Command Reference

Complete reference for all meshbbs commands available to users.

See also: the Games page for public channel mini‑games (e.g., Slot Machine, Magic 8‑Ball).

Connection Commands

Initial Discovery (Public Channel)

These commands are used on the public Meshtastic channel and require a prefix. The default is ^, but your sysop can change it via bbs.public_command_prefix.

Reliability:

Public broadcasts are best‑effort; the BBS may request an ACK and treats any single ACK as basic delivery confirmation, but it does not retry broadcasts.
Direct messages (DM) are reliable with ACK tracking and retries.

Command	Description	Example
`<prefix>HELP`	Show available public commands (broadcast) and send BBS instructions (DM)	`^HELP` (default)
`<prefix>LOGIN username`	Register for a private session	`^LOGIN alice` (default)
`<prefix>WEATHER`	Show current weather	`^WEATHER` (default)
`<prefix>SLOT` / `<prefix>SLOTMACHINE`	Spin the emoji slot machine (5 coins per spin; daily refill)	`^SLOT` (default)
`<prefix>SLOTSTATS`	Show your coin balance and slot stats	`^SLOTSTATS` (default)
`<prefix>8BALL`	Ask the Magic 8‑Ball a question; get a random response	`^8BALL` (default)
`<prefix>FORTUNE`	Get a random fortune from classic Unix wisdom databases	`^FORTUNE` (default)

💡 Discovery Tip: New to the BBS? Send <prefix>HELP (default ^HELP) on the public channel to see all available public commands broadcasted to everyone, plus get BBS setup instructions via DM.

Session Commands (Direct Message)

After using <prefix>LOGIN (default ^LOGIN) on the public channel, open a direct message to the BBS node to access these commands:

Authentication

Command	Description	Example
`LOGIN username [password]`	Log in (sets password the first time)	`LOGIN alice mypass`
`REGISTER username password`	Create a new account	`REGISTER bob secret123`
`LOGOUT`	End the current session	`LOGOUT`
`CHPASS old new`	Change your password	`CHPASS oldpass newpass`
`SETPASS new`	Set an initial password for passwordless accounts	`SETPASS mypassword`

Global shortcuts

Command	Description	Notes
`HELP` / `H` / `?`	Show compact help	Fits within one frame (≤230 bytes) and adapts to your role
`HELP+` / `HELP V`	Show verbose help	Multi-part reply with full command explanations
`WHERE` / `W`	Show your breadcrumb	Displays the current location (e.g., `Meshbbs > Topics > general > Threads`)

Command	Description
`M`	Open the Topics view (paged list of root areas)
`P`	Open the Preferences menu (account & stats)
`T`	Launch TinyHack (only shown if the game is enabled)
`Q`	Log out and end the session (`Goodbye! 73s`)

The compact UI uses single-letter commands and digits to navigate topics, threads, and messages quickly.

Topics view

1-9 — open the corresponding topic on the current page
L — load the next page of topics (5 items per page)
H — show inline help for the Topics view
B / Q — return to the main menu
X — exit the session immediately

Subtopics view

1-9 — open the selected subtopic; nested branches stay in Subtopics until a leaf is chosen
L — load more subtopics
U / B — go up one level (back to parent topics)
M — jump directly back to the root Topics view
X — exit the session

Threads view

1-9 — open the thread shown in that slot
N — start a new thread (prompts for title, then body)
L — load more threads (pinned items stay at the top)
F <text> — filter thread titles (send F with no text to clear)
B — go back (to Subtopics or Topics depending on hierarchy)
M — return to Topics
Q — return to the main menu; X exits the session

Reading a thread

+ / - — jump to the next/previous thread in the current topic
Y — reply to the thread (single-message reply)
B — return to the Threads list
H — show inline help for available shortcuts
M — return to Topics; Q returns to the main menu

Posting threads and replies

N (from Threads) — create a new thread. You will:
1. Enter a title (truncated at 32 characters if longer)
2. Enter the body as a single message (230-byte limit)
Y (while reading) — reply to the current thread in one message
Locked topics show [locked] in the header; posting or replying is blocked until unlocked

