Baycom modem and simple text ui

Baycom modem and simple text ui

[Jonathan Lassoff]

I just put together a simple modem that functions the same as the
classic "dumb" baycom modem. It just turns RS-232 data into tones and
vice-versa. I got the Baycom software to run off a DOS bootdisk, and
the modem works just great. But what I would really like to do is do
the same stuff under linux so I can do it over SSH. :)

The only software package I could find that provides similar
functionality to the original baycom software is tfkiss, but I have
been unsuccessful in getting it to compile. The tarball looks
antiquated, and it fails compilation on my modern linux system (I'm
not much of a software guy; I'm learning). Does anyone know of an
application that pretends to be a TNC and makes all the nicely
formatted packets with just the simple text interface? Perhaps someone
knows how I can compile tfkiss properly? Any and all comments
appreciated.

Cheers,
Jonathan Lassoff (KG6THI, now /AG; got my general class!)

Re: Baycom modem and simple text ui

[Bob Nielsen]

On Tue, Aug 09, 2005 at 12:35:05AM -0700, Jonathan Lassoff wrote:
> I just put together a simple modem that functions the same as the
> classic "dumb" baycom modem. It just turns RS-232 data into tones and
> vice-versa. I got the Baycom software to run off a DOS bootdisk, and
> the modem works just great. But what I would really like to do is do
> the same stuff under linux so I can do it over SSH. :)
> 
> The only software package I could find that provides similar
> functionality to the original baycom software is tfkiss, but I have
> been unsuccessful in getting it to compile. The tarball looks
> antiquated, and it fails compilation on my modern linux system (I'm
> not much of a software guy; I'm learning). Does anyone know of an
> application that pretends to be a TNC and makes all the nicely
> formatted packets with just the simple text interface? Perhaps someone
> knows how I can compile tfkiss properly? Any and all comments
> appreciated.


Baycom modems are supported in Linux.  Try either the baycom_ser_fdx or 
baycom_ser_hdx drivers (you may need to configure/compile your kernel, 
although they in some packaged kernels, e.g., Debian and some others).  
See Documentation/networking/baycom.txt in the Linux source tarball for 
more details.

Bob, N7XY

Re: Baycom modem and simple text ui

[Jonathan Lassoff]

On 09/08/05, Bob Nielsen <nielsen@oz.net> wrote:
> Baycom modems are supported in Linux.  Try either the baycom_ser_fdx or
> baycom_ser_hdx drivers (you may need to configure/compile your kernel,
> although they in some packaged kernels, e.g., Debian and some others).
> See Documentation/networking/baycom.txt in the Linux source tarball for
> more details.
> 
> Bob, N7XY

Well, I can get the driver loaded just fine, but what I am interested
in doing is just a text connection. I want to just get some software
running that gives the classic "cmd:" or ":" prompt. For example, I'd
like to just get and send text to my local DX cluster. Any ideas?

Cheers,
Jonathan, kg6thi

Re: Baycom modem and simple text ui

[Dave Platt]

> Well, I can get the driver loaded just fine, but what I am interested
> in doing is just a text connection. I want to just get some software
> running that gives the classic "cmd:" or ":" prompt. For example, I'd
> like to just get and send text to my local DX cluster. Any ideas?

In the usual Unix/Linux metaphor, these sorts of things are usually
done via individual stand-alone programs, invoked from the shell,
rather than from a monolithic program such as a "TNC command
interpreter emulator."

If the driver is loaded, and the AX.25 interface has been
configured with a portname, then you'd probably want to try
running commands such as:

   beacon -s myport -d HEADSUP "Santa Claus on 14.020 QRO"

or

   call myport W9ZZZ

or something like that.

You can run "listen -a" in another window to monitor the
packet traffic in both directions.

Fwd: Baycom modem and simple text ui

[Jonathan Lassoff]

On 09/08/05, Dave Platt <dplatt@radagast.org> wrote:
> If the driver is loaded, and the AX.25 interface has been
> configured with a portname, then you'd probably want to try
> running commands such as:
>
>    beacon -s myport -d HEADSUP "Santa Claus on 14.020 QRO"
>
> or
>
>    call myport W9ZZZ
>
> or something like that.
>
> You can run "listen -a" in another window to monitor the
> packet traffic in both directions.

