Now that I have a stable config with NWDR-15 : How do I use a USB
micro SD Card device to replicate the entire active SD card?

The answer to this question depends on which operating system you are
using on the machine with the USB device, Linux/MAC/Windows.

If you google this topic you will get a lot of responses for things to
try and some of them might even work. I make a LOT of images using my
Linux workstation so my notes reflect that. I have a number of friends
that use a MAC and we have found a solution when using that OS as well.
For Windows there is a lengthy thread on the RaspberryPi-4-HamRadio
groups.io group that might be helpful. I can't really comment on the
Windows solution since I never use it.

Please read a file that I've recently added to our github repo with some
notes so that you can see what I recommend.

How to make an SD card image backup
https://github.com/nwdigitalradio/n7nix/blob/master/docs/SDCARD_BACKUP.md

/Basil

Thanks Basil, i followed your advice last night and went ahead with a fresh rebuild - everything went fine and it also appears to have solved whatever was going on with prog_refresh not updating everything too. That dist-upgrade take a long time on a raspberry pi though ;) I started it kind of late and just let it run into the night.

The last time i did was during the time that the audio drivers were still being incorporated into the kernel - which i think was the root of my problem last year.

So going forward is it recommended to manage the linux os updates as i would on any other machine - updating OS packages periodically and applying OS patches regularly?

There are a couple of wonky things in the setup instructions i noticed

• When you run ./app_config.sh core if you change the hostname of the rpi (which is one of the early steps) it throws a number of errors later on related to the previous (still current?) hostname of the device.
• I was able to use a wpa_supplicant.conf and to enable ssh on the sd card after imaging it but i couldn't connect to the device via the "draws.local" hostname after boot. I don't see an updated hostname in the setup doc and that's what it used to be called from my notes. I ended up reimaging the card and connecting the rpi to my TV where i found that it was up and running on the network so i just connected to it directly by IP. I might try to play around with this again and see what it's doing. I tend to set up and run these things headless so that first time of connecting can be dicey.

Thanks for your help - here's the current state of my OS and applications, and everything's working great with radio control and audio routing.

cheers, 73
-john

pi@n3ap-p:~/n7nix/bin $ uname -a
Linux n3ap-p 4.19.97-v7+ #1294 SMP Thu Jan 30 13:15:58 GMT 2020 armv7l GNU/Linux
pi@n3ap-p:~/n7nix/bin $ cat /etc/debian_version
10.3
pi@n3ap-p:~ $ cat /etc/os-release
PRETTY_NAME="Raspbian GNU/Linux 10 (buster)"
NAME="Raspbian GNU/Linux"
VERSION_ID="10"
VERSION="10 (buster)"
VERSION_CODENAME=buster
ID=raspbian
ID_LIKE=debian
HOME_URL="http://www.raspbian.org/"
SUPPORT_URL="http://www.raspbian.org/RaspbianForums"
BUG_REPORT_URL="http://www.raspbian.org/RaspbianBugs"

pi@n3ap-p:~ $ prog_refresh.sh -c
js8call: current version: 2.1.1, installed: 2.1.1
wsjtx:   current version: 2.1.2, installed: 2.1.2
Library: libflxmlrpc IS loaded.
flxmlrpc:  current version: 0.1.4, installed: 0.1.4
fldigi:  current version: 4.1.11, installed: 4.1.11
flrig:  current version: 1.3.50, installed: 1.3.50
flmsg:  current version: 4.0.14, installed: 4.0.14
flamp:  current version: 2.2.05, installed: 2.2.05
fllog:  current version: 1.2.6, installed: 1.2.6
xastir: current version: 2.1.5, installed: 2.1.5
gp_verchk.sh: Detected gpsd package.
gpsd: current version: 3.20, installed: 3.20

Follow up question.................

Now that I have a stable config with NWDR-15 : How do I use a USB micro SD Card device
to replicate the entire active SD card?

Ed, KD9FRQ

Hi there, i have 2 questions related to the DRAWs hat on a Raspberry
Pi 3B+

- Is there current guidance for applying operating system updates on an
RPi 3b+ running the DRAWs hat? I'm running the stock image from ~1 year ago
still.

