Linux in the Ham Shack

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Linux in the Ham Shack episodes

February 10, 2012 LHS Episode #075: Cinnamon Kool-Aid & WINE
This episode we left up to the listeners because we hadn't had enough time to prepare some content for ourselves. While waiting for some input, Richard decided to give an impromptu review of the improvements in Gnome 3 and his assessment of the technology, and where he thinks it's going from here. You might be [...]
1 hr 2 min
February 02, 2012LHS Episode #074: The Great Hobo Migration
Introduction:
They barely get the introductions done, and Richard is off on a tangent about the great hobo migration in Texas. All this just proves Larry Bushey of the Going Linux podcast is right: LHS rambles. More on this in a moment.
Announcements:
Richard and Russ discuss a disparaging comment Mitt Romney made six years ago about ham radio operators. He’s since reversed his position, at least publicly.
Larry Bushey says LHS rambles in episode 160 of the Going Linux podcast. You know, Larry, you’re right. 🙂
Topics:
Terminal emulation programs for Linux.
If you’re interested in running packet radio with your Linux computer, you’ll likely need a terminal emulation program to communicate with your terminal node controller(TNC). There are several Linux tools you can use:
setserial is a command-line program designed to set and/or report the configuration information associated with a serial port.
microcom is a very basic terminal emulation program. Tip: pressing Control-\ will access the menu.
minicom is a menu-driven communications program. It emulates ANSI and VT102 terminals, has a dialing directory and auto zmodem download.
At the command line, type “minicom -s” to begin configuration. The first time you run “minicom -s”, you’ll probably want to run it as root so you have write access to the configuration file.
The first serial port in Linux is called ttyS0.
Most things will work at 9600 baud, 8 data bits, no parity bit, and 1 stop bit.
Text based modem control program.
Runs in a terminal screen
It’s useful for other serial port tasks, too.
Ctrl-A followed by W turns on line wrap, so you won’t have long lines truncated.
Install on a Debian-based system by using “apt-get install minicom” or use Synaptic.
Press Ctrl-A then X to exit.
GTK Term is a terminal emulator written with GTK+.
Gets added to the launch menu during installation, but with the name “Serial Port Terminal”, not “GTK Term”.
Has a nice looking interface.
Easy access to the serial port settings.
CuteCom is another graphical terminal emulator, with split input and output screens.
Feedback:
Sean, AC0VD, writes about https://www.badgerbadgerbadger.com. Thanks, Sean. That’s pretty much where the whole badger thing on LHS began. Sean also likes the howto article Installing Linux on a Dead Badger.
Ilan Rabinovich, of the Southern California Linux Expo, SCALE, sent a voice mail asking that we play promotions for the event. Unfortunately, we’re too late with releasing the LHS episodes to promote SCALE in time. We’ll try to do better next year.
Richard has posted an article Making Yourself Clear on the Radio, and it received a couple of comments:
Tim liked the article and agrees that talking slower helps.
Lief, KC8RWR, notes that codes and ciphers are only prohibited when intended to hide the meaning of a transmission.
We received a donation from Walter J. Thank you, Walter!
John, KF6EFG, asks what was the open source podcast mentioned in a recent episode. We don’t remember, John, but it may have been any of these:
ICQ podcast
Tux Radar
Linux Outlaws
The Linux Link Tech Show (TLLTS)
Going Linux
Mintcast
To answer the second part of John’s question, neither Russ nor Richard will be at the Indiana LinuxFest. If you would like to be the LHS ambassador there, please let us know.
The Dalton Hamfest in Dalton, Georgia, will have an LHS ambassador on duty! Look for the LHS booth on February 25th, 2012.
If you’d like your podcast included in the Black Sparrow Media empire, send us an email!
Contact Info:
Contact Richard at [email protected], Russ at [email protected], or both at the same time at [email protected].
Listen to the live stream every other Tuesday at 8:00pm Central time. Check the LHS web site for dates.
Leave us a voice mail at 1-909-LHS-SHOW (1-909-547-7469), or record an introduction to the podcast.
