Trail project / Linux server and LoRa gateway

Limited Underground Trail Server

A developing Linux server appliance with a placeable Trail-compatible LoRa gateway direction, a LAN administration interface, a persistent database foundation, and bounded large-file delivery.

API, development console, and persistent database foundation verified - live gateway and production acceptance pendingEvidence updated September 8, 2026Work in progress

Overview

A server that joins the Trail radio network through its own device.

The accepted provisional direction reuses established server infrastructure while keeping the Trail-specific radio boundary explicit.

Radio boundary

One placeable server-radio gateway.

The intended Trail-compatible LoRa gateway joins the authorized local IP network over Wi-Fi, then uses authenticated application traffic to reach the server—which may remain wired. The gateway API, firmware, and hardware remain unimplemented.

Operator access

One dashboard, locally and across the LAN.

A minimal graphical session opens the administration interface on the server. Other authorized local-network machines can reach the same interface by IP.

Large files

Use IP delivery where LoRa is the wrong transport.

The server can publish digest-bound manifests and provide separately supported downloads for firmware, map packages, or other files that do not belong on the radio network.

Roadmap

Build the smallest functional Linux appliance first.

The first host, bounded API, development console, and database foundation are verified; domain queues, authenticated gateway integration, backup/restore, reserved-LAN, and hardware acceptance remain open.

Current foundationHost-deployed prototype

Server Option V0

Debian 13.6.0, ASP.NET Core, PostgreSQL/PostGIS, Caddy, MapLibre/PMTiles, and one placeable Trail LoRa gateway direction over the authorized local IP network.

Web access: Local browser plus host-only access by a stable server IPv4 address
First transport: Plain HTTP on the trusted local path; trusted HTTPS is deferred
Evidence today: Clean Debian VM reproduction, bounded API and development console, schema-v1 database foundation, named-volume restart persistence, and LUSR/1 host simulation passed; least-privilege database roles, domain queues, gateway hardware, and final LAN acceptance remain open

First functional serverHost profile in progress

Debian host and live server radio

Reproducible installation, persistent queues, live receive/transmit processing, LAN dashboard access, database recovery, and one exact dedicated server-radio binding.

Hardware: No supported server-radio target selected
Deployment: Debian 13.6.0 amd64 clean VM passed install, provision, reboot, kiosk, and full verifier
Acceptance: Software-host reproduction and temporary-NAT checks passed; reserved physical-LAN and second-machine acceptance remain open

Capabilities

A useful prototype, not a working server.

The current repository provides a concrete interface direction, public architecture records, and a reproducible host-profile starting point.

Available

Interactive administration-interface prototype.

Demonstration screens cover operations, people, devices, communications, locations, alerts, readiness, updates, backups, and server settings.

Accepted direction

Reusable infrastructure is selected.

Established Linux, web, database, geographic, file-delivery, and map components avoid creating generic infrastructure from scratch.

Unavailable

No live gateway, domain queues, or final-LAN deployment.

The bounded service reports operational false and radio unavailable. PostgreSQL/PostGIS schema v1 is ready, but it contains only the migration ledger and runtime probe—no Trail records, gateway ingestion, or durable receive authority.

Components

Clear boundaries keep the server replaceable.

Each reusable component has one job; Trail-specific behavior remains inside explicit project code and contracts.

Radio gateway

Dedicated Trail-compatible LoRa gateway over local Wi-Fi.

Planned to own radio participation and use an authenticated, versioned local IP interface. LUSR/1 USB remains prototype/reference evidence that may inform a future optional maintenance or fallback path; none is selected.

Linux application

Modular server, persistent queues, and administration.

Processes validated radio events, schedules outbound traffic, stores history, and exposes operator workflows.

IP services

LAN dashboard, maps, and large files.

Kept separate from the LoRa link so large content and administration do not distort the radio protocol.

Technology

Reuse proven infrastructure; build only the Trail-specific layer.

Option V0 is provisional and individual components may change after implementation evidence.