Filtering threads

F <text> — filter thread titles to those containing <text> (case-insensitive)
F — clear the active filter and redisplay the full list
Unread threads show a trailing *; pinned threads include a 📌 marker

Preferences menu (`P`)

I — view user details (username, node ID, level, session duration)
S — view high-level BBS statistics (total users, messages, recent registrations)
C — change password (prompts for current then new password; only when one exists)
N — set an initial password (when no password is set yet)
L — log out from the preferences screen
B — return to the main menu while staying logged in

Moderator tools (Level 5+)

Moderators gain additional actions in the compact UI plus access to administrative utilities.

Threads view actions

Command	Description
`D<n>`	Delete the nth thread on the current page (prompts for confirmation)
`P<n>`	Toggle pinned state for the nth thread
`R<n> <new title>`	Rename the nth thread (title truncated to 32 characters)
`K`	Lock or unlock the current topic

Read view actions

Command	Description
`D`	Delete the currently open thread (prompts for confirmation)
`P`	Pin or unpin the current thread
`R <new title>`	Rename the current thread while reading it
`K`	Lock or unlock the current topic

Moderation utilities

Command	Description	Notes
`DELLOG [page]` / `DL [page]`	View the deletion audit log	Optional page number (defaults to 1)
`USERS [pattern]`	List registered users, optionally filtered	Pattern matches against usernames (case-insensitive)
`WHO`	Show logged-in users	Returns a placeholder list in offline mode
`USERINFO user`	View detailed info (role, posts, registration date)	Requires an exact username
`SESSIONS`	List active sessions	Returns a placeholder list in offline mode
`KICK user`	Request that a user be logged out	Action is deferred for safety
`BROADCAST message`	Send a system broadcast to all users	Message is sanitized and limited to 5 KB
`LOCK topic` / `UNLOCK topic`	Lock or unlock a topic by name	Useful for automation scripts
`ADMIN` / `DASHBOARD`	Show aggregate statistics	Mirrors the Preferences `S` view with additional detail

Sysop Commands (Level 10)

Available only to system operators:

Command	Description	Example
`PROMOTE user`	Increase a user’s access level by one tier	`PROMOTE alice`
`DEMOTE user`	Decrease a user’s access level by one tier	`DEMOTE bob`
`G @user=LEVEL\\|ROLE`	Set level directly (1/5/10 or USER/MOD/SYSOP)	`G @alice=5`
`SYSLOG level message`	Write to the admin/security log	`SYSLOG info System check OK`

Dynamic Prompts

Meshbbs shows contextual prompts that reflect your current state:

Prompt	Meaning
`unauth>`	Not logged in
`alice (lvl1)>`	Logged in as alice, user level 1
`alice@general>`	Reading messages in ‘general’ topic
`post@general>`	Posting a message to ‘general’ topic
`alice@community>` → `alice (lvl1)>`	Using `B`/`U` goes up from Threads to Subtopics, then to Topics

Tips and Shortcuts

First-time help: The first time you use HELP after login, you’ll see a shortcuts reminder
Topic names: Long topic names are truncated in prompts with ellipsis
Message limits: Each message is limited to 230 bytes (optimized for Meshtastic)
- The server clamps outputs UTF‑8 safely and appends the prompt; the total frame (body + prompt) ≤ 230 bytes.
- Long thread reads are automatically split across multiple messages; the interactive prompt appears only on the final part.
Session timeout: Sessions automatically timeout after inactivity (configurable by sysop)
Case sensitivity: Commands are case-insensitive (help, HELP, and Help all work)

Error Messages

Common error messages and their meanings:

Error	Meaning	Solution
`Invalid username`	Username doesn’t meet requirements	Use 2-20 chars, letters/numbers/underscore only
`Wrong password`	Incorrect password provided	Check password or use `SETPASS` if passwordless
`Topic not found`	Message topic doesn’t exist or you lack access	Use `M` to browse available topics or check permissions
`Access denied`	Insufficient privileges	Check your user level with sysop
`Message too long`	Message exceeds 230 byte limit	Shorten your message
`Session timeout`	Inactive too long	Log in again

