Firmware Governance and Canonical Sources (April 2026)

Firmware Governance and Canonical Sources (April 2026)

In early 2026 the MeshCore project underwent a significant governance change. Understanding this history is important for knowing which firmware source to trust and where to report issues.

Background

The MeshCore project was founded by Andy Kirby, with a core development team that grew to include:

• Scott — primary firmware developer
• Liam Cottle — MeshCore mobile app
• Recrof — map tooling and firmware flasher
• FDLamotte — Python CLI and tooling
• Oltaco — bootloader

The Split (March–April 2026)

The core development team separated from Andy Kirby over three issues:

1. Undisclosed trademark filing — A trademark on the “MeshCore” name was filed on March 29, 2026 without the team’s knowledge or consent.
2. AI-generated firmware code — Use of AI-generated code in the firmware without disclosure to contributors or users.
3. Branding conflict — Competing domains (meshcore.co.uk vs. meshcore.io) created confusion about the canonical source.

Canonical Sources After the Split

Recommendations for Wiki Users

• Use flasher.meshcore.io to flash firmware. This is the community-maintained tool and sources firmware from the canonical meshcore-dev GitHub organization.
• Use github.com/meshcore-dev/MeshCore for firmware source, issues, and releases.
• The meshcore.co.uk / MeshOS fork is a separate project. It may diverge from the community protocol over time; use it only if you have a specific reason to do so.
• If you encounter references to old GitHub organizations or domain names in older documentation or forum posts, verify them against the canonical sources above.

Protocol Compatibility

As of April 2026, the MeshCore community firmware (v1.15.0) and the MeshOS fork are still protocol-compatible. This may change as the projects evolve independently. Monitor the respective GitHub repositories for protocol version announcements.