Operating system

Debian 13.6.0 host profile

Local interface: LightDM, Openbox, and Chromium kiosk on loopback
LAN interface: Dashboard by reserved IPv4 address; SSH and HTTP only from the configured LAN
Status: Clean Hyper-V reproduction passed; reserved physical-LAN and second-machine acceptance remain pending

Application

ASP.NET Core

Reuse: Web APIs, background services, health checks, configuration, authentication, and administration UI foundation
Custom work: Wi-Fi gateway API, Trail queues, processing rules, manifests, and operator workflows
Status: Health, development console, and database status deployment passed; the disabled-by-default LUSR/1 reference worker passed fifteen lifecycle simulator cases with no TX or RX acknowledgement authority

Gateway direction

Wi-Fi to the authorized local IP network

Placement: The LoRa gateway can be positioned for terrain, obstacles, antenna location, and measured radio performance while the server may remain wired
Reference: LUSR/1 USB framing and recovery remain host-tested prototype evidence that may inform a future optional maintenance or fallback path
Status: No supported USB fallback, gateway API, authentication, firmware, hardware, or RF link has been implemented or tested

Data

PostgreSQL and PostGIS

Foundation: Digest-pinned database, internal-only network, checksum-bound migration ledger, runtime probe, and named persistent volume
Geography: PostGIS is enabled; locations, tracks, proximity, spatial indexes, and later geofencing remain planned
Status: Schema version 1 and container-recreation persistence passed on the selected VM. The API still uses the bootstrap database superuser; least-privilege runtime roles, domain records, and backup/restore remain open

Web and files

Caddy, MapLibre, and PMTiles

Caddy: LAN reverse proxy, static files, HTTP range requests, and later TLS
MapLibre: Map rendering for the local and LAN dashboard
PMTiles: Packaged basemaps and bounded large map archives

Development status

Host, service, console, and persistence foundation verified.

These remain bounded development milestones, not an operational or production-ready Trail Server.

Architecture

Placeable Wi-Fi gateway direction selected.

The public record captures the Linux, LAN, storage, map, large-file, and intended authenticated Wi-Fi gateway boundaries while retaining LUSR/1 USB as reference evidence.

Repository

Standalone public project foundation.

Architecture, status, decisions, backlog, interface prototype, host-profile assets, and the bounded .NET 8 service scaffold are organized independently from OpenTrail firmware and Android work.

Next server increment

Add the first durable domain schema.

Define and host-test bounded gateway observations and receive/transmit queue records without accepting live radio data or claiming delivery.

Documentation

Read the current architecture and its limits.

The repository is the authority for Trail Server decisions and implementation status.

ArchitectureSystem boundary, reusable components, and deferred choices.Linux host profileExact Debian seed, kiosk, LAN, firewall, recovery, and reproduction gate.Server-radio USB contractLUSR/1 framing, identity, queue, recovery, and privacy boundaries.Gateway backhaul directionWhy the gateway joins the authorized local IP network over Wi-Fi and what remains unimplemented.Project statusCurrent evidence and everything not yet implemented.BacklogOrdered gates from foundation through one dedicated server-radio device.

GitHub repository

The public Trail Server project.

Follow the architecture, interface prototype, decisions, validation, and future implementation.

Limited Underground Trail Server on GitHub

The repository contains architecture, interface-prototype and host evidence, a bounded non-operational service, and the TS-005 Phase A persistent database foundation. It does not contain a functional gateway, domain queues, or a supported server release.

Open repository

Contribute

Improve the reusable foundation without overstating it.

Useful early contributions focus on Linux deployment, Wi-Fi gateway security, geographic storage, accessibility, and bounded protocol review.

Linux

Reproducible appliance and local-network reliability.

Help test the selected Debian profile, service recovery, bounded network access, and database lifecycle.

Server

Persistence, queues, and failure recovery.

Review migrations, idempotency, bounded retries, backups, and restoration behavior.

Interface

Accessible local operations.

Improve the administration prototype while keeping demonstration data and unavailable functions visibly labeled.