Ham Radio - Setting up RIG control under the Linux OS

How linux handles serial devices and configuring your software to use them for RIG control.

[@PeterWeber-i7s]

I've been using Linux for quite a while, and I've never seen this information presented so clearly!

[@MoTown44240]

Great explanation Kevin. Many noobs should be able to follow you well. You project your voice confidently with good speaking skill. No 'uhs', 'and uh's', 'right', 'believe me', etc.

[@klrscout]

Golden stuff. I installed Linux Mint a few days ago (knowing next to nothing) to ressurect an old laptop and as an afterthought loaded a couple of ham radio "packages" along with a logging appimage (HAMRS) and JS8Call. I have just been noodling around knowing nothing. This is quite helpful.

[@barrykery1175]

I liked your video. It's simple for you but I'm new to Linux Mint /Cinnamon. I learned from your video and now have a good start to understanding how to address certain things in Linux. Thanks, Barry, KU3X

[@WI9LL]

I run linux in the shack and have been for about a year. I don't use it often so I'm new to a lot of what I encounter. I've been using Ubuntu Unity. If I didn't use the Adobe suite for Graphic Design and play the occasional computer game, I would fully switch over on all of my desktops and laptops. My goal is to get pretty fluent with the terminal commands. This was pretty good info for a newbie like me. I was not aware of the dev folder.

[@loughkb]

It's stability is what I like. I used to work in I.T. I'd tell people I fix computer problems all day and the last thing I want to do is fix them at home, so I run linux. I used to use the adobe suite myself, years ago. Now I use GIMP for photo manipulation and most graphic work, Inkscape for vector graphics illustation, and LIbre office writer and draw for page layout. All my videos are created and edited on linux using kdenlive for the editing. One of these days I might to a video on my process for making a video.

[@dennisbauer3315]

Gee Kevin your bloods worth bottling, it's a wonderful lesson exactly what I been needing to know, thank you so very much, hopefully more hams will go to Linux and you will maybe do a lot more on Linux, Cheers mate best wishes

[@kc3kop915]

you should do tutorial on beginners of linux in general you did great at explaining the serial and usb. I been searching the web for days on how to figure out how to know what linux assigned my interface. 73 KC3KOP

[@W8QH]

Kevin, you rock, getting back into the hobby and all my systems are Linux! This fits the bill for my new rigs, 73's N5XIE

[@steveedwards90]

hi switched to linux mint nearly 2years ago when win 7 support stopped I run fldigi for data modes gqrx for sdr on a funcube dongle cqrlog takes care of logging dx cluster and rig control for pouncing on cluster notices the only thing I can't get to work is rig control sharing for cqrlog +fldigi just won't do it ? so I live without it honestly best thing I ever did sharp learning curve but put it on an old computer and learn like the channel good luck Steve GW7LOP

[@cuban9splat]

Thanks for the info. My friend N5NMO has been after me to give Linux a try. This will be helpful. 73 DE K7RMJ Frank

[@TonyLing]

Thanks Kevin

[@va7dgp]

I'm really new at this when it comes to Linux. I'm using Peppermint os and I can not get VFO control using Ham Lib from Fldigi, Flrig and JS8Call. I have 2 PCI serial ports. One is com 2 in Windows and that controls the Kenwood TS 2000 and an offline SCS-PTC tnc and in that acc port where normally the tnc goes. I have the signalink. Don't ask me to go there as Fldigi can not find that sound card.

[@davidj.wilcox6053]

Kevin, Do you ever sleep? Ha! Show more hams how to use that old lap top by installing Linux and show what it can do and why. Every one has an old no longer supported lap top just sitting there. We are afraid to throw it out because of the old credit card and other private information still hidden somewhere on the hard drive (my son just wrecked a perfectly useable one with a sledge for that very reason). I am just getting into it to revive an old lap top just for the ham shack. Dave K8WPE (QRP Forever)

[@loughkb]

Yep. My station computer is an 8 year old netbook running debian linux. I can watch youtube while it decodes 8 stations on JT65 flawlessly. Linux rocks.

[@waynesmith6417]

I use Debian with a KDE desktop. I wish I still had my ASR33. I was never a Ham but I loved to read the ARRL manual when I was a kid. Computers are not as much fun as they used to be so I may have to get into Ham Radio... and it will be all your fault.

[@loughkb]

Well, so I am doing some good in the world... All my machines run linux and I do all my work and video on it too. I love the reliability and stability. I used to admin 650 Macintosh workstations, and previously worked in a company where I supported over 1200 windows machines. I would tell people, "I fix computer problems all day at work, all I want to do at home is use my computers, not fix em. So I run linux."

[@waynesmith6417]

1200 windows machines? Even writing it kinda hurts my fingers. I have an electronic switch that chooses between a box running WinXP, Win7, Linux, and FreeDos. It switches my monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, and a USB stick from one computer to the other. The Linux computer is the only one that can get on the Internet. This calms the Windows monster down. If I need something for Windows I down load it to the stick and hit the button. I do most of my work on the Dos computer. I design PCB's on Tango software running in Dos. The software is 25 years old. I just traded the 486 in on an HP fanless thin client. The extra speed doesn't mean much but I was getting worried that that 25 year old hard disk was going to die any day. The HP has a flash drive and I can backup decades of work in less than 2G on a USB stick. What video editor do you use? I just downloaded Shotcut, but I haven't used it yet. You may have already done a video on your setup, camera, editor, if not it would be a good idea. Your videos look real good. Sound is excellent. Of course you are Canadian, that explains a lot. Seriously, Canadians are very artistic.

