The Lunch Box

The Lunch Box is an alpha-stage portable Raspberry Pi cyberdeck and IoT workstation. It combines a keyboard-driven terminal launcher with system monitoring, Docker, MQTT, ESP32 development, Meshtastic messaging, serial diagnostics, and defensive security tools.

Status: v0.1-alpha
Expect changes, incomplete features, and hardware-specific setup.

Intended Use

The project is intended for:

• Raspberry Pi and Linux learning
• ESP32 and LoRa development
• Meshtastic messaging
• MQTT and Node-RED experiments
• Authorized network diagnostics
• Defensive security auditing
• Portable IoT monitoring and logging

Use security and radio features only on systems, networks, frequencies, and devices that you own or are explicitly authorized to use.

Current Features

• Arrow-key terminal launcher
• System dashboard
• Git status
• Mosquitto MQTT status
• Docker container status
• ESP32 PlatformIO project browser
• Separate Python project browser
• Pi-side Python virtual environments
• SerialManager with optional logging
• LoRaMessenger with:
  • Broadcast and direct messages
  • Known-node list
  • Local Inbox and Outbox
  • Automatic reconnect
  • Retry queue
  • Periodic beacon with a five-minute minimum interval
• GPSConsole project support
• Lynis security-audit manager
• Defensive security submenu
• Reboot, shutdown, and exit controls
• USB-drive project storage

Hardware Used

The current build is designed around:

• Raspberry Pi 4
• Raspberry Pi OS 64-bit
• 7-inch display
• USB storage drive
• Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V4 / ESP32-S3 / SX1262
• Data-capable USB cable
• Optional GPS/GNSS receiver
• Optional Linux-compatible USB Wi-Fi adapter

Other compatible hardware may work but is not yet tested.

Project Layout

The Lunch box/
├── README.md
├── HOWTO.md
├── .gitignore
├── start-launcher.sh
├── start-launcher.ps1
├── setup-pi-services.sh
├── launcher/
│   ├── launcher.py
│   ├── requirements.txt
│   └── config.yaml
├── Projects/
│   ├── ESP32/
│   │   └── LoRa-Test/
│   └── Python/
│       ├── GPSConsole/
│       ├── HelloLunchbox/
│       ├── LoRaMessenger/
│       ├── LynisManager/
│       └── SerialManager/
└── Backups/

Python virtual environments are deliberately stored on the Raspberry Pi instead of the exFAT USB drive:

~/.local/share/the-lunch-box/venvs/

Application data is stored under:

~/.local/share/the-lunch-box/

Quick Start

Copy the repository to the USB drive, connect it to the Raspberry Pi, and locate its mount point:

lsblk -f
find /media/$USER -name "launcher.py" 2>/dev/null

Move to the repository root and run:

bash ./setup-pi-services.sh
bash ./start-launcher.sh

Launcher controls:

Up / Down   Navigate
Enter       Select
B or Q      Go back
Q           Exit main menu

See HOWTO.md for detailed setup and troubleshooting.

LoRa and Meshtastic

LoRaMessenger expects a Meshtastic-compatible serial device, normally:

/dev/ttyACM0

Only one program can use the serial port at a time. Close SerialManager before starting LoRaMessenger.

LoRaMessenger stores its local message database at:

~/.local/share/the-lunch-box/LoRaMessenger/messages.db

Inbox entries are saved only while LoRaMessenger is connected and running. Outbox entries record locally composed messages and their local handoff status.

Security and Privacy

Never commit or publish:

• Meshtastic private keys
• Full Meshtastic configuration exports
• Channel-sharing URLs or QR codes
• Wi-Fi passwords
• API tokens
• MQTT credentials
• GPS coordinates or private location history
• Message databases
• Logs containing sensitive data
• .venv directories

A public key may be shared. A private key must remain confidential and should stay on the radio.

Alpha Limitations

• ESP32-S3 native USB may occasionally disconnect during persistent Meshtastic sessions.
• LoRaMessenger reconnect behavior requires more testing.
• Node-RED authentication is not configured automatically.
• Docker services are minimal and should not be exposed directly to the internet.
• ESP32 PlatformIO projects require a correct board definition and platformio.ini.
• The launcher is optimized for Raspberry Pi OS; Windows support is for interface testing only.

Contributing

Issues and pull requests are welcome. Please avoid including sensitive configuration, private keys, precise locations, or captured personal communications.