Packet Problem

Packet Problem

[Tim Neu]

Hello! 

I have a VERY bizzare problem on Linux with AX.25.  I can usually
handle linux problems on my own, but this one I'm going to need to
see if anyone else can help... 

The goal is to set up a linux box with AX25 installed, interfacing
to two KISS TNCs on two normal serial ports (COM1/COM2) The system
will be running node & trivnetdb (a perl database frontend for mysql
modeled after ARESDATA), and will be used to keep track of runners
in the Twin Cities Marathon in Minnesota, if I can get it up by
then. 

I set up the box, got everything working, then at some point while
my guard was down (as I thought I was putting on the finishing
touches), one of the changes I made (I assume) "broke" the KISS
interfaces.  They stopped receiving packets, and any packets
transmitted would be heard only by the box itself (using listen -a)
but would never even key up PTT. Naturally, I didn't notice the
problem until I had performed too many steps to sucessfully
backtrace what it was that I had done...  

At fist I thought it could be a TNC wiring problem with PTT - so I
hooked the serial port to a known-good radio & cable.   There was no
change in the problems.    Then I thought it might be a problem on
the TNC - so I swapped it with my own (again, known good) TNC.  

No change - but everything is still working great hooked up on
another box.

Here's the kicker - I can exit KISS mode on the TNC, use minicom,
and sucessfully connect all over the place using all involved
hardware - so all the hardware has to be good.  

I can also kill kissattach, run minicom and see the raw KISS packets
scroll on the terminal.

Its like kissattach is going into lala land.  

Finally, and with great fustration, I figured that if a fresh
install had worked before, I thought I'd be safe reloading and
starting from scratch to at least get it back up & running again.
(getting the rest of it up was not _that_ hard)

So now I've reloaded the box, and kissattach is still doing the
exact same thing.  I've tried several different kernel versions from
ancient to bleeding edge with no change. 

Any ideas? It can't be hw since non-kiss mode works great.  A
re-install of the OS (Debian installed fresh w/reformat) should
eliminate sw as the source of the problem. 

I'm stumped.  It _should_ be working!  Any ideas?   It's driving me
crazy.

-- 
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
______         _ __                          Military Intelligence
  /           ' )  )        -KC0LQL-         Honest Politician
 / o ______    /  / _  . .                   Intellectual Property  
/ <_/ / / <   /  (_</_(_/_  -- tneu@visi.com / http://www.visi.com/~tneu --

Re: Packet Problem

[John Ackermann N8UR]

This may be a long shot, but at some point the command syntax for 
kissattach changed and started requiring you to specify an IP address for 
each interface, even if you weren't using TCP/IP on that radio.  Are you 
passing an address to the kissattach command?

73,

John N8UR
jra@febo.com

--On Monday, September 15, 2003 20:23:17 -0500 Tim Neu <tim@tneu.visi.com> 
wrote:

> Hello!
>
> I have a VERY bizzare problem on Linux with AX.25.  I can usually
> handle linux problems on my own, but this one I'm going to need to
> see if anyone else can help...
>
> The goal is to set up a linux box with AX25 installed, interfacing
> to two KISS TNCs on two normal serial ports (COM1/COM2) The system
> will be running node & trivnetdb (a perl database frontend for mysql
> modeled after ARESDATA), and will be used to keep track of runners
> in the Twin Cities Marathon in Minnesota, if I can get it up by
> then.
>
> I set up the box, got everything working, then at some point while
> my guard was down (as I thought I was putting on the finishing
> touches), one of the changes I made (I assume) "broke" the KISS
> interfaces.  They stopped receiving packets, and any packets
> transmitted would be heard only by the box itself (using listen -a)
> but would never even key up PTT. Naturally, I didn't notice the
> problem until I had performed too many steps to sucessfully
> backtrace what it was that I had done...
>
> At fist I thought it could be a TNC wiring problem with PTT - so I
> hooked the serial port to a known-good radio & cable.   There was no
> change in the problems.    Then I thought it might be a problem on
> the TNC - so I swapped it with my own (again, known good) TNC.
>
> No change - but everything is still working great hooked up on
> another box.
>
> Here's the kicker - I can exit KISS mode on the TNC, use minicom,
> and sucessfully connect all over the place using all involved
> hardware - so all the hardware has to be good.
>
> I can also kill kissattach, run minicom and see the raw KISS packets
> scroll on the terminal.
>
> Its like kissattach is going into lala land.
>
> Finally, and with great fustration, I figured that if a fresh
> install had worked before, I thought I'd be safe reloading and
> starting from scratch to at least get it back up & running again.
> (getting the rest of it up was not _that_ hard)
>
> So now I've reloaded the box, and kissattach is still doing the
> exact same thing.  I've tried several different kernel versions from
> ancient to bleeding edge with no change.
>
> Any ideas? It can't be hw since non-kiss mode works great.  A
> re-install of the OS (Debian installed fresh w/reformat) should
> eliminate sw as the source of the problem.
>
> I'm stumped.  It _should_ be working!  Any ideas?   It's driving me
> crazy.
>
> --
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
> -=- ______         _ __                          Military Intelligence
> /           ' )  )        -KC0LQL-         Honest Politician
>  / o ______    /  / _  . .                   Intellectual Property
> / <_/ / / <   /  (_</_(_/_  -- tneu@visi.com / http://www.visi.com/~tneu
> -- -
> To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-hams" in
> the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org
> More majordomo info at  http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
>
>

