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jgaz
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Joined: 14 Feb 2021
Posts: 42
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 Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2023 10:37 pm Post subject: Are any of you into Ham Radio? |
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Are any of you into ham radio? I've been a ham for a bit over a year now and I got my Amateur Extra license a month or so back. I'm currently (slowly) learning Morse Code. I have some ideas on how to improve Gentoo's support for amateur radio but I don't want to be an island. I'd love to chat with any fellow hams who are either Gentoo users or Gentoo devs to get their thoughts on the subject.
My first task, I think, is to try to get Gentoo to talk to a Winlink server over Telnet and then over HF. Are there any existing overlays that are ham radio focused? Because, right now I'm not sure how to get Gentoo working with the VARA protocol outside of leveraging Wine. I'm sure I can tinker with it and figure it out and then make an article for the wiki. |
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C5ace
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Joined: 23 Dec 2013
Posts: 472
Location: Brisbane, Australia
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| Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2023 1:47 am Post subject: |
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I occasionally exchange emails with friends sailing in the south Atlantic using Sailmail. They have a windows laptop and Icom transceiver and a PACTOR box on board. We both use Thunderbird as email clients.
The Winlink website list as Telnet, Pat and Paclink-Unix as Linux clients.
https://winlink.org/ClientSoftware
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pa4wdh
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Joined: 16 Dec 2005
Posts: 812
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| Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2023 6:19 pm Post subject: |
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As you can probably see from my username i'm into ham radio 
I got my license (including morse code which was required at that time) in 2000 or 2001. I was a huge fan of Packet Radio, but it seems to have died altogether and now i haven't used my radio equipment for years.
What are your ideas to improve support for amateur radio in Gentoo?
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jgaz
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Joined: 14 Feb 2021
Posts: 42
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| Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2023 7:04 pm Post subject: |
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| pa4wdh wrote: | As you can probably see from my username i'm into ham radio
I got my license (including morse code which was required at that time) in 2000 or 2001. I was a huge fan of Packet Radio, but it seems to have died altogether and now i haven't used my radio equipment for years.
What are your ideas to improve support for amateur radio in Gentoo? |
It's good to talk to you!
In a nutshell:
* For starters: add an ebuild for CHIRP https://chirp.danplanet.com/ which is a programming tool for a large (and growing) number of radios. That's important low hanging fruit right there.
* Add additional packages for digital modes from the common to the obscure. This should also include passive modes like Radiofax.
* Add a minimodem package (it's ham radio adjacent and will also see use by retrocomputing folks) http://www.whence.com/minimodem/
* Get all Winlink (email over RF) related packages working and document how to configure major email clients (Mutt, Pine, Thunderbird) to use the Winlink network.
* Make sure as many ham radio related things that Gentoo supports are also documented in the wiki from how tos on using various modes to setting up a TNC with a Raspberry Pi and /media-radio/direwolf.
* Any Linux-based Morse Code trainers (if they exist) added and documented. |
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pa4wdh
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Joined: 16 Dec 2005
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eccerr0r
Watchman
Joined: 01 Jul 2004
Posts: 9679
Location: almost Mile High in the USA
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| Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2023 4:37 pm Post subject: |
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I'm also a ham (usa/extra class, you can call me a NCE if really desired) alas as usual amateur radio support isn't great... For me, OSS software > amateur radio stuff on my Gentoo boxes.
Chirp was actually my first disappointment with Gentoo. It used to be in portage but with Chirp not wanting to move from python2.7 it was dropped and we have to use a flatpak to use it.
I was looking into trying to get into winlink but was too lazy. What I found or not found (not sure yet) is a piece of software called "pat"(not in portage) because winlink (not in portage) is a binary blob. I stopped there because I do not have good radios and need to hack up an interface so that my computer can hit the PTT button as my old TR-2500 has no computer interface. I'm not sure if pat duplicates the code support in media-radio/direwolf which I was able, with manually keying the TR-2500, get one packet transmitting my call sign and a pre-determined GPS location as I don't have a working GPS that interfaces with Linux anymore (the one that used to work with sci-geosciences/gpsd needs a nonexistent firmware update...).
Right now despite my license class I've yet to transmit/receive HF. I have no HF gear except a "toy" SDR which I'm trying to get to receive SSB with net-wireless/gnuradio and I think it's possible to transmit via my raspberry pi (which I haven't ported to Gentoo yet...) with a few transistors and LPF that I'm trying to design/build with the components I have... well, at least to stay legal.
I was hoping to use media-radio/wsjtx too for the famed FT8, alas no radio, no go. However technically with gnuradio + the rpi I should be able to... definitely not a precooked solution but should be feasible with some finagling.
Yes I'm passively trying to learn code. CW transmitters are much easier but no need for computers and hence no need for Gentoo, so no active pursuit.
