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meshtastic-docker

A 100% off-grid Meshtastic build environment using Docker. This project creates version-tagged Docker images with all PlatformIO dependencies pre-installed and cached, enabling reproducible builds without requiring internet access during the build process.

Overview

This project solves the problem of building Meshtastic firmware in isolated or offline environments by:

  • Pre-baking all dependencies into Docker images tagged by Meshtastic version
  • Caching PlatformIO packages using Docker BuildKit cache mounts for faster rebuilds
  • Version-tagged images that can be stored, shared, or used offline
  • Reproducible builds - the same version always produces the same image

Once built, these Docker images contain everything needed to compile Meshtastic firmware without any network access, making them perfect for:

  • Air-gapped development environments
  • CI/CD pipelines with limited internet access
  • Reproducible builds across different machines
  • Offline firmware development

Prerequisites

  • Docker (with BuildKit support) or Podman
  • Node.js/Bun (for build scripts)
  • Git (with the firmware submodule initialized)

Setup

  1. Clone the repository with submodules:

    git clone --recursive <repository-url>
cd meshtastic-docker

    Or if already cloned:

    git submodule update --init --recursive

  2. Install dependencies:

    bun install

  3. Build your first image:

    bun run build latest

Usage

Building Images

Build the latest Meshtastic version:

bun run build latest

Build a specific version:

bun run build 2.7.16

Build multiple versions matching a semver range:

bun run build ">2.5.0"

Advanced Options

Cache busting - Force rebuild from a specific point:

bun run build latest --cache-bust 12345

Cache cleanup - Remove broken cache entries before building:

bun run build latest --cache-clean /root/.platformio/packages/framework-arduinoespressif32/.piopm

Multiple cleanup paths:

bun run build latest \
  --cache-clean /root/.platformio/packages/framework-arduinoespressif32/.piopm \
  --cache-clean /root/.platformio/packages/framework-arduinoespressif32

Get help:

bun run build --help

Using Built Images

Open a bash shell in the latest built image:

bun run bash

Open a bash shell in a specific version:

bun run bash 2.7.16

Build firmware inside the container:

docker run --rm -it -v $(pwd)/output:/output meshtastic-docker:v2.7.16-1 \
  pio run --environment tbeam -f bin -o firmware.bin

How It Works

  1. Dependency Installation: The Dockerfile installs PlatformIO and all required packages, caching them using BuildKit cache mounts
  2. Version Tagging: Images are tagged as meshtastic-docker:v{VERSION}-{BUILD_NUM} (e.g., meshtastic-docker:v2.7.16-1)
  3. Cache Management: BuildKit cache mounts persist PlatformIO packages, tools, and cache across builds
  4. Offline Capability: Once built, images contain all dependencies and can be used without internet access

Image Structure

Each image contains:

  • Ubuntu 22.04 base
  • PlatformIO Core with Python environment
  • Meshtastic firmware repository at the specified version tag
  • All PlatformIO packages and tools pre-installed
  • Build environment ready to compile firmware

Network Requirements

Note: Building works better over a VPN. Some residential internet providers (such as Spectrum) mark certain PlatformIO mirrors as 'suspicious', which can cause package fetches to fail. Using a VPN typically resolves these connectivity issues.

The initial build requires internet access to download PlatformIO packages. Subsequent builds reuse cached packages, and once built, images work completely offline.

Troubleshooting

"No space left on device" errors:

  • Clean Docker build cache: docker builder prune -a
  • Increase Docker disk allocation in Docker Desktop settings

Broken cache entries:

  • Use --cache-clean to remove specific broken paths
  • Or invalidate cache from a point: --cache-bust <value>

SSL errors from PlatformIO mirrors:

  • Use a VPN (see Network Requirements above)
  • The build script includes retry logic for transient failures

Project Structure

meshtastic-docker/
├── Dockerfile          # Docker image definition
├── build.js            # Build script with version management
├── bash.js             # Script to open shells in built images
├── package.json        # Node.js dependencies
└── firmware/           # Meshtastic firmware submodule

License

[Add your license here]