Sign up for the LHS mailing list.
Sign up for the MAGNetcon mailing list.
LHS merchandise is available at the Merch link on Web site. Check out the Badgerwear or buy one of the other LHS-branded items at PrintFection.com/lhs or Cafe Press. Thanks!
Thanks to Dave from Gamma Leonis for the theme music.
Music:
To be added.
1 hr 13 min
February 02, 2012 LHS Episode #074: The Great Hobo Migration
2012 is rolling along nicely and Linux in the Ham Shack is rolling along with it, bringing you new ways to use your computer with amateur radio, and sometimes just technology for fun (and maybe profit). This time around, the guys break into politics -- just slightly -- and get a few grievances of their [...]
1 hr 13 min
January 21, 2012LHS Episode #073: Advanced Networking Topics
Introduction:
Announcements:
The free Black Sparrow Media Android app is available now. An iPhone app is in the works. Visit https://blacksparrowmedia.net/ or the Android Market to get your copy.
Ronny, K4RJJ, has offered to be an LHS ambassador at the Dalton Hamfest, February 25, 2012, in Dalton, GA.
The Southern California Linux Expo, SCaLE 10x will be (was!) January 20-22, 2012, in Los Angeles, CA. If you will attend and would like to be an ambassador for LHS, please let us know.
Northeast Linux Fest will be March 17, 2012, in Worcester, MA. Again, if you’d like to be an LHS ambassador for that event, please contact us.
Topics:
IPv6 - The End is Near (of IPv4)
Internet Protocol version 6.
If you can, start setting up your devices for IPv6 on your devices that support it. All of the current IPv4 address space has been allocated to the Regional Internet registrars (RIRs). IPv6 is the next version of Internet Protocol with a greatly expanded address space.
IPv6 is now the default IP stack for Linux. Unfortunately, many Internet service providers (ISPs) are not yet ready for IPv6.
There are IPv6 tunneling services that will forward your IPv6 traffic to IPv4 services:
SixXS
Freenet6
Hurricane Electric
If possible, give IPv6 a try. It’s inevitable, so if it works for you, you’ll be that much further along.
HSMM - High Speed Multimedia, also known as “hinternet” (ham + internet)
The advantage is that we can use the normal “Internet” tools and off-the-shelf wifi hardware to provide emergency communications services.
One caveat: avoid using channel 1 as it uses the same frequency as AMSAT OSCAR 40 (Note: AO-40 became non-operational in 2004.)
Compared with other digital communications equipment, HSMM offers a lot of capability for little investment. The Linksys WRT54GL router is often used with alternate firmware from dd-wrt or OpenWrt.
Resources:
What is HSMM Microwave Radio?
N5OOM’s HSMM Projects
Rootenna Project
HSMM MESH
Feedback:
Andrew, AC8JO, updated his blog to acknowledge that the LHS website has been updated and new episodes have been released. Thanks, Andrew!
Bert, K1OIK, has been a frequent commenter on the website. Unfortunately, the comments aren’t appropriate and he becomes the latest victim of the Ban Hammer.
To Gary, KN4AQ: contact us via email if you’d like us promote your endeavors.
Contact Info:
Contact Richard at [email protected], Russ at [email protected], or both at the same time at [email protected].
Listen to the live stream every other Tuesday at 8:00pm Central time. Check the LHS web site for dates.
Leave us a voice mail at 1-909-LHS-SHOW (1-909-547-7469), or record an introduction to the podcast.
Sign up for the LHS mailing list.
Sign up for the MAGNetcon mailing list.
LHS merchandise is available at the Merch link on Web site. Check out the Badgerwear or buy one of the other LHS-branded items at PrintFection.com/lhs or Cafe Press. Thanks!
Thanks to Dave from Gamma Leonis for the theme music.
Music:
To be added.
