KISS TNC problems with kissattach and mkiss

KISS TNC problems with kissattach and mkiss

[Robert Mead]

Hey all - I've spent a very frustrating week trying to sort this out, maybe you guys can help:

I've got a spare laptop in my shack. I tossed Linux (Xubuntu 11.04, 2.6.38) on it to do some packet work, and hooked it up to my TNC-X via a USB/serial dongle.

I've got my axports file set up properly with my call sign and the configured (by jumper) port speed on the TNC. When I go and run:

kissattach /dev/ttyUSB0 radio <my AMPR IP address>

it works. That is, the 'ax0' device shows up in ifconfig, it's listed in 'route', and I can even make connections over it with axcall and read packets in axlisten. 

That's all fine and dandy, but it stops working very quickly - always within 10 minutes, usually within 5. I'll be playing around with something and get a "Network is down" error, after which the ax0 port has vanished and any ax25 application I try to run will say:

axconfig: port radio not active  <radio being the name in axports>

I dug through the kernel log and found this:

mkiss: ax0: crc mode is auto.
ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): ax0: link becomes ready
mkiss: ax0: Trying crc-smack
mkiss: ax0: Trying crc-flexnet
mkiss: ax0: crc mode is auto

The duplicate is intentional. It seems to be set to auto at the initial connection (with kissattach), and again at the moment at which the connection stops working.

Now, if I go and kill 'kissattach', I get to try again - and it works for another few minutes. 

Do I need mkiss for my single-port TNC? Seems like might just be getting in the way and guessing that my TNC is fancier than it is… 

I must say I'm utterly flummoxed. The TNC works fine in Windows, and Xastir with a direct serial KISS setup. And what's more, this is relatively new. I set this up originally and ran Xastir over the AX25 port for about 36 hours straight, with no problems, but it hasn't worked since. I even reinstalled the OS to no avail (needed to do it anyway).

Anyone have any clever ideas? I'm out of places to look.

Thanks,
-Robert KC2YWE--
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Re: KISS TNC problems with kissattach and mkiss

[Robert Mead]

I was finally able to fix this by compiling ax25tools, ax25apps, and libax25 myself. Ubuntu's versions are old. Still not sure why that fixed it, since it seemed to be a kernel-level (miss module) issue.

Running the serial port at 1200bps improved things substantially, as well, but didn't entirely fix it.

-Robert KC2YWE

On Aug 14, 2011, at 11:16 PM, Robert Mead wrote:

> Hey all - I've spent a very frustrating week trying to sort this out, maybe you guys can help:
> 
> I've got a spare laptop in my shack. I tossed Linux (Xubuntu 11.04, 2.6.38) on it to do some packet work, and hooked it up to my TNC-X via a USB/serial dongle.
> 
> I've got my axports file set up properly with my call sign and the configured (by jumper) port speed on the TNC. When I go and run:
> 
> kissattach /dev/ttyUSB0 radio <my AMPR IP address>
> 
> it works. That is, the 'ax0' device shows up in ifconfig, it's listed in 'route', and I can even make connections over it with axcall and read packets in axlisten. 
> 
> That's all fine and dandy, but it stops working very quickly - always within 10 minutes, usually within 5. I'll be playing around with something and get a "Network is down" error, after which the ax0 port has vanished and any ax25 application I try to run will say:
> 
> axconfig: port radio not active  <radio being the name in axports>
> 
> I dug through the kernel log and found this:
> 
> mkiss: ax0: crc mode is auto.
> ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): ax0: link becomes ready
> mkiss: ax0: Trying crc-smack
> mkiss: ax0: Trying crc-flexnet
> mkiss: ax0: crc mode is auto
> 
> The duplicate is intentional. It seems to be set to auto at the initial connection (with kissattach), and again at the moment at which the connection stops working.
> 
> Now, if I go and kill 'kissattach', I get to try again - and it works for another few minutes. 
> 
> Do I need mkiss for my single-port TNC? Seems like might just be getting in the way and guessing that my TNC is fancier than it is… 
> 
> I must say I'm utterly flummoxed. The TNC works fine in Windows, and Xastir with a direct serial KISS setup. And what's more, this is relatively new. I set this up originally and ran Xastir over the AX25 port for about 36 hours straight, with no problems, but it hasn't worked since. I even reinstalled the OS to no avail (needed to do it anyway).
> 
> Anyone have any clever ideas? I'm out of places to look.
> 
> Thanks,
> -Robert KC2YWE--
> 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

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Re: KISS TNC problems with kissattach and mkiss

[Mike McCarthy, W1NR]

Doesn't Ubuntu have a repository built to the specific version?