Well, I think that that steers me in the general direction, but that
sill doesn't really work. I wonder why there isn't a piece of software
that just pretends to be like a TNC so that I can can fit everything
neatly into one terminal window.

I've been following the AX25-HOWTO to get everything going. Here's what I did:

# setserial /dev/ttyS0 uart none
# insmod hdlcdrv
# insmod baycom mode="ser12*" iobase=0x3f8 irq=4
# sethdlc -p -i bcsh0 mode "ser12*" io 0x3f8 irq 4
#ifconfig bcsh0 hw ax25 KG6THI-2 up

Then I added this line to /etc/ax25/axports:

1       KG6THI-2        1200    255     2       (1200  bps)

Then running something like "listen -a" yields:

axconfig: port 1 not active
listen: no AX.25 port data configured

I'm not really clear on the difference between a "port" and the
"interface" bcsh0; but that is probably an 'RTFM' issue. I want to
think that somehow I need to associate the bcsh0 interface to the
ax.25 "port", "1".

Cheers,
joanthan - kg6thi

Re: Baycom modem and simple text ui

[Bob Nielsen]

On Tue, Aug 09, 2005 at 12:13:57PM -0700, Jonathan Lassoff wrote:
> On 09/08/05, Bob Nielsen <nielsen@oz.net> wrote:
> > Baycom modems are supported in Linux.  Try either the baycom_ser_fdx or
> > baycom_ser_hdx drivers (you may need to configure/compile your kernel,
> > although they in some packaged kernels, e.g., Debian and some others).
> > See Documentation/networking/baycom.txt in the Linux source tarball for
> > more details.
> > 
> > Bob, N7XY
> 
> Well, I can get the driver loaded just fine, but what I am interested
> in doing is just a text connection. I want to just get some software
> running that gives the classic "cmd:" or ":" prompt. For example, I'd
> like to just get and send text to my local DX cluster. Any ideas?

Since the driver will make the modem look like any other network 
interface, you should be able to do this with the telnet command if the 
cluster supports that type of connection.  Using the 'call' command 
(included in ax25-apps) should also work.  There are also several 
terminal emulators available--for a pretty comprehensive list, see 
<http://radio.linux.org.au>.  Additionally, Xdx is a specialized X 
client for use with DX clusters.

You mentioned using SSH in your original message.  That may violate 
rules against using encryption which exist in many countries.

73, Bob N7XY

Re: Baycom modem and simple text ui

[Jonathan Lassoff]

On 09/08/05, Bob Nielsen <nielsen@oz.net> wrote:
> Since the driver will make the modem look like any other network
> interface, you should be able to do this with the telnet command if the
> cluster supports that type of connection.  Using the 'call' command
> (included in ax25-apps) should also work.  There are also several
> terminal emulators available--for a pretty comprehensive list, see
> <http://radio.linux.org.au>.  Additionally, Xdx is a specialized X
> client for use with DX clusters.
> 
> You mentioned using SSH in your original message.  That may violate
> rules against using encryption which exist in many countries.
> 
> 73, Bob N7XY

Well, I'll still take a look around and see what I can't do. I would
really like to run tfkiss because it sounds like exactly what I want
to do, but just can't get it to compile. Essentially I want to have my
computer be at least a minimal tnc console with my "dumb" modem. I
just want the software to send and receive the proper AX.25 frames
with the text body attached in the packet.
As for the SSH, I just wanted to control the packet station over my
home network over SSH so that I don't have to be at the radio. I don't
want to encapsulate SSH over AX.25 links. That would be illegal in my
jurisdiction.