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jgaz
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Joined: 14 Feb 2021
Posts: 42
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| Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2023 6:19 pm Post subject: |
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CHIRP has been upgraded to Python 3 at this point: https://chirp.danplanet.com/projects/chirp/wiki/ChirpOnLinux.
I hear you on the HF rig, I just got my HF antenna installed into my attic last weekend. I still have some setup to do before I can actually use it. As for Pat, that's on my list of packages to get into portage. |
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eccerr0r
Watchman
Joined: 01 Jul 2004
Posts: 9679
Location: almost Mile High in the USA
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| Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2023 7:14 pm Post subject: |
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Finally a py3 chirp that's stable? Last I tried around a year ago, it was really unusable and it had a very old timestamp in the repo. If HEAD is finally on the py3 version, great, since there was a py2 ebuild... (granted it was using a different graphics toolkit, the whole reason why py3 didn't work with it.)
btw for those who got Pat working - are you using an off board sound card or onboard, and did you need to use direwolf or other modem emulator (minimodem)? Direwolf is supposed to be a complete TNC emulator - was able to transmit/receive APRS packets using the onboard soundcard of my computers with a radio, just needed PTT control - no external sound board or external TNC needed - and this should mean that it can work with winlink signalling too (FSK only?).
Question is what is compatible with full vara and its QAM...
(I hear a lot of hams saying antennas are the most important part of a radio system... try to tell that to a person without a radio...)
---
BTW anyone got a (tr)uSDX? and got it to work under "cat" control (boo. I hate yaesu or whoever coined "cat" as "control amateur transceiver" or something like that.) Someone blamed Linux as bugged for cat control to not work which is bull and suggested something like
| Code: | | # stty -F /dev/ttyUSB0 raw -echo -echoe -echoctl -hupcl -echoke 38400 |
to allow the trμSDX to work under cat control.
I think if this is truly needed, wsjtx/ft8 is supposed to do this internally... Not sure about any other software available but this seems a bit wrong to blame Linux for this behavior... I'm surprised there's no flow control issues and all these options seem to be related to character processing for command line (getty, login, etc.) but not raw bits going down?
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bschnzl
Tux's lil' helper
Joined: 13 Mar 2005
Posts: 94
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| Posted: Sun Feb 18, 2024 11:19 am Post subject: |
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OK! This is a stale thread! Such as it is...
I can report that Gentoo worx on Ham Radio! You do need a Radio! I have it running directly into an IC-7300 and an IC-7100. The Radio you can buy. The antenna... I have several old tall trees to help. The Antenna is the most important part. I'm afraid that is OT here.
So... The FLDigi suite is pretty well plug-n-play, if your radio has a USB I/F. There are add-on devices for older radios (https://tigertronics.com/signalnk.htm - US$170, etc.). Brewing your own is honorable! Best of Luck you intrepid souls!
FLRig (media-radio/flrig) is the "Radio Server". It has an "nls" USE Flag. The USE Flag added no packages. Add it in /etc/portage/package.use/radio (or your file name choice). It comes with interface files for most modern radios. It handles keying your PTT. If you Brew your own, this is the interface to key your radio!
FLDigi (media-radio/fldigi) is your primary user interface.
| Code: | | media-radio/fldigi-4.x.xx::gentoo USE="hamlib nls pulseaudio" CPU_FLAGS_X86="sse sse2 sse3" |
This is where you go keyboard to keyboard with other hams. It is also where you add media-libs/hamlib via the USE Flag. More on Hamlib below. You will want the pulseaudio USE Flag to let multiple processes access the soundcard (your radio). You will be talking to folks using who knows what for a native character set. Set the nls flag to deal with special characters. Hopefully, you have CPU_FLAGS_X86 set from your install. You should not have to tweak them here.
FLAMP and FLMSG are needed to pass files. FLAMP will provide forward error correction. It will also base64 encode your files. These will allow binary matches sent globally with no other infrastructure. FLMSG has forms and a web interface to render them! It enables efficient comms that is easy on the eyes. Portage offers no USE Flags to these packages.
Hamlib is the cleaner interface to your radio. It is used by FLDigi to talk to FLRig. It greases the rails in other places as well. You want HamLib.
| Code: | | media-libs/hamlib USE="perl python tcl -doc" PYTHON_SINGLE_TARGET="python3_11 -python3_10" |
Hamlib is a background library that just makes things work. If you want to run FLDigi without a radio (WebSDR?) hamlib will fall in next to pulseaudio. It also gives you rigctld.