[@loughkb]

HA! Nope, not Canadian. That's Mr. Carlsons Lab... I live in north eastern Indiana in the U.S... DOS was elegant in it's simplicity. I used CP/M also for a time... Install DOSbox on your linux machine and check it out. Nice DOS VM. I use kdenlive to edit the videos currently. I've been slowly improving the production work. All open source stuff. GIMP, Inkscape, Libreoffice draw and writer, Audacity, DIA, and blender.

[@loughkb]

Head over to the new facebook page, comment threads like this one would work better as discussions over there. facebook.com/kb9rlw

[@waynesmith6417]

Sorry, I get confused easily now days. I'll have to check out Mr. Carlsons Lab. Indiana was Garfield's home state. I knew cats would show up eventually.

[@nuclearshipsavannahamateur4126]

Thank you for straight forward explanation. My problem is that FlRig does not communicate with my TS-590SG even though /dev/ttyUSB0 is selected. When I run Hamlib Trace, there is a message stating that this port is DENIED permission. Is this something you know about? Thank You

[@loughkb]

+Nuclear Ship Savannah Amateur Radio Club NSS-ARC yes, your user needs to be a member of the dialout group. In another comment, I detailed the steps.

[@nuclearshipsavannahamateur4126]

thanks for such a rapid response! 73

[@nuclearshipsavannahamateur4126]

Works as advertised. Super FB!

[@biringen]

i have a question on rig control... microham microkeyer how do i get it to work with fldigi flrig or cqrlog... i run ubuntu mate 19,10

[@zanado11]

Kevin I recently acquired a raspberry Pi 4 and was wondering if HRD can be downloaded to it since it is operating via a Linux? Posible ? Thanks again for your great videos 73 de Roger W8RLP

[@loughkb]

Nope. Not even through WINE. The Pi runs on an ARM processor, which is a risc chip. HRD is an X86 binary and would only run on Intel or AMD processors.

[@zanado11]

Kevin Loughin Thank you very much Kevin. I enjoy your content, great video’s. 73 Rogr

[@eminusipi]

I can't seem to get a serial port to key my transmitter. I see S0...S7 but none seem to work. I select each in turn then initialize and try to transmit. Serial card goes to the Packet Jack on my radio which has audio in and out and a PTT line. Using RTS/DTR and these work in Windows. Not using any other rig control software at this time. Running Mint Mate 18.1. Any ideas how to get FLDIGI to work here?

[@loughkb]

Using RTS/DTR as a voltage source to turn on a transistor which grounds the PTT line? Or, using a level converter and rx tx lines for serial communications and CAT control? What kind of serial port or adapter? Is it serial port built into the computer or a USB serial adapter?

[@eminusipi]

Thanks. Yes, both RTS(pin 7) and DTR(pin 4) go thru diodes to the base of a npn(2N2222) which grounds ptt (pin 5 is the ground). The serial port is on the MB. The receive audio works fine. Either one of these lines works with Windows fldigi and every other sound card software I've tried in windows. I'm not using the rig serial port at all.

[@loughkb]

Ok. So in fldigi, you want to set the serial device to /dev/ttyS0 Then set it to use DTR for PTT.

[@loughkb]

You can open a terminal and type dmesg | grep tty That should show you what tty device got assigned to your serial port. You should see something like 1.145755] serial8250: ttyS0 at I/O 0x3f8 (irq = 4) is a 16550A 1.172736] 00:0c: ttyS0 at I/O 0x3f8 (irq = 4) is a 16550A

[@eminusipi]

I had done all of those(It's ttyS0) before I asked you for help. No joy. Everything you said should work. Thanks again for taking the time. Maybe a permission issue?

[@kg4tri]

I keep putting in the dev/tty/USB0 then hit initialize and it returns to none don't know if it is drivers or something else tried deferent usb to rs232 devices

[@loughkb]

Well, what you typed here is wrong. No slash in the device name. ttyUSB0 is the device name, /dev/ is the directory the device lives in. So it would be /dev/ttyUSB0 It's a full path name. The first / means start at the root of the filesystem, dev is the directory, the second slash means inside that directory, and finally the file name. You can verify this by browsing to that directory, scroll down until you find the end of the list of tty files and see if there is a ttyUSB# device listed. Another possible device name would be ttyACM0 But that's usually associated with a microcontroller device.

[@loughkb]

Also, in most software, where it says none, that's a drop down menu that might show any serial devices it automatically detected. If it's a drop down menu, just click it and look at what's listed. ttyUSB0 or ttyUSB1 might be there already and you only have to click it.

[@kg4tri]

I typed it wrong here but it is correct in the drop down I don't see any auto setting and if it is in auto it would still be able to connect to the radio

[@kg4tri]

I also run fldigi and flrig in windows 7 computer and have no problems

[@loughkb]

What type of interface are you using? Also, did you go into the file browser and look in the /dev directory to see what it is named there? Oh, I just had a thought. You might not be in the dialout group... Linux is like UNIX from the mainframe days and has security on many things, including serial port access. They used to have to limit access to modems by user. Open a terminal and type the following, case is important, that's a capitol G. sudo usermod -a -G dialout {username} Where {username} is your login name. If you're not sure of it, you can type whoami in the terminal and it will tell you. That command will ask for your password. After it's done, log out and then log back in, or do a restart/reboot. See if that does it.

[@chr1zl]

What distro is this?

[@loughkb]

That machine is running Debian. My other machines run Ubuntu MATE.

[@vu3voc]

Great video .. Thanks.. 73 de vu3voc / ak4ec