MeshCore development team splits over trademark dispute and AI-generated code
by wielebny on 4/23/2026, 4:55:13 PM
https://blog.meshcore.io/2026/04/23/the-split
Comments
by: lukeasch21
I would absolutely encourage everyone reading this to check out Reticulum [1] if you haven't already. I believe the base project might be in need of new maintainers(?) at the moment and the main dev has some very strong takes, but it is a very well-thought out approach to distributed networking at the protocol layer. The existing implementations out there include a desktop app which can function over the internet (IP) or a USB connection to some existing LoRA boards. I recently purchased a LilyGo T-Echo [2] and have had a great experience flashing the open-source firmware and using it connected to a desktop over USB or connected over Bluetooth to the <i>fantastic</i> new companion app Columba [3]. This app seriously makes Reticulum feel like a first class citizen when it comes to parity support for messaging. You can even send files/images (with limitations of course)! And since it works at the network level, you can make your own apps to run over Reticulum as well.<p>[1] <a href="https://reticulum.network/" rel="nofollow">https://reticulum.network/</a> [2] <a href="https://lilygo.cc/products/t-echo-lilygo" rel="nofollow">https://lilygo.cc/products/t-echo-lilygo</a> [3] <a href="https://github.com/torlando-tech/columba" rel="nofollow">https://github.com/torlando-tech/columba</a>
4/23/2026, 6:20:24 PM
by: Trannosaur
What is it with mesh projects and having these super draconian trademark enforcers? Meshtastic is the same. One of the main reasons I got interested in MeshCore was reading the Meshtastic trademark rules and just finding them... really really over the top.
4/23/2026, 5:27:26 PM
by: brk
I've played with MeshCore and Meshtastic a bit, and while they are fun, the general hype seems overblown. The "SHTF" types that get involved with this tend to just taint the whole concept for me. I was/am interested in the use cases for building sensor networks, but most of the chatter seems to be around people who just want to send Hello World type texts back and forth, without realizing how poorly a network like this would perform in a real SHTF scenario.
4/23/2026, 6:16:57 PM
by: thih9
As they say, there is an .io[1] website with the "MESHCORE" logo, and a .co.uk[2] website with the "MESHCORE(tm)" logo.<p>[1]: <a href="https://meshcore.io" rel="nofollow">https://meshcore.io</a><p>[2]: <a href="https://meshcore.co.uk" rel="nofollow">https://meshcore.co.uk</a>
4/23/2026, 6:52:47 PM
by: the_gipsy
Is this client app still closed source? Non-starter for me, also a strong indicator that anything like this was bound to happen, and this will not be the end of it.
4/23/2026, 5:34:19 PM
by: jauntywundrkind
Spicy take but I think this whole Lora thing is a dead end bad technology not worth our time.<p>Wifi HaLow 802.11ah is finally out & available, sometimes at ok prices. We don't really have ad-hoc communication pioneered for wifi, but it's doable and we ought lean into it, rather than using some totally different stack, especially one that is under strict control of a single company.<p>What we learn doing wifi halow can directly port and improve the rest of ways we connect. That would be grand.
4/23/2026, 7:06:57 PM
by: mtlynch
><i>Would you trust AI generated mesh firmware</i>?<p>It's ridiculous to me that they're concerned about the trustworthiness of AI-generated code when their code quality is so low. They don't even have automated tests and ignore attempts to add them.[0, 1, 2, 3]<p>Last I checked, there's little validity checking in the code, so it's possible to broadcast nonsense values (like GPS coordinates outside of Earth's bounds) and the code happily accepts it.<p>And that's fine if they're just like a scrappy upstart doing their best, but it annoys me to be so high and mighty about their code quality when they don't invest in it.<p>I really want to like MeshCore but I feel like its stewardship makes it hard. The main two people I know running it are Scott Powell and Liam Cottle, both of whom are trying to build businesses on closed-source layers on top of the firmware. I don't think there's anything wrong with an open-core business model (I ran such a business myself), but it creates perverse incentives where the core maintainers try to suppress information about the open-source alternatives and push their own closed-source paid products.<p>Also, MeshCore's recommended broadcast settings for the US are illegal.[4] I emailed the Liam and Scott about this months ago, and they ignored me.<p>[0] <a href="https://github.com/meshcore-dev/MeshCore/pull/925" rel="nofollow">https://github.com/meshcore-dev/MeshCore/pull/925</a><p>[1] <a href="https://github.com/meshcore-dev/MeshCore/issues/1059" rel="nofollow">https://github.com/meshcore-dev/MeshCore/issues/1059</a><p>[2] <a href="https://github.com/meshcore-dev/MeshCore/pull/1065" rel="nofollow">https://github.com/meshcore-dev/MeshCore/pull/1065</a><p>[3] <a href="https://github.com/meshcore-dev/meshcore.js/pull/11" rel="nofollow">https://github.com/meshcore-dev/meshcore.js/pull/11</a><p>[4] <a href="https://github.com/meshcore-dev/MeshCore/issues/945" rel="nofollow">https://github.com/meshcore-dev/MeshCore/issues/945</a>
4/23/2026, 6:50:07 PM
by: desireco42
I love using AI to develop and I think it is important in modern development, but you definitely have to disclose it because there is a difference between AI and human written code is key.<p>It is essential to disclose it.
4/23/2026, 5:45:40 PM