Linux Amateur Radio AX.25 HOWTO

Jeff Tranter, VE3ICH

tranter@pobox.com

v2.0, 19 September 2001

The Linux operating system is perhaps the only operating system in the world that can boast native and standard support for the AX.25 packet radio protocol utilized by Amateur Radio operators worldwide. This document describes how to install and configure this support.

Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1. Changes from the previous version
1.2. Where to obtain new versions of this document
1.3. Other related documentation
2. The Packet Radio Protocols and Linux
2.1. How it all fits together
3. The AX.25/NET/ROM/ROSE software components
3.1. Finding the kernel, tools and utility packages
4. Installing the AX.25/NET/ROM/ROSE software
4.1. Compiling the kernel
4.2. The AX.25 library, tools, and application programs
5. A note on callsigns, addresses and things before we start
5.1. What are all those T1, T2, N2 and things ?
5.2. Run time configurable parameters
6. Configuring an AX.25 port
6.1. Creating the AX.25 network device
6.2. Creating the /etc/ax25/axports file
6.3. Configuring AX.25 routing
7. Configuring an AX.25 interface for TCP/IP
8. Configuring a NET/ROM port
8.1. Configuring /etc/ax25/nrports
8.2. Configuring /etc/ax25/nrbroadcast
8.3. Creating the NET/ROM Network device
8.4. Starting the NET/ROM daemon
8.5. Configuring NET/ROM routing.
9. Configuring a NET/ROM interface for TCP/IP
10. Configuring a ROSE port
10.1. Configuring /etc/ax25/rsports
10.2. Creating the ROSE Network device
10.3. Configuring ROSE Routing
11. Making AX.25/NET/ROM/ROSE calls
12. Configuring Linux to accept Packet connections
12.1. Creating the /etc/ax25/ax25d.conf file
12.2. A simple example ax25d.conf file
12.3. Starting ax25d
13. Configuring the node software
13.1. Creating the /etc/ax25/node.conf file
13.2. Creating the /etc/ax25/node.perms file
13.3. Configuring node to run from ax25d
13.4. Configuring node to run from inetd
14. Configuring axspawn
14.1. Creating the /etc/ax25/axspawn.conf file
15. Configuring the pms
15.1. Create the /etc/ax25/pms.motd file
15.2. Create the /etc/ax25/pms.info file
15.3. Associate AX.25 callsigns with system users
15.4. Add the PMS to the /etc/ax25/ax25d.conf file
15.5. Test the PMS
16. Configuring the user_call programs
17. Configuring the ROSE Uplink and Downlink commands
17.1. Configuring a ROSE downlink
17.2. Configuring a ROSE uplink
18. Associating AX.25 callsigns with Linux users
19. Configuring APRS
20. The /proc/ file system entries
21. AX.25, NET/ROM, ROSE network programming
21.1. The address families
21.2. The header files
21.3. Callsign mangling and examples
22. Some sample configurations
22.1. Small Ethernet LAN with Linux as a router to Radio LAN
22.2. IPIP encapsulated gateway configuration
22.3. AXIP encapsulated gateway configuration
22.4. Linking NOS and Linux using a pipe device
23. Summary of AX.25-related Linux commands
24. Where do I find more information about .... ?
24.1. Packet Radio
24.2. Protocol Documentation
24.3. Hardware Documentation
24.4. Linux Ham Radio Software
25. Discussion relating to Amateur Radio and Linux
26. Acknowledgements
27. Feedback
28. Distribution Policy
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