Re: Packet Problem

[Tim Neu]

On Mon, Sep 15, 2003 at 09:29:24PM -0400, John Ackermann N8UR wrote:
> This may be a long shot, but at some point the command syntax for 
> kissattach changed and started requiring you to specify an IP address 
> for each interface, even if you weren't using TCP/IP on that radio.  
> Are you passing an address to the kissattach command?

Yep.   I picked two unique addresses in non-routable space, one for
each port.  

-- 
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
______         _ __                          Military Intelligence
  /           ' )  )        -KC0LQL-         Honest Politician
 / o ______    /  / _  . .                   Intellectual Property  
/ <_/ / / <   /  (_</_(_/_  -- tneu@visi.com / http://www.visi.com/~tneu --

Re: Packet Problem

[Wilbert Knol]

Is your TNC is a TNC-2 (or clone) running TAPR firmware?

If so, and you reset it, beware that the TNC defaults to AWLEN=7 
(7 data-bits).  This may account for the fact KISSATTACH won't talk to 
the unit...

Wilbert, ZL2BSJ

X-BOT

[Marco iw7eas]

Hi....
I'm searching for a simplex BOT, such as X-bot 
for Convers servers, to get always active the italian
channel. Do you how to find this software ?
Thank you 

Marco iw7eas

Re: Packet Problem

[Steve Fraser]

Hi Tim, etc

> I have a VERY bizzare problem on Linux with AX.25.  ......
(details omitted)
> I'm stumped.  It _should_ be working!  Any ideas?   It's driving me
> crazy.
>
Well we cant allow crazy people on the list, so I'll have a go.

I'd check the baud rate to the TNC (axports or command line setting) - make
sure it matches what mincom says.

I'd also check /proc/interrupts and proc/ioports to make sure that the IRQ's
arent being grabbed by something else.

Are you using modules - what does lsmod say?

Any error messages from kissattach (or elsewhere)?

The "listen" command doesnt necessarily tell you what the kernel drivers are
seeing, so take it with a grain of salt.

What does ifconfig show for the AX25 ports?

HTH

Steve

Re: Packet Problem

[Tomi Manninen]

On Tue, 2003-09-16 at 04:41, Steve Fraser wrote:

> I'd check the baud rate to the TNC (axports or command line setting) - make
> sure it matches what mincom says.

Indeed. Note that the axports "speed" is the serial bit rate of the 
KISS interface, not the radio baud rate. I've mixed the two a couple of
times myself...

-- 
Tomi Manninen / OH2BNS / KP20ME04

Re: Packet Problem

[Mike Fenske]

You didn't say what type of TNC's you were using, but with my KPC-9612, I
have 2 kiss modes, KISS and XKISS. Can't remember which one I use, but one
works and one doesn't (using SuSE 7.3, kernel 2.2.18).

73,
Mike Fenske
VE7MKF

At 20:23 15/09/03 -0500, Tim Neu wrote:
>Hello! 
>
>I have a VERY bizzare problem on Linux with AX.25.  I can usually
>handle linux problems on my own, but this one I'm going to need to
>see if anyone else can help... 

Re: Packet Problem

[pa3gcu]

On Tuesday 16 September 2003 03:23, Tim Neu wrote:
> Hello!
>
> I have a VERY bizzare problem on Linux with AX.25.  I can usually
> handle linux problems on my own, but this one I'm going to need to
> see if anyone else can help...

To do that one would need to know a lot more than you have supplied.
No mention of kernel version, let alone distro name and version.
No mention of libax25 ax25-apps ax25-tools versions.
No mention of how you configure your ax25 system.

It would be a lot easier if one knew some if not all of the above.

You did say i have tryed them all, that is really no use at all.

-- 
If the Linux community is a bunch of theives because they
try to imitate windows programs, then the Windows community
is built on organized crime.