If you are running on an image that's about a year old I would recommend
starting from a current image. The reason is around May of last year
some of Anna's driver patches for the DRAWS/UDRC hat where being
accepted into the mainline Linux kernel. After all the patches made it
into the kernel everything worked well. Unfortunately the patches
dribbled in and things were unstable for a few months beginning last
summer.

I updated not long after getting it and there was a conflict (at
the time) with the audio driver so reverted back to the base image
at the time
- Is there a list, or document, describing which relevant config files
should be backed up to be able to restore my system in the event of a SD
card failure?

Depends on what applications you configured, so no.

- Or is there a script that collects the files and spits out a
tarball?

Nope. I could probably do it for packet ie. ax.25/direwolf/RMS
gateway/paclink-unix but the HF programs configuration do not follow any
established convention ... that I am aware of.

- I've run 'prog_refresh -c' a few times lately and it shows updates
available for a couple of software packages, but when i then run
'prog_refresh' it doesn't update them

I would have to see console output to comment on this.

- I have run 'git pull' prior to 'prog_refresh -c'

Any pointers to messages about this stuff would be fine too, i was
searching through groups.io and haven't hit pay dirt yet.

To be clear, I don't back-up most of my SD cards. However, since I know
how to squish the file system & compress the image I tend to store
complete SD card images. ie. a 16 GB SD card image can be reduced to
about a 2.5GB image file. This image file can be used to (re)create any SD
card equal to or greater than 16GB. Building & burning images is done on
a Linux workstation.

The reason I don't back-up is that with the scripts I have made available I
can start from a fresh mSD card and install/configure anything in
around 30 minutes. For instance I can create a 1200/9600 baud
point-to-point or RMS Gateway Winlink packet station in that time.

/Basil n7nix

Thank you, Basil.
I have it working now and can receive APRS.

Good work Ed!

Ed, KD9FRQ

On 4/9/2020 11:23 AM, Basil Gunn wrote:

Hi Ed,
Just looking back at some of the posts.

Xastir does nothing. On previous install attempt, I followed the GitHub
directions and loaded Xastir that way and then icon worked. Do I need
to do that again?

Solution here:
https://nw-digital-radio.groups.io/g/udrc/message/4533?p=,,,20,0,0,0::relevance,,xastir+apt-get,20,2,0,71778905

Also, is there a script to add the split channel icon to the desktop? I
have a second DRAWS setup and I will gladly use it for HF and leave this
current install as VHF.

If you have dedicated RPi's for HF apps & VHF/UHF packet apps then I
would recommend not using split channel and for your HF RPi just make
sure that ax.25/direwolf is not running.

ax25-stop

/Basil n7nix

Thank you, Basil.

I have it working now and can receive APRS.

Ed,  KD9FRQ

Hi Ed,
Just looking back at some of the posts.

Xastir does nothing. On previous install attempt, I followed the GitHub
directions and loaded Xastir that way and then icon worked. Do I need
to do that again?

Solution here:
https://nw-digital-radio.groups.io/g/udrc/message/4533?p=,,,20,0,0,0::relevance,,xastir+apt-get,20,2,0,71778905

Also, is there a script to add the split channel icon to the desktop? I
have a second DRAWS setup and I will gladly use it for HF and leave this
current install as VHF.

If you have dedicated RPi's for HF apps & VHF/UHF packet apps then I
would recommend not using split channel and for your HF RPi just make
sure that ax.25/direwolf is not running.

ax25-stop

/Basil n7nix

I got NQDR15 to load and configured so that it returns all the values
noted in the Wiki (Confirm Install).

YAAC icon worked and let me start setting up.

Xastir icon just "sits there" after double clicking and selecting
Execute and does not bring up the software to start the set up process.

Whenever you have a problem with an icon not loading a program, open a
console and run it from there. This is most likely your problem and
solution:

"error while loading shared libraries: libgeotiff.so.2:"

https://nw-digital-radio.groups.io/g/udrc/message/4533?p=,,,20,0,0,0::relevance,,xastir+apt-get,20,2,0,71778905

/Basil n7nix

I got NQDR15 to load and configured so that it returns all the values noted in the Wiki (Confirm Install).