1 hr 14 min
January 21, 2012 LHS Episode #073: Advanced Networking Topics
Today the guys delve deep into their geek pockets and come up with a couple of fairly advanced networking topics. One is ham radio related, the other is everything related. Don't be scared off, however, as the discussion is a 10,000-foot overview of these technologies and how they will be important in YOUR future. Russ [...]
1 hr 14 min
January 10, 2012LHS Episode #072: We Need Cache
Introduction:
Happy New Year! Sorry for the delay in releasing the last several episodes.
Announcements:
Would you be interested in the return of Resonant Frequency, the Amateur Radio Podcast, if it cost a dollar an episode? Send your thoughts to Richard via email at [email protected].
Black Sparrow Media now provides an aggregate RSS feed of Linux in the Ham Shack, QSK Netcast, and Resonant Frequency. One feed, three shows! Quite a bargain.
There is now a (free) Black Sparrow Media mobile app for the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Android! See blacksparrowmedia.net for details, and send us your feedback.
Andrew, AC8JO, has a blog that discusses Linux, amateur radio, and other topics. Naturally, he mentions our podcast. Thanks, Andrew!
Leif, KC8RWR, responded to our comments in episode 67 that Apple created CUPS. According to Wikipedia, CUPS, the Common UNIX Printing System, was developed by a Michael Sweet beginning in 1997, and was later adopted by Apple for OS X. In 2007, Apple hired Michael Sweet and purchased his source code. The Apple website provides a somewhat different version.
Apple’s Version
Wikipedia Article
Thanks for the information, Leif. Our advice is to pick the story you like and stick with it! 🙂
Topics:
Channel Bonding for Linux
Channel bonding combines two or more network interfaces on a host computer for redundancy or greater bandwidth.
By bonding two or more Ethernet links to your computer, you get several benefits, including redundancy, so if one network port fails, the other still works, and greater bandwidth when both (or more) links are running.
Based on the Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP), though called different things depending on vendor, such as EtherChannel or PortChannel.
It’s relatively easy to set up. Briefly:
You’ll need an Ethernet port for each link, set up and configured in the normal manner. These ports will likely be called eth0, eth1, etc.
Install the ifenslave package, which allows you to create a “bond” interface, say bond0.
Create modules.conf file to alias the various ethx devices as bonding interfaces.
Modify your /etc/sysconfig or /etc/network/interfaces file (depending on your version of Linux) to include an entry that references the bond0 interface.
ifup the bond0 interface, and all the component interfaces should come up.
Other configuration settings will set up the failover time.
Resources:
https://www.linux-corner.info/bonding.html for Red Hat-based systems.
https://wiki.debian.org/Bonding for Debian-based systems.
Ethernet bonding on linux (Debian based)
Ethernet Bonding Configuration in Debian
Bonding
Our hosts then discuss the utility of load balancing between multiple network interfaces.
More about the apt-cache utility
Russ provides more information about the apt-cache utility for Debian-based systems, previously discussed in Episode 69.
The basic syntax of the utility is apt-cache [command] [package(s)]. There are many commands you can use, including:
policy [package] shows which repository provided, or would provide, a specified package.
depends [package] shows all packages in the repositories that depend on the named package, and which other packages would be installed or suggested.
showpkg [package] shows reversed dependencies; that is, which packages depend on the named package, and the MD5 checksum of the package.
stats shows some aggregate sums about all the packages in the repositories included on your system. For example, on Russ’ system:
Total package names: 42814 (856 k)
Total package structures: 42814 (2,398 k)
Normal packages: 32874
Pure virtual packages: 374
Single virtual packages: 3670
Mixed virtual packages: 465
Missing: 5431
Total distinct versions: 33706 (2,427 k)
Total distinct descriptions: 33706 (809 k)
Total dependencies: 200360 (5,610 k)
Total ver/file relations: 35248 (846 k)
Total Desc/File relations: 33706 (809 k)
Total Provides mappings: 6402 (128 k)
Total globbed strings: 197 (2,192 )
Total dependency version space: 789 k
Total slack space: 65.4 k
Total space accounted for: 11.5 M
unmet shows packages in the repositories with unmet dependencies in the tree, that is, if you attempted to install, would fail.
show [package] shows meta information about the package. For example, “apt-cache show adduser” returns:
Package: adduser
Version: 3.113
Installed-Size: 1100
Maintainer: Debian Adduser Developers
Architecture: all
Replaces: manpages-it (« 0.3.4-2), manpages-pl (= 5.6.0)
Suggests: liblocale-gettext-perl, perl-modules
Description: add and remove users and groups
This package includes the ‘adduser’ and ‘deluser’ commands for creating
and removing users.
