# How-To: `pos communication` Telegram messaging and alerts. Tools: `telegram-sender`, `telegram-listener`, `matrix`. | Tool | What it does | |------|--------------| | `pos communication telegram sender` | Send messages/files/links/stickers, test, config (token + chat id) | | `pos communication telegram listener` | Bot listener: map `/command` → bash and run it from chat (systemd user daemon) | | `pos communication matrix` | Matrix/Synapse sender (extensible; not yet implemented) | `telegram-sender` is the workhorse: it backs the whole **notify system** — health digests, backup alerts, firewall changes — and can be used directly. --- ## `pos communication telegram sender` ### One-time setup ```bash pos communication telegram sender config set TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=123456:ABC... pos communication telegram sender config set TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID=987654321 pos communication telegram sender config # config lives in ~/.config/linux_post_install/telegram.env (chmod 600) ``` The bot token comes from @BotFather, the chat ID from @userinfobot (or by starting a chat and reading it). `sender config` shows the configured chat id. ### Send ```bash pos communication telegram sender send "hello from my server" # plain text pos communication telegram sender send --markdown "**bold** ok" # parse as markdown pos communication telegram sender send --help # list all flags pos communication telegram sender send /path/to/report.pdf # auto-detects file ``` **Recipes:** - **Alert when a backup finishes** — automatic: `pos system backup` calls `notify_send` (below) on success *and* failure. - **Warn before a service update:** ```bash pos communication telegram sender send "Maintenance: docker compose down in 2min" ``` - **On-call file drop:** `pos communication telegram sender send ~/log/nginx-error.log` **Troubleshooting:** - "Not configured (no token or chat id)" → run `sender config set` for both values. - Send succeeds but nothing arrives → the chat must have started the bot (press `Start` / send `/start` once). - **Markdown silently empty** → Telegram uses its own MarkdownV2; unmatched syntax makes the message vanish. Use `--markdown` only when the text is Telegram-safe (the health digest output is). - **Webhook vs getUpdates:** the sender uses polling (`getUpdates`), so a webhook registered on the bot (e.g. via BotFather) blocks sends; remove it with BotFather's `/deletewebhook`. --- ## `pos communication telegram listener` Turns your bot into a two-way remote control: map `/command` → bash, then message the bot from your phone to run it. ```bash pos communication telegram listener # edit the /command → bash map pos communication telegram listener --status # service state + mapped commands pos communication telegram listener --enable # install the systemd user daemon pos communication telegram listener --disable # remove it ``` - **Map file:** `~/.config/linux_post_install/telegram_commands.env` (chmod 600), one `/cmd=bash command` per line — re-read on every message, so edits apply instantly. Example: ``` /status=@quiet pos system health --send /temp=sensors | grep -i 'Tctl\|package id 0' /update=cd /path/to/repo && git pull ``` - **Owner-only:** the bot only reacts to `TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID` (your own chat); others are ignored. `/help` lists mapped commands; unknown → "Unknown command". - **Runs as you:** mapped commands execute as your user with a 60s timeout, stdout + stderr are replied to the chat (truncated ~3800 chars; empty → `OK`). `sudo` inside a command needs a NOPASSWD rule. - **`@quiet` prefix:** a map value starting with `@quiet ` runs the command but does NOT reply — for commands that already send their own notification, so you don't get it twice. `/status=@quiet pos system health --send` delivers one digest via the notify system and nothing else. - **Daemon lifecycle:** the service is a systemd **user** unit; it stops at logout unless you enable linger: `sudo loginctl enable-linger $(whoami)`. `--enable` prints this warning if linger is off. **Troubleshooting:** - Bot doesn't answer → send `/help`; if silent, check the service with `systemctl --user status pos-telegram-listener.service`. - A webhook on the bot blocks `getUpdates` → remove it with BotFather's `/deletewebhook`. - Needs `jq` (in preinstall PACKAGES). --- ## The notify system (`notify_send`) Every tool that announces something sends through `lib/notify.sh` instead of hard-coding Telegram: ```bash # ~/.config/linux_post_install/notify.env NOTIFY_PLATFORM=telegram # default; comma-separated to fan out to all ``` - `notify_send "msg"` → delivers to every platform in `NOTIFY_PLATFORM` (current senders: `telegram`). - **Silent-fail:** no platform configured → one WARN line, exit 0, never breaks the calling tool. - New platform (e.g. Matrix): implement `bin/pos-communication-

send [--markdown]`, then list it in `NOTIFY_PLATFORM`. Details: [DOC/DEV.md → Alerting](../DEV.md). --- ## `pos communication matrix` Sender contract exists (`send [--markdown]`) and the dispatcher routes to it, but no implementation ships yet. When present, add `matrix` to `NOTIFY_PLATFORM` and configure it via `pos communication matrix config set …`. --- ## Related - Reference + config file details: [DOC/POS.md → communication](../POS.md) - Alerting contract: [DOC/DEV.md → Alerting](../DEV.md) - Health digest (uses `--send --markdown`): [system.md](system.md)