Cheers,
jonathan - kg6thi

Re: Baycom modem and simple text ui

[Bob Nielsen]

On Tue, Aug 09, 2005 at 03:26:12PM -0700, Jonathan Lassoff wrote:
> Well, I'll still take a look around and see what I can't do. I would
> really like to run tfkiss because it sounds like exactly what I want
> to do, but just can't get it to compile. Essentially I want to have my
> computer be at least a minimal tnc console with my "dumb" modem. I
> just want the software to send and receive the proper AX.25 frames
> with the text body attached in the packet.

I'm not sure if tfkiss will do what you want, but possibly it will.  I 
suspect the compilation problems may relate to it being written for an 
earlier version of gcc.  You could probably do something with several 
xterms, one running call, another running listen, etc.  Screen may work 
if you don't want to use X.

> As for the SSH, I just wanted to control the packet station over my
> home network over SSH so that I don't have to be at the radio. I don't
> want to encapsulate SSH over AX.25 links. That would be illegal in my
> jurisdiction.

That is how I access the packet computer in my shack from inside 
my house and should work fine.  

Good luck.  

Bob

-- 
Bob Nielsen, N7XY                          n7xy (at) n7xy.net
Bainbridge Island, WA                      http://www.n7xy.net
 

Re: Baycom modem and simple text ui

[Jonathan Lassoff]

On 09/08/05, Bob Nielsen <nielsen@oz.net> wrote:
> I'm not sure if tfkiss will do what you want, but possibly it will.  I
> suspect the compilation problems may relate to it being written for an
> earlier version of gcc.  You could probably do something with several
> xterms, one running call, another running listen, etc.  Screen may work
> if you don't want to use X.
> 
> Good luck.
> 
> Bob

Do you have any idea as to why it failed to open the port when I tried
to run call or listen?

Re: Baycom modem and simple text ui

[Bob Nielsen]

On Tue, Aug 09, 2005 at 04:43:36PM -0700, Jonathan Lassoff wrote:
> On 09/08/05, Bob Nielsen <nielsen@oz.net> wrote:
> > I'm not sure if tfkiss will do what you want, but possibly it will.  I
> > suspect the compilation problems may relate to it being written for an
> > earlier version of gcc.  You could probably do something with several
> > xterms, one running call, another running listen, etc.  Screen may work
> > if you don't want to use X.
> > 
> > Good luck.
> > 
> > Bob
> 
> Do you have any idea as to why it failed to open the port when I tried
> to run call or listen?

Not really (I use a KISS TNC, not a Baycom modem).  Do you have AX.25 
networking set up and does the interface show up with ifconfig?  Section 
6.1.4 of the AX25-HOWTO (which may not be completely up-to-date for 2.6 
kernels) should be helpful, as well as 'man sethdlc'.

Bob, N7XY

Re: Baycom modem and simple text ui

[Jonathan Lassoff]

On 09/08/05, Bob Nielsen <nielsen@oz.net> wrote:
> Not really (I use a KISS TNC, not a Baycom modem).  Do you have AX.25
> networking set up and does the interface show up with ifconfig?  Section
> 6.1.4 of the AX25-HOWTO (which may not be completely up-to-date for 2.6
> kernels) should be helpful, as well as 'man sethdlc'.
> 
> Bob, N7XY

Well, now listen seems to be displaying RX packets, but call still
wont work. Here is what ifconfig shows:

bcsh0     Link encap:AMPR AX.25  HWaddr KG6THI-2
          UP RUNNING  MTU:256  Metric:1
          RX packets:9 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:16
          RX bytes:0 (0.0 b)  TX bytes:0 (0.0 b)
          Interrupt:4 Base address:0x3f8

Cheers,
jonathan - kg6thi

Re: Baycom modem and simple text ui

[Jonathan Lassoff]

On 09/08/05, Bob Nielsen <nielsen@oz.net> wrote:
> Not really (I use a KISS TNC, not a Baycom modem).  Do you have AX.25
> networking set up and does the interface show up with ifconfig?  Section
> 6.1.4 of the AX25-HOWTO (which may not be completely up-to-date for 2.6
> kernels) should be helpful, as well as 'man sethdlc'.
> 
> Bob, N7XY

As it turns out, I just needed to set a dummy IP address for the
interface. It connected just fine, and call is the perfect program for
the job.