:
self.cfg.max_packets,
)
self.logger.info(
"log_channels=%s commands_enabled=%s rx_log_decrypt=%s",
"log_channels=%s commands_enabled=%s",
self.cfg.log_channels, self.cfg.commands_enabled,
self.cfg.rx_log_decrypt,
)
self.logger.info("=" * 60)

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -3664,14 +3650,13 @@ async def run(self) -> int:

self.logger.info("connected to %s", self.cfg.target_desc())

# client-side channel decryption of RX_LOG packets, gated by
# [bot] rx_log_decrypt. When false this stays off so RX_LOG channel
# text is NOT decoded (capture-only) — matching the config's intent;
# leaving it on would decrypt RX_LOG channel messages for the firehose
# even with rx_log_decrypt=false.
# enable the library's RX_LOG channel-log decryption. This decodes
# channel text from RX_LOG frames and, via the library's correlation,
# back-fills the routing path onto the radio's queued channel messages
# (so !path works for channel commands).
try:
if hasattr(self.mc, "set_decrypt_channel_logs"):
self.mc.set_decrypt_channel_logs(self.cfg.rx_log_decrypt)
self.mc.set_decrypt_channel_logs(True)
except Exception:
self.logger.exception("set_decrypt_channel_logs failed")

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -3737,11 +3722,11 @@ async def run(self) -> int:
EventType.ADVERTISEMENT, self._on_advertisement
)
)
# the firehose (subscribed to all events above) records raw_hex
# for the packet monitor regardless, this extra subscription only
# adds the client-side decrypt+ingest of DMs/channel msgs, gated
# by [bot] rx_log_decrypt.
if self.cfg.rx_log_decrypt and hasattr(EventType, "RX_LOG_DATA"):
# the firehose (subscribed to all events above) records raw_hex for
# the packet monitor; this subscription adds the client-side
# decrypt+ingest of DMs/channel msgs from RX_LOG (deduped against
# the radio's queued get_msg delivery).
if hasattr(EventType, "RX_LOG_DATA"):
self._subs.append(
self.mc.subscribe(
EventType.RX_LOG_DATA, self._on_rx_log_data
Expand Down
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