- ‘adduser’ creates new users and groups and adds existing users to
existing groups;
- ‘deluser’ removes users and groups and removes users from a given
group.
Adding users with ‘adduser’ is much easier than adding them manually.
Adduser will choose appropriate UID and GID values, create a home
directory, copy skeletal user configuration, and automate setting
initial values for the user’s password, real name and so on.
Deluser can back up and remove users’ home directories
and mail spool or all the files they own on the system.
A custom script can be executed after each of the commands.
Development mailing list:
https://lists.alioth.debian.org/mailman/listinfo/adduser-devel/
Homepage: https://alioth.debian.org/projects/adduser/
Tag: admin::user-management, implemented-in::perl, interface::
Section: admin
Priority: important
Filename: pool/main/a/adduser/adduser_3.113_all.deb
Size: 217556
MD5sum: 74c114db96f321f4d097b04ae305600a
SHA1: 567b8e42dc9b4777ab694f15ca71b7fa159749ef
SHA256: 3bfea7f2ffcb363e2cc2b701a6e6d2079f7554b4d76194a118916afd2400f5c4
Tim Allen’s character in his latest TV show, “Last Man Standing” is a Ham Radio Operator, KA0XTT.
Feedback:
Kevin, KC9VAN, writes that he’s enjoying the show and just recently received his ham radio license. He also notes that he’s had the most luck with Hewlett-Packard printers under Linux. Thanks, Kevin. Russ has had good luck with Dell printers and generic PCL drivers.
Leif, KC8RWR, posted several comments about episode 67. He suggests avoiding “all-in-one” printers, and instead, using separate printers and scanners. (I agree! -Ed.) Often, used scanners can be had for very little money. Leif also suggests buying printers with separate cartridges for each color. That way, you’re not throwing away all the colors when just one is empty. He seconds Russ’ suggestion to use a laser printer over inkjet, as the cost per page is less.
Russ likes the Epson Artisan 835, especially for printing on CDs and DVDs, and it works well with Linux.
Contact Info:
Contact Richard at [email protected], Russ at [email protected], or both at the same time at [email protected].
Listen to the live stream every other Tuesday at 8:00pm Central time. Check the LHS web site for dates.
Leave us a voice mail at 1-909-LHS-SHOW (1-909-547-7469), or record an introduction to the podcast.
Sign up for the LHS mailing list.
Sign up for the MAGNetcon mailing list.
LHS merchandise is available at the Merch link on Web site. Check out the Badgerwear or buy one of the other LHS-branded items at PrintFection.com/lhs or Cafe Press. Thanks!
Thanks to Dave from Gamma Leonis for the theme music.
Music:
To be added.
1 hr 20 min
January 10, 2012 LHS Episode #072: We Need Cache
Welcome to another fine and dandy episode of Linux in the Ham Shack. The end of 2011 and the beginning of 2012 have been very busy for your stalwart co-hosts, but we press on. Shows are being recorded, content is being disseminated and our listeners are being educated--sort of. We hope everyone has had a [...]
1 hr 20 min
December 21, 2011LHS Episode #071: Nudge, Nudge
Announcements:
The Black Sparrow Media web site has been updated. If you use the aggregate feed from there, you’ll receive Linux in the Ham Shack, QSK Netcast, and Resonant Frequency (or Richard’s Radio Adventures) podcasts.
Topics:
D-RATS
Bruce, VE2GZI, asks for help installing D-RATS on his Linux Mint computer. He tried adding the repository per the instructions on the D-RATS website, but received errors.
