Release v1.3.0 · OwlShack/OwlBot

v1.3.0 - 2026-10-09

Warning

meshcore-bot is now OwlBot. Updating needs a manual step, or you stay on v1.2.0.

Docker: ghcr.io/meshcore-go/meshcore-bot gets no more updates. Pulling it keeps you on
v1.2.0 with no error. Switch to ghcr.io/owlshack/owlbot.
Downloads: release files are now OwlBot-<os>-<arch>. A script that fetches the latest
meshcore-bot-* file gets a 404.
The program is OwlBot. Update service files, scripts and pgrep lines that name
meshcore-bot, and a Docker command that runs it by name.
MQTT: model and client_version now say OwlBot. Update any dashboard or filter that
matches on meshcore-bot.
The repository moved to OwlShack/OwlBot. Old links
redirect.

Your config file, mqtt_identity.key, bot identities and MQTT topics carry over unchanged. See
Upgrading below.

Baseline v1.2.0. The bot is renamed OwlBot, templates can print dates and times, and it is
built on meshcore-go v1.7.0.

Templates can print dates and times. {{date now "15:04"}} gives the current time, and
{{date .Timestamp "15:04"}} when a channel message was sent. An optional zone such as
"Pacific/Auckland" sets the time zone, and works the same on every platform.
Posts can be scoped to a MeshCore region. floodScope = "region:nz" on a bot or a trigger
sends its posts so only repeaters that allow #nz pass them on. Unset stays unscoped, as before.
Each MQTT broker can set its own topics. packetTopic and statusTopic take {iata},
{pubkey} and {name}, for brokers that expect a different layout. Unset keeps the current
topics.
Choose how path hashes are joined. {{formatPathBytes .PathHashes " > "}} gives
A1 > B2 > C3 instead of the default A1, B2, C3.

meshcore-bot is renamed OwlBot. The binary, release downloads and Docker image carry the
new name. Your config file and mqtt_identity.key carry over as they are, so every bot keeps
its mesh identity and the MQTT observer keeps its public key.
MQTT status reports model as OwlBot. client_version is now OwlBot/<version>.
Built on meshcore-go v1.7.0. The bot's own messages go out at firmware transmit priorities
rather than queuing behind relayed traffic, and it ignores packets firmware discards, such as
encrypted payloads that are not whole AES blocks.

The MQTT status says online again as soon as a broker reconnects. When the link drops, the
broker publishes the bot as offline. It used to stay that way until the next status, up to 5
minutes later, even though the bot was back.
Packets dropped while a broker is down are now logged. They are still not buffered, but a
warning says when a broker starts dropping them, and the count is logged when it reconnects.
Before, they went missing without a word, including any heard in the moment before the first
connection.

Docker: switch the image to ghcr.io/owlshack/owlbot. ghcr.io/meshcore-go/meshcore-bot
stays at v1.2.0. If you mounted only config.toml, copy mqtt_identity.key out of the old
container first, or the observer starts with a new identity. The README has the command.
Binary: replace it with an OwlBot-* download and change any service file or script that
runs meshcore-bot. Run it from the same directory as before.

Full Changelog: v1.2.0...v1.3.0