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AX.25

  • It is assumed that Linux kernel you have is AX.25 ready if it is not you need to:
    • Build a new kernel with AX.25 enabled OR
    • Install the AX.25 kernel module

Below is a collection of links of good tutorials for setting up AX.25. I recommend you read them as what follows in this wiki is just a summary of what is needed to get AX.25 configured to run paclink-unix.

Install AX.25 library, apps & tools

  • Install libax25, apps & tools from linux-ax25.org Main page
    • Download the 3 files under 'Latest Versions' from right hand side
    • There are other versions of these packages that have been modified or patched to be 'better' but let's get this going with the vanilla sanctioned packages first.
    • The packages available from the Debian/Ubuntu repositories tend to be at least one rev behind current so don't install from them.

Building the 3 tarballs

  • Note: build libax25 first then enable the run time Lib files so that the ax25 apps and ax25 tools use the ax25 library functions.
    • To enable run time Lib after libax25 is built, execute this as root:
echo "/usr/local/lib" >> /etc/ld.so.conf && /sbin/ldconfig
  • Extract the three gzipped tar balls
tar -xvzf libax25-0.0.12-rc4.tar.gz
tar -xvzf ax25-apps-0.0.8-rc4.tar.gz
tar -xvzf ax25-tools-0.0.10-rc4.tar.gz
  • for each tar ball build the source from each of these tar balls.
    • Do not need to be root until make install
cd <appropriate directory>
./configure
make
sudo make install
  • After installing these 3 tar balls verify your AX.25 setup by running a packet spy
    • By installing a packet spy you will verify that your TNC, radio, cables & Linux AX.25 config are all working … and that's a big step.

Configure AX.25

Basic Setup for Config files

Starting AX.25 at boot up

  • You will need a script to start the ax.25 service at bootup.
  • The /etc/init.d/ax25 script points to /usr/local/etc/ax25/ax25-up to start and /usr/local/etc/ax25/ax25-down to stop the ax25 service.
    • It has four options [ start | stop | restart | status ]
  • Start by placing the ax25 script found below in /etc/init.d/ and update the start up process by executing this command as root:
cd /etc/init.d
update-rc.d ax25 defaults 95
  • NOTE according to Debian file location policy if the ax25-tools/ax25-apps are:
    • compiled from source, their config will be installed to /usr/local/etc/ax25
    • installed from a package, their config will be installed to /etc/ax25

AX.25 start-up & config scripts

startup script install

  • Scripts: ax25, ax25-up, ax25-down need to be copied/installed to these

directories:

/etc/init.d/ax25
/usr/local/etc/ax25-up
/usr/local/etc/ax25-down
  • The /etc/init.d directory should ONLY contain scripts to start & stop services.
    • These services are normally started at boot time.
    • ax25-up & ax25-down are support scripts called by ax25 (read the scripts).
  • You can manually stop the ax.25 service as root:
/etc/init.d/ax25 stop
  • or start the ax.25 service as root:
/etc/init.d/ax25 start
  • or get the status of the ax.25 service:
/etc/init.d/ax25 status
  • You need to supply the complete /etc/init.d/ path because it won't be in your PATH environment.
echo $PATH
  • DO NOT put /etc/init.d/ in your path!
  • All 3 files are bash scripts (so read them) and you absolutely need to edit the

ax25-up script to customize at least for your call sign and ax.25 port name.

  • Permissions on these scripts should look like this, please verify:
ls -al /etc/init.d/ax25
 
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 2533 Feb 24  2011 /etc/init.d/ax25
 
ls -al /usr/local/etc/ax25/ax25-*
 
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root  1743 Feb 24  2011 /usr/local/etc/ax25/ax25-down
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root  2758 Dec  1 16:32 /usr/local/etc/ax25/ax25-up

Make sure all these scripts are executable. Look for the x in the ls -al response. If the scripts are not executable then give them that permission as root.

chmod +x /etc/init.d/ax25
chmod +x /usr/local/etc/ax25/ax25-up
chmod +x /usr/local/etc/ax25/ax25-down
</bash>
===== Linux AX.25 & TNC's =====
==== Note about KISS mode ====
 
Unlike the Windows programs RMS Express & Airmail, Linux AX.25 does not know about different TNCs and their command modes. The //kissattach// program assumes the TNC is in KISS mode. You can ensure that the TNC is in KISS mode by modifying the AX.25 startup script before //kissattach// is run. In the example described in this wiki that would be in the //ax25-up// script in /etc/ax25 or /usr/local/etc/ax25 directories.
 
A brief comparison of TNCs can be found [[plu:install_ax25:tnc | here]]
 
===== Misc Notes =====
==== Network Broadcast All ports ====
  * Note that bringing up another network interface, like AX.25 on Linux, causes any daemons that broadcast out ALL ports to broadcast out the new port as well.
    * Examples: Samba, DropBox, ntp
    * Depending on what is installed on your Linux machine you will have to go to each daemon's config to specify which ports they're allowed to broadcast on.
=== ntp broadcast check ===
  * NTP is implemented via UDP over port 123, 
  * restrict ntp to using eth0 and **not** ax0 in ///etc/ntp.conf//
    * when using //netstat -an// you should **not** see any reference to the 44.128.0.0 net
 
<file>
interface listen eth0
interface ignore ax0
</file>
 
  * If you see ntp using the 44.128.0.0 net then check /etc/ntp.conf
 
<code bash>
$ netstat -an | grep 123

USB WiFi dies after kissattach

  • After running kissattach USB WiFi stops working
  • Edit file /etc/default/ifplugd as shown below
    • original lines commented out
#INTERFACES="all"
INTERFACES=wlan0
#HOTPLUG_INTERFACES="all"
HOTPLUG_INTERFACES=wlan0
plu/install_ax25.1391968812.txt.gz · Last modified: 2014/02/09 10:00 by gunn
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