Richard has several suggestions: Make sure the whole line “deb https://d-rats.com/apt karmic release” gets entered into your sources.list file and that you are using the right repo for your distribution. Linux Mint normally falls a version behind Ubuntu. You might also try the tar file labeled “source” from the website, and use the archive manager to install it. Since D-RATS is written completely in Python, and Dan normally tries to stay with the most current version, check to see if you have the most recent version of Python installed. Finally, you could subscribe to the D-RATS mailing list from the website for more help.
Russ adds: If you wish to add the repository via the command line, there are a couple of ways to do it: (a) Edit the file /etc/apt/sources.list and add the “deb https://d-rats.com/apt karmic release” line, OR (b) Create a file in the /etc/apt/sources.list.d directory called, say, d-rats-repo.list, and add the “deb https://d-rats.com/apt karmic release” line to it. However, back in April, 2011, Steve Conklin, AI4QR, said his packaging of D-RATS had been accepted into both Debian Testing and Unstable branches. So, if you’re running Debian or Linux Mint Debian Edition, it’s already in the repository. Just issue the command “apt-get install d-rats”. For Ubuntu, there’s a PPA at https://launchpad.net/~sconklin/+archive/hampackages. That should work with Ubuntu 10.04 (Lucid Lynx), 10.10 (Maverick Meerkat), and 11.04 (Natty Narwhal). (It may not work with Ubuntu 11.10, Oneric Ocelot, but then again, it might).
Ed. Note: After this episode was recorded, the D-RATS website was updated to say:Ubuntu users should use the ubuntu-hams PPA in order to get packages for D-RATS. To install the PPA, go to a terminal and type:
sudo apt-add-repository ppa:ubuntu-hams-updates/ppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install d-rats
The package manager will do the rest!
Chirp
Chirp was written by Dan Smith, KK7DS, who is also the author of D-RATS.
From the Chirp wiki: CHIRP is a FREE cross-platform, cross-radio programming tool. It works on Windows and Linux (and Mac OSX, with a little work). It supports a growing list of radios across several manufacturers and allows transferring of memory contents between them.
Chirp currently supports 41 different model radios from Alinco, Yaesu, Kenwood, Icom, and others.
Richard tested it with his Icom IC-91 and IC-2200.
Chirp has a bare-bones interface, using a basic spreadsheet style, and is primarily for entering memory channel information. It will allow entry of call signs for D-STAR operation.
There are packages for Fedora and Ubuntu, and a source package for all other distributions of Linux. Chirp is written in Python, so be sure to have the latest version of Python installed.
There is also a self-extracting .exe file for Windows, and an app package for Mac OS-X. You must install the Python runtime package, available on the Chirp website, for the Mac version.
There is a Chirp mailing list, among others, at https://intrepid.danplanet.com/mailman/listinfo/.
Russ and Richard then discuss the cost of various D-STAR radios.
Linux Tip: apt-cache policy
Russ offers a tip on how to determine which Debian repository is providing a given package.
Use the command apt-cache policy
For example: apt-cache policy libpulse0
The results of that command will show you which version is installed, if any, which version would be installed, and all other versions available.
Feedback:
Dan, K4FD, thanks us for the podcast. It has inspired him to return to the hobby after a 10 year hiatus. Thanks, Dan, and welcome back to the hobby!
We received a donation from Jim G. Thank you, Jim!
Contact Info:
Contact Richard at [email protected], Russ at [email protected], or both at the same time at [email protected].
Listen to the live stream every other Tuesday at 8:00pm Central time. Check the LHS web site for dates.
Leave us a voice mail at 1-909-LHS-SHOW (1-909-547-7469), or record an introduction to the podcast.
Sign up for the LHS mailing list.
Sign up for the MAGNetcon mailing list.
LHS merchandise is available at the Merch link on Web site. Check out the Badgerwear or buy one of the other LHS-branded items at PrintFection.com/lhs or Cafe Press. Thanks!