Mike, W1NR (Using openSUSE without problem)

On 08/15/2011 09:47 PM, Robert Mead wrote:
> I was finally able to fix this by compiling ax25tools, ax25apps, and libax25 myself. Ubuntu's versions are old. Still not sure why that fixed it, since it seemed to be a kernel-level (miss module) issue.
>
> Running the serial port at 1200bps improved things substantially, as well, but didn't entirely fix it.
>

Re: KISS TNC problems with kissattach and mkiss

[IT2 Stuart Blake Tener, USNR]

Robert,

Let me preface my comments by saying I have yet to install and play  
with Ubuntu where it intersects with Amateur radio (though I do intend  
to do so and play with packet again).

Have you looked at this page at all? I have been reading some of there  
pages and am curious what people think of the qualatative level of  
their work and their packages?

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuHams


V/R,

Stuart, N3GWG


--

IT2 Stuart Blake Tener, USNR, N3GWG (Extra), MROP
Beverly Hills, CA / Las Vegas, NV / Philadelphia, PA / Washington, DC
mobile: (310) 358-0202
Nextel: 124*233172*14 (direct connect)
e-mail: teners@bh90210.net



Quoting Robert Mead <rmead@justconnected.net>:

> I was finally able to fix this by compiling ax25tools, ax25apps, and  
> libax25 myself. Ubuntu's versions are old. Still not sure why that  
> fixed it, since it seemed to be a kernel-level (miss module) issue.
>
> Running the serial port at 1200bps improved things substantially, as  
> well, but didn't entirely fix it.
>
> -Robert KC2YWE
>
> On Aug 14, 2011, at 11:16 PM, Robert Mead wrote:
>
>> Hey all - I've spent a very frustrating week trying to sort this  
>> out, maybe you guys can help:
>>
>> I've got a spare laptop in my shack. I tossed Linux (Xubuntu 11.04,  
>> 2.6.38) on it to do some packet work, and hooked it up to my TNC-X  
>> via a USB/serial dongle.
>>
>> I've got my axports file set up properly with my call sign and the  
>> configured (by jumper) port speed on the TNC. When I go and run:
>>
>> kissattach /dev/ttyUSB0 radio <my AMPR IP address>
>>
>> it works. That is, the 'ax0' device shows up in ifconfig, it's  
>> listed in 'route', and I can even make connections over it with  
>> axcall and read packets in axlisten.
>>
>> That's all fine and dandy, but it stops working very quickly -  
>> always within 10 minutes, usually within 5. I'll be playing around  
>> with something and get a "Network is down" error, after which the  
>> ax0 port has vanished and any ax25 application I try to run will say:
>>
>> axconfig: port radio not active  <radio being the name in axports>
>>
>> I dug through the kernel log and found this:
>>
>> mkiss: ax0: crc mode is auto.
>> ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): ax0: link becomes ready
>> mkiss: ax0: Trying crc-smack
>> mkiss: ax0: Trying crc-flexnet
>> mkiss: ax0: crc mode is auto
>>
>> The duplicate is intentional. It seems to be set to auto at the  
>> initial connection (with kissattach), and again at the moment at  
>> which the connection stops working.
>>
>> Now, if I go and kill 'kissattach', I get to try again - and it  
>> works for another few minutes.
>>
>> Do I need mkiss for my single-port TNC? Seems like might just be  
>> getting in the way and guessing that my TNC is fancier than it is…
>>
>> I must say I'm utterly flummoxed. The TNC works fine in Windows,  
>> and Xastir with a direct serial KISS setup. And what's more, this  
>> is relatively new. I set this up originally and ran Xastir over the  
>> AX25 port for about 36 hours straight, with no problems, but it  
>> hasn't worked since. I even reinstalled the OS to no avail (needed  
>> to do it anyway).
>>
>> Anyone have any clever ideas? I'm out of places to look.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> -Robert KC2YWE--
>> 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
>
> --
> To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-hams" in
> the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org
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>

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