If you are chasing a digital Worked All States (WAS), or DXCC (100 Countries), you want FT8. The FT8 protocol offers 90 second contacts, and off you go to the next one. No one gets ruffled about chewing a rag. The proto doesn't support it. media-radio/wsjtx works right out of the box. Just dont expect to do anything else with your computer or radio while WSJTX is running. I do keep a browser open to my favorite web based QSL site. The load isn't heavy, and your equipment will handle it fine - your just going to get in a zone of logging.
| Code: | | media-radio/js8call |
Which is to say, there aren't many radio contests that allow WSJTX. JS8Call however... You will find my posts here about js8call. It offers a lot of promise. It has functions that are useful. It builds with warnings galore, and needs restarting every 48 hours or so. JS8 is FT8 that lets you string transmission slots together, consecutively.
Sound Card Packet Radio
Somehow, once hams get to chewing the rag, they stop making functions. Others, not so much! Direwolf is a FOSS package on gentoo that I have built. I haven't run into other Hams that use it. It has a hamlib USE Flag, which one would expect being made for radio. The latest version wants AVAHI - which I have MASKed. How bout a USE Flag there? AVAHI and zeroconf are killers for me.
Which leaves Winlink... somehow there is no oxygen left for a FOSS store and forward messaging protocol. I put in three months of "hobby time" trying to get a USB sound card to work in Xen! Noah Goah! Why? Wine! I broke down and bought an Intel NUC - US$260.
VARA - The NUC has 123 multilib libraries, and MINGW32 and 64 in a cross compiler configuration. Things break on update day!
| Code: | | app-emulation/wine-vanilla-8.0.2:8.0.2::gentoo USE="X alsa crossdev-mingw dos fontconfig gecko gstreamer mingw mono nls opengl pcap perl pulseaudio sdl ssl strip truetype udev udisks unwind usb v4l vulkan xcomposite xinerama -capi -cups -custom-cflags -gphoto2 -kerberos -llvm-libunwind -netapi -odbc -opencl -osmesa -samba -scanner (-selinux)" ABI_X86="32 64" |
WINE Is Not an Emulator - the recursive acronym makes it gNU(er).
Don't bother with a 4K monitor - the NUC can't handle moving windows without dropping things all over.
The cross compiler wants its own local portage repo. Install eselect-repository
https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Creating_an_ebuild_repository
https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Eselect/Repository
I have yet to have a .wine (bottle) make it through emerge world.
I must say - the Wine ebuild is a master piece! Kudos all around!
Leverage the crossdev-mingw USE Flag. In Linux, we have multilib. Windows gloms both Arch's together. There is NO purely 64 bit Windows. We are about to install vb6run - a 32 bit package. Wine needs to hop between 64 bit and 32 bit like windows does. I installed without the crossdev-mingw USE Flag first. Then I added the crossdev-mingw USE Flag and rebuilt app-emulation/wine-vanilla. Here's what we get:
| Code: | cross-i686-w64-mingw32-gcc/mingw64-runtime - [ Not Installed ]
cross-i686-w64-mingw32/mingw64-runtime - 11.0.0
cross-x86_64-w64-mingw32/mingw64-runtime - 11.0.0
dev-util/mingw64-runtime [ Masked ] - [ Masked ]
dev-util/mingw64-toolchain - 11.0.0_p2 |
VARA gives you Orthognal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM). Better than Military Grade - this is Telecom Grade (Cell Phones). Orthoganal (perpendicular) refers to leveraging AM and FM aspects of signal modulation. Its fast! https://rosmodem.wordpress.com/2017/09/03/vara-hf-modem/
VARA is closed source Windows Nagware. $70 removes the Nag, and opens the speed! Even keeping the signal within 500 Hz is orders of magnitude faster.
Enter WineTricks! VARA wants vb6run and DotNET 3.5sp1. The WineTricks GUI makes this point n click. Put those in first! Then the VARA installer will find all you need. I don't wanna hear any cringing.
We aren't done! We need a "client", or user interface. vARIM is an elf program. You either poison Windows with CygWin, or Linux with Wine to make it work with VARA. They need to be on the same system. Since this is Gentoo... vARIM will key your radio, and talk to your friends thru VARA. It "can" do VOX! It can do DTR or RTS pins. It also does rigctld. I do rigctld -m 4, which points rigctld at FLRig! Full Circle! The FLDigi team posts Windows binaries... since we've poisoned one or the other.
vARIM installs from source with
| Code: | cd ./varim-1.12
varim-1.12 # ./configure
varim-1.12 # make -j4
varim-1.12 # make install |
The NUC is quite happy running an fldigi for Contestia, another instance of fldigi (separate config directory, and network listening ports) for FSQ, JS8Call, and vARIM. Quad Mode! What's the limit? RAM!
But wait! Since we've got Wine, we can add RMS Express (WinLink Express). Just don't run WinLink at the same time as any of your Quad Mode programs. WinLink expects its own radio! It configures VARA on-the-fly. You will need DotNet 4.x, and the Visual C++ runtime (2015 is spec'd). I added DotNET 4.8, which adds DotNET 4.0 as its foundation. YMMV.
So... Is that a functional Ham Radio Gentoo Box?
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