Thanks to Dave from Gamma Leonis for the theme music.
Music:
To be added.
1 hr 7 min
December 21, 2011 LHS Episode #071: Nudge, Nudge
In Linux in the Ham Shack's sexiest episode ever, the guys take on some sensuous applications from the Python world. Dan, KK7DS, has been writing cross-platform software for D-STAR and rig programming for some time. Richard and Russ take on a couple of his more prominent works: d-rats and chirp. On the purely Linux and [...]
1 hr 7 min
December 20, 2011LHS Episode #070: The Stroke
Promo:
The 2nd Annual Northeast GNU/Linuxfest will be held March 17, 2012 in Worcester, MA.
Introduction:
Welcome to another installment of Linux in the Ham Shack.
After the holidays, consider attending a Skywarn training class so you’ll be prepared for the next storm season.
Topics:
Contesting software for Linux
Ian, KM4IK, wrote that he’s now using Ubuntu 11.04 in his ham shack, but wants suggestions for a native Linux contest logging program. Good question, Ian, and we have a few suggestions. However, as neither Russ nor Richard are contesters, these may or may not be suitable for you.
JL Logger is a Java application that supports all of the major contests.
YFKlog and YFKtest are curses-based programs that run in a terminal session. YFKtest uses the hamlib libraries for rig control.
TLF also runs in a terminal session and uses hamlib for rig control.
KB is still in development. It runs in the Gnome window manager. Radio control for the Yaesu FT-1000 only.
Fldigi has a built-in logger, and will also work with CQRLog.
N1MM Logger has been reported to work under Wine. Others have had problems.
Russ tried installing N1MM under Wine, and while the installer ran fine, N1MM didn’t run properly when launched. Apparently, you must have the ALSA libraries installed. Note that the N1MM website warns that you should perform the Full Install, then install the latest update. Do not run the Full Install without first installing the update. Russ also tried the JL Logger, but it crashed. After realizing that it requires that the Java Development Kit, he installed that, but it still crashed. Look for an update in a future episode.
VLC media player
Richard was having an issue with the VLC plugin for Firefox 7.0.1; the LHS music stream would play one song then stop. The VLC Media Player should work.
Our hosts briefly digress into a discussion of the DEFCON system; DEFCON 1 is the most serious, while 5 is the least. Hollywood often gets it wrong.
Feedback:
Burt, K1OIK: please contact us about recent emails we’ve received from you. It may be that your email account may have been compromised.
Leif, KC8RWR, wrote us regarding the discussion of EchoLink clients in episode 66. He tried QTEL and it worked fine. Thanks, Leif. (Also look at SvxLink.)
Tom, KA2D, who is on the committee for Ham Radio University in New York, asks if there are any LHS Ambassadors in the Long Island, NY area. No, Tom, so you’re it!
Andy, KC2ZWR, of the Suffolk County Radio Club, will also be at Ham Radio University on January 8, 2012, and offers his services as ambassador for that event.
Tony, K7ISS, wrote to say he was happy that Richard had a good time at the Texoma Hamarama. Richard blogged about his visit to the event.
Mike S., sent a VERY generous donation to the podcast. Thank you, Mike!
The second annual Indiana Linuxfest will be April 13-15, 2012 at the Wyndham Indianapolis West Hotel. Russ is planning to be there, and so should you.
Contact Info:
Contact Richard at [email protected], Russ at [email protected], or both at the same time at [email protected].
Listen to the live stream every other Tuesday at 8:00pm Central time. Check the LHS web site for dates.
Leave us a voice mail at 1-909-LHS-SHOW (1-909-547-7469), or record an introduction to the podcast.
Sign up for the LHS mailing list.
Sign up for the MAGNetcon mailing list.
LHS merchandise is available at the Merch link on Web site. Check out the Badgerwear or buy one of the other LHS-branded items at PrintFection.com/lhs or Cafe Press. Thanks!
Thanks to Dave from Gamma Leonis for the theme music.
Music:
To be added.
1 hr 10 min