Examples

Compact Single-Letter Flow (DM Session)

> M
[Meshbbs] Topics
1. hello  2. general  3. technical
Type number to select topic. L more. H help. X exit
alice (lvl1)>

> 1
Messages in hello:
[BBS][hello] Threads
1 Test Title  2 Intro…
Reply: 1-9 read, N new, L more, B back, F <text> filter
alice@hello>

> N
[BBS] New thread title (≤32):
post@hello>

> Test Title
Body: (single message)
post@hello>

> This is the body of the test thread.
Messages in hello:
[BBS][hello] Threads
1 Test Title
Reply: 1-9 read, N new, L more, B back, F <text> filter
alice@hello>

> 1
[BBS][hello > Test Title] p1/1
This is the body of the test thread.
Reply: + next, - prev, Y reply, B back, H help
alice@hello>

> W
[BBS] You are at: Meshbbs > Topics > hello > Read
alice@hello>

Basic Session Flow

Public channel (using the configured prefix; default shown):
> ^LOGIN alice
< Meshbbs: Pending login for 'alice'. Open a DM to start your session.

Direct message:
> LOGIN alice mypassword
< Welcome, alice you are now logged in.
< There are no new messages.
< Hint: M=messages H=help
< Main Menu:
< [M]essages [P]references [Q]uit
alice (lvl1)> M
< [Meshbbs] Topics
< 1. general  2. community  3. technical
< Type number to select topic. L more. H help. X exit
alice (lvl1)> 1
< Messages in general:
< [BBS][general] Threads
< 1. Welcome
< Reply: 1-9 read, N new, L more, B back, F <text> filter
alice@general> N
< [BBS] New thread title (≤32):
post@general>
> Mesh meetup
< Body: (single message)
post@general>
> Meet at 18:00 on main channel.
< Messages in general:
< [BBS][general] Threads
< 1. Mesh meetup
< Reply: 1-9 read, N new, L more, B back, F <text> filter
alice@general> B
< [Meshbbs] Topics
< 1. general  2. community  3. technical
< Type number to select topic. L more. H help. X exit
alice (lvl1)> Q
< Goodbye! 73s

Moderator Example

mod (lvl5)> DELLOG
mod (lvl5)> DL 2
< Recent deletions:
< 2025-09-23 10:30 - general/msg456 deleted by mod
< 2025-09-23 09:15 - announcements/msg789 deleted by admin
mod (lvl5)> LOCK general
< Area 'general' is now locked to new posts
mod (lvl5)> UNLOCK general  
< Area 'general' is now open for posts

Command Reference

Command Reference

Connection Commands

Initial Discovery (Public Channel)

Session Commands (Direct Message)

Authentication

Global shortcuts

Main menu shortcuts

Topics navigation (compact UI)

Topics view

Subtopics view

Threads view

Reading a thread

Posting threads and replies

Filtering threads

Preferences menu (`P`)

Moderator tools (Level 5+)

Threads view actions

Read view actions

Moderation utilities

Sysop Commands (Level 10)

Dynamic Prompts

Tips and Shortcuts

Error Messages

Examples

Compact Single-Letter Flow (DM Session)

Basic Session Flow

Moderator Example

Command Reference

Connection Commands

Initial Discovery (Public Channel)

Session Commands (Direct Message)

Authentication

Global shortcuts

Main menu shortcuts

Topics navigation (compact UI)

Topics view

Subtopics view

Threads view

Reading a thread

Posting threads and replies

Filtering threads

Preferences menu (P)

Moderator tools (Level 5+)

Threads view actions

Read view actions

Moderation utilities

Sysop Commands (Level 10)

Dynamic Prompts

Tips and Shortcuts

Error Messages

Examples

Compact Single-Letter Flow (DM Session)

Basic Session Flow

Moderator Example

Preferences menu (`P`)