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Choosing your setup

Ratspeak is a stack, not a single product. Before installing anything, decide how you want to talk on the mesh: through a desktop app, a phone, a handheld LoRa device, or a piece of infrastructure you run yourself. This page walks through the realistic combinations.

Pick a Scenario​

You want to...What you install
Send LXMF messages and browse peers from a regular computerRatspeak desktop
Same as above, but route over a TCP backhaul (public internet or your VPS)Ratspeak desktop + TCP hub
Carry Ratspeak in your pocketRatspeak mobile
Add LoRa range to your phone or laptopRatspeak + an RNode, or Ratdeck as a BLE bridge where supported
Carry one device that does everything, no phone or laptop requiredRatdeck or rsCardputer (standalone)
Run infrastructure for a community or your own LANSelf-hosted rnsd-rs and optionally lxmd-rs

Just the Ratspeak Desktop App​

The simplest start. You install the desktop app on macOS, Linux, or Windows and you're on the mesh. With no other configuration, it discovers peers via local broadcast and any TCP transport nodes you connect to. Good for: a normal user with internet who wants to try LXMF.

Ratspeak Desktop + a TCP Hub​

Same client, but you bring your own backhaul. Point it at a public Ratspeak TCP server - Ruby (1.ratspeak.org:4141), Emerald (2.ratspeak.org:4242), or Diamond (3.ratspeak.org:4343) - to join the wider Ratspeak network, or run your own VPS to host a private one. The legacy rns.ratspeak.org:4242 endpoint is an alias for Emerald. In the app, "Official" means the server is managed by Ratspeak; "Unofficial" means it is operated by a third party. Useful when you're behind restrictive NAT, want a stable rendezvous point, or want to bridge two LANs together.

Ratspeak Mobile​

iOS and Android builds of the same client. The main difference is how you talk to LoRa hardware: iOS does not expose USB to apps, so radios connect over Bluetooth LE or an RNode TCP bridge. Android supports BLE, USB-OTG, and RNode TCP. If you want a phone to drive a LoRa radio, use a BLE-capable RNode, a TCP-backed RNode bridge, or Ratdeck's bridge profile where supported.

Ratspeak + an RNode or Ratdeck Bridge​

Add a portable LoRa node to your phone or laptop. The radio carries the long-range link; Ratspeak on your main device handles the long sessions and the screen real estate. A normal RNode connects over USB, USB-OTG on Android, BLE where the firmware supports it, or TCP when the radio's KISS stream is exposed on the local network. Ratdeck can expose a BLE bridge profile when enabled. rsCardputer can boot into RNode mode for BLE or USB host use, or stay in Standalone mode as its own handheld endpoint.

Just a Ratdeck or rsCardputer​

A handheld-only deployment. Both devices run microReticulum and speak LXMF directly — no phone, no laptop, no desktop client involved. The Ratdeck has a 4-inch touchscreen and full QWERTY; the rsCardputer is the smaller Cardputer form factor. Best for backpack carry, field operations, or anyone who wants the mesh to be a single self-contained object.

Self-Hosted Transport Node​

If you want to be infrastructure rather than just a client, run rnsd-rs on a Raspberry Pi, a VPS, or a workstation. That gives you a transport node that other peers can route through. Add lxmd-rs if you also want an Offline Inbox/propagation node for offline contacts. You don't need this to use Ratspeak — it's for operators who want to extend or stabilize a network.

What You Actually Need​

You do not need a public IP, an account, an email, or a working internet connection to use Ratspeak. The mesh runs on whatever transport you give it: local network, TCP over the internet, LoRa, packet radio, I2P, or any combination. Pick the scenario that matches your situation and start there — you can layer the rest on later.

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