Regards Richard
pa3gcu@zeelandnet.nl
http://people.zeelandnet.nl/pa3gcu/

Re: Packet Problem

[Tim Neu]

On Tue, Sep 16, 2003 at 09:33:10AM +0200, pa3gcu wrote:
> On Tuesday 16 September 2003 03:23, Tim Neu wrote:
> > Hello!
> >
> > I have a VERY bizzare problem on Linux with AX.25.  I can usually
> > handle linux problems on my own, but this one I'm going to need to
> > see if anyone else can help...
> 
> To do that one would need to know a lot more than you have supplied.
> No mention of kernel version, let alone distro name and version.

Right now, Debian linux, from the woody netinst CD.  

Linux aresdb 2.2.20 #1 Sat Apr 20 11:45:28 EST 2002 i686 unknown

I've also tried 2.4.18 and a few newer kernels

> No mention of libax25 ax25-apps ax25-tools versions.

libax25:
  Installed: 0.0.10-1
  Candidate: 0.0.10-1
  Version Table:
 *** 0.0.10-1 0
        500 http://mirror.cs.wisc.edu stable/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

ax25-apps:
  Installed: 0.0.6-1
  Candidate: 0.0.6-1
  Version Table:
 *** 0.0.6-1 0
        500 http://mirror.cs.wisc.edu stable/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

ax25-tools:
  Installed: 0.0.8-2
  Candidate: 0.0.8-2
  Version Table:
 *** 0.0.8-2 0
        500 http://mirror.cs.wisc.edu stable/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status


> No mention of how you configure your ax25 system.

(for now, I tried getting only one port working again)

# /etc/ax25/axports
#
# The format of this file is:
#
# name callsign speed paclen window description
#
p1       KB0UPW-1        1200    255     2       145.670 MHz
(1200
bps)

The following (somewhat lazy) script is being used to start
kissattach:

#! /bin/sh

case "$1" in
  start)

echo  Starting Custom Ham Radio processes...
echo
echo  Attaching port p1  at 9600 KISS / 10.10.48.1
echo $(grep ^p1 /etc/ax25/axports)
kissattach -l /dev/ttyS0 p1 10.10.48.1 &
echo  Attaching port p2  at 9600 KISS / 10.10.49.1
echo $(grep ^p2 /etc/ax25/axports)
kissattach -l /dev/ttyS1 p2 10.10.49.1 &

echo Launching ax25d to listen for connections
ax25d
echo Starting trivnetdbd
/usr/sbin/trivnetdbd &
echo Starting beacon...
beacon -c KB0UPW -l "MN & Ramsey Co ARES / ARESDATA system"&
echo Starting mheardd to keep track of heard callsigns
mheardd
;;
  stop)
        killall kissattach
        killall ax25d
        killall trivnetdbd
        killall beacon
        killall mheardd
;;
  *)
        echo "usage: customham start/stop"
;;
esac

exit 0



> It would be a lot easier if one knew some if not all of the above.

Another poster mentioned the ABAUD setting matching the PC, and
now I'm beginning to wonder if I just have a port speed mismatch
here.  I'll have to check that out tonight when I get a chance. 

I was so concentrated on the TNC side of the speed equation, and
"knowing" the port was right because Minicom worked, I think I
missed the obvious ax25 port speed setting...  I guess that is
what you get for continuing to work on something when you're
frusterated. 

Thanks for all of the help.  If that isn't it, I'll try and dig
up some more debugging info.  

73s.  KC0LQL

-- 
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
______         _ __                          Military Intelligence
  /           ' )  )        -KC0LQL-         Honest Politician
 / o ______    /  / _  . .                   Intellectual Property  
/ <_/ / / <   /  (_</_(_/_  -- tneu@visi.com / http://www.visi.com/~tneu --

Re: Packet Problem

[pa3gcu]

On Tuesday 16 September 2003 14:46, Tim Neu wrote:
> # name callsign speed paclen window description
> #
> p1       KB0UPW-1        1200    255     2       145.670 MHz
> (1200
> bps)

Your ax25 versions are uptodate and should pose no problems as thats what most 
of us use.

Tomi and another chap mentioned the "line" speed  i suggest you take note of 
that. I belive that the problem must lye there.

Another thing is in your start script you start 2 ax25 interfaces while in 
your axports you only have one entry, possably you cut it out.

You use 2 different ip#'s, there is no need, one is sufficent unless you have 
needs to do otherwise.

-- 
If the Linux community is a bunch of theives because they
try to imitate windows programs, then the Windows community
is built on organized crime.

Regards Richard
pa3gcu@zeelandnet.nl
http://people.zeelandnet.nl/pa3gcu/