Platform

Cross-Platform

Description

Favorite nodes have a special meaning in CLIENT_BASE which affects routing for the local mesh.

The goal of this feature request is to make a few small changes across firmware and clients so that it's much less likely that anyone will unintentionally/accidentally add nodes as favorites from a CLIENT_BASE.

(See discussion #8367 for an example.)

I've implemented for firmware and iOS (see PR linked below), but I need help especially from Android/web client developers to implement these small changes. 🙏 Let's use this issue as a central point for coordination of the concept.

The plan: reducing "accidental" favorites from CLIENT_BASE

CLIENT_BASE should require explicit add-to-favorites. Five small proposed changes:

If CLIENT_BASE:

1. (firmware) Don't auto-favorite from firmware.
2. (client apps) Don't auto-favorite from client apps.
3. (client apps) Show confirmation / warning dialog in client apps when explicitly adding a favorite.
4. (firmware) When configuring a device into CLIENT_BASE, set is_favorite = false for all nodes in nodeDB.
   • ⚠️ This one is controversial. It was not part of my original feature request. I'm happy to go either way on including it or not. Whichever is preferred by the project owners!
   • It could also be deferred to later discussion so that the other four changes aren't blocked. From the perspective of the client apps, declining or deferring this item # 4 would only change the contents of warning message shown for Update README to list LilyGo TTGO v1 as a supported board. #5.
5. (client apps) Show confirmation / warning dialog when reconfiguring a device into CLIENT_BASE.
   With these changes, it should be much harder for anyone to unknowingly/accidentally misuse the power of CLIENT_BASE. 📶

Proposed confirmation / warning messages

Please see the screenshots in meshtastic/Meshtastic-Apple#1493 . I think a similar style and wording should be possible to implement in the other clients.

Clicking "Add to favorites" on a node:

Proposed text:

Client Base should only favorite other nodes you control. Improper use will hurt your local mesh.

In device configuration, changing role to "Client Base":

Proposed text:

Switching to Client Base will clear this node's favorites. Client Base should only favorite other nodes you control. Improper use will hurt your local mesh.

Progress Tracker

• Firmware
  • PR to disable auto-favoriting from add_contact AdminMessage: addFromContact: Don't auto-favorite when CLIENT_BASE; don't update last_heard unless CLIENT_BASE #8495
  • PR: when configuring a device into CLIENT_BASE, set is_favorite = false for all nodes in nodeDB. NodeDB: clearAllFavorites() when switching role to CLIENT_BASE #8534
    • ⚠️ This one is controversial. See above.
• iOS client
  • PR to show confirmation dialogs: CLIENT_BASE add-favorite/role-change confirmation dialog Meshtastic-Apple#1493
  • TODO: update addContactFromURL after the firmware PR above is merged (currently assumes that node will be a favorite)
• Android client
  • TODO: show confirmation on adding a favorite if CLIENT_BASE
  • TODO: show confirmation when reconfiguring a device into CLIENT_BASE
  • TODO: favoriteNode(destNode) called from sendMessage here
• Web client
  • TODO: show confirmation on adding a favorite if CLIENT_BASE (near handleToggleFavorite)
  • TODO: show confirmation when reconfiguring a device into CLIENT_BASE (like UnsafeRoleDialog)
• Python client
  • (I don't think any changes are necessary.)