LinPac

LinPac G4APL Notes

LinPac Packet Radio Terminal
G4APL experience using LinPac by David Ranch KI6ZHD, OK2JBG and their support team.

Paul had a look at this and installed it on to one of his development experimental Raspberry Pi's
as he did not need it to be installed on one of his main desktop Linux systems.

These are an extract of his notes in the hope of getting more interest in LinPac.
Please refer to the LinPac User Manual to learn more of what you can achieve with LinPac.

What is LinPac http://linpac.sourceforge.net/overview.php
LinPac Project Downloads https://sourceforge.net/projects/linpac/
Select the GREEN Download Button linpac-0.28.tar.gz source code current version

These are G4APL's notes as he experimented with LinPac version.0.25

Used LinPac as a terminal on the Raspberry Pi and handheld radio THD7E(tnc) connected via
internal (port ax2) rf1 to connect to the GB7CIP radio ports.
Note: commands are preceded by a colon :
:p rf1
:c gb7cip-8 (433.625) 1200bd Vertical beam North
:c gb7cip-9 (432.625) 9600bd Horizontal 18 element beam WNW
:c gb7cip-10 (439.950) 9600bd Horizontal 18 element beam WNW
:c mb7ncr-2 (144.9375) 1200bd Vertical colinear

If you have the software running on your Linux uronode using g4apl-6 node as an example
Note: You do not need to install all the netrom, uronode binaries if you only want a basic
ax25 Linux system.

:p axu2
:c axu2 gb7cip-2 (this would connect to interface callsign uplink gb7cip-2
via the internal udp interface in this working example)

Download linpac-0.28.tar.gz (738.5 kB)

Installing on linux6-g4apl as a test

(downloaded the software to a windows laptop in this example.)
Use WINSCP to ftp it to your Linux system /home/username

sudo su
copy the file from

cp /home/username/linpac-0.28.tar.gz /usr/local/src/ax25/linpac-0.28.tar.gz

cd /usr/local/src/ax25

test download
tar -tvzf linpac-0.28.tar.gz
tar -xvzf linpac-0.28.tar.gz

cd linpac-0.28
more INSTALL to read the installation instructions
then run the following commands

missing libraries liblinpac.so.6 required for :mail
./configure
make
make install

Now log into your Linux home user account as this application will RUN under your home user
/home/username

enter the command
linpac

This will create the linpac directory under /home/username/
reply answer to the questions
Your Callsign
Home BBS callsign with SSID e.g.GB7CIP-0
Enter the name of the port to connect to GB7CIP-0
rf1
Enter the digipeaters used to connect to GB7CIP-0 or press enter
when no digipeaters are used. Digipeaters not used
Enter the full hirarchical address of GB7CIP-0
#32.GBR.EURO

the system will respond
Please wait a moment to creating your personal configuration
mkdir cannot create /var/ax25/mail Permission denied
(That because it is already created on this system)
Installation done
Press Enter to run LinPac

This produce the LinPac user interface screen and creates the file in /LinPac directory

Now need to learn how to drive this
:p axu2 select port (This is an internal AXUDP Interface)
:c gb7cip-2 connect to local node uplink via interface axu2

:c connect

:d disconnect
:p port

:set CHN_PORT@axu2 1

The port 'axu2' will be used as the default one for the channel 1.
For other channels, the previously set default port will be used.

/home/usernamecallsign/macro
check the
init.mac macro. g4apl set this to default axu2 interface to connect to partner udp interface

modified connect.mac macro to check for GB7CIP-0 so issuing :p gb7cip
It connect to the node then connects to gb7cip-0 linfbb bbs needs to be tailored for each user setup

e.g.
/home/usernamecallsign/macro
connect.mac
make a back-up
cp connect.mac connect.mac.original

cat connect.mac
:macro connect
;; This macro implements the Connect command

;; Determine the port name and the first callsign
if %(strpos ":" "%1") == -1
set PORT ""
set CALL "%1"
else
set PORT %(strleft %(strpos ":" "%1") "%1")
set CALL %(strright %[%(strlen %1) - %(strpos ":" "%1") - 1] %1)
endif

set CALL %(upcase %CALL)

;;========================================================================
;; Following section can contain various conditions for connecting some
;; stations some special way
;;========================================================================

;;An example of connecting the BBS via the node that doesn't work as
;;digipeater
if %CALL == GB7CIP
pconnect GB7CIP-2
waitfor %(isconn) == 1
echo c GB7CIP-0
return
endif

;;An example of connecting a PMS via the node that doesn't work as
;;digipeater
if %CALL == G8MNY-5
pconnect GB7CIP-2
waitfor %(isconn) == 1
echo c v144 G8MNY-5
return
endif

;;========================================================================

;;Default action
pconnect %*

info.mac
make a back-up
cp info.mac info.mac.original
Modify info.mac
to your requirements

LinPac User Manual

Hope this is of interest to you and maybe you could assist David KI6ZHD and his team in this project
Reviewed 27.11.2021

TheSkywaves

LinPac G4APL Notes