The LilyGO T-Deck is open-source hardware. The schematics are public, the design files are shared, and people are encouraged to build on it. That is a big part of why hardware like this matters. When you buy a T-Deck, you expect something the community can use, improve, and build on.

MeshOS puts a paid lock on that hardware. Basic features like joining a mesh and sending messages depend on a licence key tied to your MAC address. That is hard to justify technically. The key comes from a simple polynomial hash of the serial number with a few fixed bytes mixed in. It does not really protect anything. It mainly gets in the way of normal users.

We believe that software written for open-source hardware should also be open-source. If a project depends on a community that shares designs, documentation, and technical work, the software should respect that same spirit. Closed firmware on open hardware feels out of place.

Paid software is not the problem by itself. The problem is locking core radio features on a mesh device behind a paywall. The whole point is connectivity without infrastructure. Mesh networks get stronger when more devices can join. Every blocked device is one less node on the network. You cannot build a resilient decentralised communication tool around a central licence system.

According to the MeshCore team's public statements, Andy Kirby tried to take control of the MeshCore name while pushing closed, AI-assisted tooling around an open community project. We are against that. This keygen exists because we do not agree with putting weak licence locks on open hardware and calling that progress. If you are going to ship AI-assisted code, at least build something solid instead of adding pointless restrictions for users.

This page exists because the hardware was built in an open way, and the software around it should be treated with that same mindset.