rsDeck
⚠️ DEPRECATED - use ratspeak-handheld ⚠️

Dual-mode Ratspeak firmware for the LilyGo T-Deck Plus.

Ratspeak | Current docs | Legacy releases | rsReticulum

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Legacy repository. Current firmware and development are in Ratspeak Handheld. The modes, controls, radio defaults and build artifacts below describe this retained repository; they are not the current handheld release instructions.

rsDeck turns a LilyGo T-Deck Plus into a two-mode Reticulum handheld. Standalone mode is an on-device Ratspeak/LXMF messenger. RNode mode makes the T-Deck a host-controlled radio for Ratspeak, Sideband, or another Reticulum client over BLE or USB serial.

Install

For current firmware, follow the handheld installation guide and choose T-Deck Plus in the Ratspeak web flasher. The current full image is tdeck-full.bin.

Back up your identity and messages before changing firmware or layouts. Legacy packages from this repository use different names and storage layouts; matching a device name does not establish that an update will preserve its data.

Modes

On boot, the launcher lets you choose:

• Standalone: a local Reticulum/LXMF messenger with identity management, contacts, peer discovery, messages, LoRa, and WiFi TCP access.
• RNode: a host-controlled RNode-style radio target for Ratspeak or other Reticulum clients over BLE or USB serial.

RNode mode self-provisions the T-Deck RNode product/model/default config and running firmware hash on first boot, so users should not need a separate rnodeconf setup step for the bundled release images.

Basic Use

On first boot, Standalone mode generates a Reticulum identity and asks for a display name. Your LXMF address is the 32-character hex string you share with contacts.

• Tabs: Home, Chats, Contacts, Peers, Settings.
• Navigation: trackball movement and click/Enter.
• Announce: press the trackball or Enter on the Home tab.
• Add contacts: select a discovered peer, then open or save the chat.
• Send messages: open a chat, type, and press Enter.
• Delivery color: yellow while sending, green after delivery confirmation.
• Identity import: place one raw 64-byte Reticulum identity file under /ratdeck/identity/ on the SD card, then use Settings → Identity & Device → Import Identity. Files named import.identity or import.key are preferred; otherwise rsDeck accepts exactly one non-reserved .identity or .key file in that folder. Ratspeak's encrypted .rsi backups are not imported on-device; from Ratspeak, export a Reticulum Identity File for rsDeck import.

Radio Presets

Long Fast is the compiled-in default. All radio parameters can also be tuned from Settings. Changes apply immediately.

Preset	SF	BW	CR	TXP
Short Turbo	7	500 kHz	4/5	14 dBm
Short Fast	7	250 kHz	4/5	14 dBm
Short Slow	8	250 kHz	4/5	14 dBm
Medium Fast	9	250 kHz	4/5	17 dBm
Medium Slow	10	250 kHz	4/5	17 dBm
Long Turbo	11	500 kHz	4/8	22 dBm
Long Fast (default)	11	250 kHz	4/5	22 dBm
Long Moderate	11	125 kHz	4/8	22 dBm

You are responsible for operating within local laws and radio regulations.

WiFi Bridging

WiFi bridging is experimental. STA mode can connect to existing WiFi and reach remote Reticulum nodes such as rns.ratspeak.org:4242.

AP mode exposes a local TCP endpoint for a nearby Reticulum host:

[[rsdeck]]
  type = TCPClientInterface
  target_host = 192.168.4.1
  target_port = 4242

This configuration describes the legacy firmware's access point. Join its WiFi network first; use the address shown by the device if it differs from the default.

Build From Source

These commands build the retained legacy source. Install Git, Make, Python 3 with virtual-environment support, and Arduino CLI first. Use a fresh checkout: packaging replaces files under dist/.

git clone https://github.com/ratspeak/rsDeck
cd rsDeck
git checkout 45b9c1a977385da96e9994d7a16966259d28e9f6
python3 -m venv .venv
. .venv/bin/activate
python3 -m pip install platformio esptool
make prep-tdeck
make package

After backing up the device, make flash PORT=/dev/cu.usbmodemXXXX builds and writes the full legacy image at offset 0x0. Replace the port with your device and close any app using it. A factory write can replace settings; do not assume that data from another firmware layout will survive.

Useful build targets:

make build-launcher      # launcher only
make build-standalone    # standalone messenger app
make build-rnode         # host-controlled RNode target
make full-image          # launcher + Standalone + RNode
make package             # release zips and launcher bins

Legacy artifacts are written to dist/:

dist/rsdeck-full.zip
dist/rsdeck-standalone.zip
dist/rsdeck-rnode.zip
dist/rsdeck-standalone-m5launcher.bin
dist/rsdeck-rnode-m5launcher.bin

Each .zip contains a merged factory image and its legacy flasher manifest. The *-m5launcher.bin files are bare applications for a compatible external launcher or a correctly sized OTA slot. Do not write a bare application at offset 0x0.

License

rsDeck standalone firmware, launcher, partition tables, and packaging tools are licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 or later. See LICENSE.

Vendored third-party code keeps its own license notices, including vendor/rnode_firmware/ and lib/Crypto.