docs: document the Unix-socket feed and per-repeater ping-loss

* README/INSTALL: REPORT_TRANSPORT/REPORT_SOCKET for a same-host dashboard over
    a Unix socket (immune to NIC flaps / conntrack eviction), and the matching
    DMRLINK_TRANSPORT/DMRLINK_SOCKET on the dashboard side.
  * README: note the per-repeater ping-loss figure (PING_LOSS_WINDOW /
    PING_LOSS_WARN) the dashboard now shows.
  * dashboard/config_sample.py: add DMRLINK_TRANSPORT / DMRLINK_SOCKET.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>

INSTALL.md

@@ -49,7 +49,9 @@ cp dmrlink-SAMPLE.cfg dmrlink.cfg
 Edit `dmrlink.cfg` and fill in at minimum:
 
 - **[REPORTS]** — set `REPORT_NETWORKS: NETWORK`, `REPORT_PORT`, and
-  `REPORT_CLIENTS` if you will run the dashboard or any external monitoring.
+  `REPORT_CLIENTS` if you will run the dashboard or any external monitoring. For a
+  same-host dashboard, use `REPORT_TRANSPORT: unix` with a `REPORT_SOCKET` path
+  instead of a TCP port (immune to NIC flaps / conntrack eviction).
 - **[LOGGER]** — choose log handlers and level. Use `console-timed` for
   foreground testing; `file-timed` or `syslog` for production.
 - **System stanzas** — one `[SECTION]` block per IPSC network.
@@ -89,7 +91,10 @@ cp dashboard/config_sample.py dashboard/config.py
 
 Edit `dashboard/config.py`:
 
-- `DMRLINK_IP` / `DMRLINK_PORT` — point at dmrlink3's `REPORT_PORT`.
+- `DMRLINK_IP` / `DMRLINK_PORT` — point at dmrlink3's `REPORT_PORT` (TCP transport).
+- `DMRLINK_TRANSPORT` / `DMRLINK_SOCKET` — set to `'unix'` and the daemon's
+  `REPORT_SOCKET` path for a same-host feed over a Unix socket (must match the
+  daemon's `REPORT_TRANSPORT`); leave as `'tcp'` for a remote dashboard.
 - `WEB_PORT` — port the dashboard web server listens on (default `8080`).
 - `PATH` — directory containing alias files (`peer_ids.json`, etc.).
 - `LAST_HEARD` / `LAST_HEARD_COUNT` — default state (`'open'`/`'closed'`/`'off'`)

README.md

@@ -145,13 +145,23 @@ Enable reporting in `dmrlink.cfg`:
 ```ini
 [REPORTS]
 REPORT_NETWORKS: NETWORK
-REPORT_PORT: 4321
-REPORT_CLIENTS: 127.0.0.1
+REPORT_TRANSPORT: tcp          ; 'tcp' (default) or 'unix'
+REPORT_PORT: 4321              ; used when REPORT_TRANSPORT = tcp
+REPORT_SOCKET: /tmp/dmrlink3-report.sock   ; used when REPORT_TRANSPORT = unix
+REPORT_CLIENTS: 127.0.0.1      ; TCP only
 ```
 
+When the dashboard runs on the **same host**, set `REPORT_TRANSPORT: unix` (and a
+`REPORT_SOCKET` path) so the feed rides a local Unix-domain socket instead of TCP —
+a same-box socket can't be broken by a NIC flap or connection-tracking eviction.
+Set the dashboard's matching `DMRLINK_TRANSPORT`/`DMRLINK_SOCKET` to the same. Use
+`tcp` (the default) for a remote dashboard.
+
 The dashboard connects to this feed and serves a browser UI at the configured
-`WEB_PORT`. See `dashboard/config_sample.py` and [INSTALL.md](INSTALL.md) for
-setup instructions.
+`WEB_PORT`. It also shows a per-repeater **ping-loss** figure (golds a row whose
+keepalive-loss share crosses `PING_LOSS_WARN`), controlled by `PING_LOSS_WINDOW` /
+`PING_LOSS_WARN` in `[GLOBAL]`. See `dashboard/config_sample.py` and
+[INSTALL.md](INSTALL.md) for setup instructions.
 
 **Demo mode** — append `?demo` to the dashboard URL (e.g. `http://localhost:8080/?demo`)
 to load a static pre-populated scenario showing all visual elements: MASTER and PEER

dashboard/config_sample.py

@@ -14,8 +14,10 @@ REPORT_NAME     = 'My DMRlink3 System'  # Shown in the dashboard header
 LOGO_FILE       = ''                    # Path to a logo image (png/jpg/svg/gif); '' = no logo
 
 # Connection to dmrlink3's reporting feed ([REPORTS] in dmrlink.cfg)
-DMRLINK_IP      = '127.0.0.1'           # dmrlink3 reporting host
-DMRLINK_PORT    = 4321                  # dmrlink3 REPORT_PORT
+DMRLINK_TRANSPORT = 'tcp'               # 'tcp' (default) or 'unix'; must match the daemon's REPORT_TRANSPORT
+DMRLINK_IP      = '127.0.0.1'           # dmrlink3 reporting host (tcp transport)
+DMRLINK_PORT    = 4321                  # dmrlink3 REPORT_PORT (tcp transport)
+DMRLINK_SOCKET  = '/tmp/dmrlink3-report.sock'   # daemon's REPORT_SOCKET path (unix transport)
 
 # Web server
 WEB_HOST        = '0.0.0.0'             # Interface to bind the dashboard