YAAC icon worked and let me start setting up.

Xastir icon just "sits there" after double clicking and selecting Execute and does not bring up the software to start the set up process.

Do I need to follow the NWDR Github Xastir directions to get this icon to start the program?


Ed, KD9FRQ

It can sometimes take up to 15 minutes for the GPS device to achieve a
'lock'.

If your GPS antenna is indoors with a metal roof or in your basement or
live in a subterranean home or live in a forest or live by a power
distribution center you may never get a lock until you put your GPS
antenna outside.

When I run gpsmon it just outputs garbage, see below

That is not garbage. That is exactly what the GPS device will output
before it has sufficient satellites locked.

gaoth@shelgeyr.com writes:

I originally purchased a DRAWS last April, played with it a bit and
had some trouble, got busy so set it aside and hadn’t touched it until
a couple of days ago when I started working with a a little bit more,
and I am still having issues. I have it running direwolf and that is
working, I can connect to the raspberry pi with a remote computer
running xastir and revice agwpe data, but the GPS doesn't appear to be
working

When I run gpsmon it just outputs garbage, see below

root@draws:/home/pi/bin# gpsmon
tcp://localhost:2947 JSON slave driver>
(82) {"class":"VERSION","release":"3.20","rev":"3.20","proto_major":3,"proto_minor":14}
(263) {"class":"DEVICES","devices":[{"class":"DEVICE","path":"/dev/ttySC0","activated":"2020-04-08T16:45:43.266Z","native":0,"bps":9600,"parity":"N","stopbit
s":1,"cycle":1.00},{"class":"DEVICE","path":"/dev/pps0","driver":"PPS","activated":"2020-04-08T16:45:43.661Z"}]}
(122) {"class":"WATCH","enable":true,"json":false,"nmea":false,"raw":2,"scaled":false,"timing":false,"split24":false,"pps":true}

From the console output:
- DRAWS hat eeprom can not be read
- DRAWS driver can not enumerate device

Possible causes:
- 40 pin connector is not seated properly
- ie. not on all the way or off-by-one pin
- low voltage power supply
- Raspberry Pi is defective
- Draws hat is defective.


gaoth@shelgeyr.com writes:

Well, I though t it was working fine, but after rebooting now nothing works, aplay -l no li=longer lists the draws, I am attaching the the showudrc script output for more information.

Basil,
RE installing the iptables solved the chromium/xmit issue,  Thank You!

I have not seen this before:
Apr  8 16:16:13 asawizard direwolf[468]: 08 16:16:06 EDT KO4BCZ mesg_beacon test from host asawizard on port udr0 Seq: 0

It appears  i received a message from Original Balloon??  second line up

Sorry for the ignorance
and Thanks for your indulgence

Paul
KO4BCZ

I originally purchased a DRAWS last April, played with it a bit and had some trouble, got busy so set it aside and hadn’t touched it until a couple of days ago when I started working with a a little bit more, and I am still having issues. I have it running direwolf and that is working, I can connect to the raspberry pi with a remote computer running xastir and revice agwpe data, but the GPS doesn't appear to be working

When I run gpsmon it just outputs garbage, see below

Update:

#So I shutdown changed from an iPhone to an Android running a hot spot realizing it had not worked since the converse.

As I mentioned before your app_config.sh core
failed before it completed so iptables did not get installed.

Since I don't have enough information to know where your core config
failed and you are describing symptoms that demonstrate iptables is not
installed you could try and install iptables manually to get rid of that
symptom.

cd
cd n7nix/iptables
sudo rm /etc/iptables/rules.ipv4.ax25
sudo rm /lib/dhcpcd/dhcpcd-hooks/70-ipv4.ax25
./iptable_install.sh

sudo shutdown -r now

cd n7nix/iptables
./iptable-check.sh

still no iGate

What is your test?
What is your expectation?


Paul Noa <pauljnoa@gmail.com> writes:

I realized I did not read down far enough into the ax25 status output.

So in reference to Chromium controlling xmit or not xmit in my last email.

I can definitively say transmit is controlled on with opening chromium No kidding!! and off when chromium is closed!!

and still no iGate

Paul