G2 Multi-Linking Gateway Software by VK4TUX
Aug 12, 2015 11:25:34 GMT -8
Post by AB8RG on Aug 12, 2015 11:25:34 GMT -8
Topic/Question: Where are the instructions for activating the AA4RC DPlus daemon in an Icom based D-Star repeater, using Centos 5 (32-bit) with G4KLX ircDDBGateway installed?
If there are no written instructions, what changes are made within the repeater gateway software configuration to run G2 dsipsvd (the ICom RPC2 repeater controller controller interface software), G4KLX ircDDBGateway, and the AA4RC DPlus daemon all at the same time?
A brief "bonus" rant is included near the end addressing need for a longer term solution for D-Star survival.
Reason for asking: Many club policies and host repeater site agreements only allow a minimum set of pre-approved club members to have access to the repeater site and gateway PC. Providing account information to third parties, such as D-Star gateway PC login name and password, is often not allowed per site agreement. It would be helpful for D-Star gateway maintainers to have instructions describing how to add/activate the standalone DPlus daemon to an Icom/ircDDBGateway system so they can make the changes themselves instead of granting a third party login credentials and potentially risk getting booted out of a host facility.
Background: Many Icom based D-Star repeaters started out using the Icom gateway service/daemon called dsgwd which is being replaced by G4KLX ircDDBGateway software. The reason for the replacement is G4KLX ircDDBGateway has many advanced communications features such as access to DPlus (REF) reflectors, DExtra (XRF) reflectors, DCS reflectors, CCS advanced callsign routing, STARnet talk groups, DTMF keypad user control, advanced dashboard, time announcements, custom digital voice announcements, slow data announcements, and much more. The DPlus system, including reflectors and repeater DPlus daemons, and the ircDDB system are not harmonized. Therefore, a D-Star repeater gateway admin makes a choice to run the dsgwd/dplus combo on the gateway PC or the more advanced ircDDBGateway suite which also includes DPlus. If unaware of some of the benefits of using G4KLX ircDDBGateway on an Icom based repeater, please read about experiences/observations of using several Icom based D-Star repeaters with G4KLX ircDDBGateway in the Southwest Ohio area at www.qrz.com/db/AB8RG .
As an Icom D-Star repeater gateway admin, the current practice is to disable the independent DPlus daemon/service and use the DPlus feature contained in the G4KLX ircDDBgateway package. Here is an example of a repeater dsync status report page of an Icom D-Star repeater using G4KLX ircDDBGateway (embedded dplus enabled) but with the independent DPlus service off: dsync.dstar.info/gw_status.php?gw=W8RTL . The corresponding ircDDBGateway generated dashboard is here: w8rtl.gw.ircddb.net/index.php , showing the embedded DPlus function on.
Up until recently, the D-Star repeater gateway admin desiring G4KLX ircDDBGateway disabled the independent DPlus service/daemon in order to prevent malfunction within the greater D-Star system. However, a new technique is developed (by Adrian VK4TUX …. I think) makes it possible to have both G4KLX ircDDBGateway and AA4RC DPlus running at the same time on a D-Star repeater gateway PC. Here is an example of an Icom D-Star repeater dsync status report page of an Icom repeater using G4KLX ircDDBGateway and the independent AA4RC DPlus daemon: dsync.dstar.info/gw_status.php?gw=ZL2VH . Notice dplus along with the process owner and process ID is listed in the "Last Status Reported:" block, meaning the DPlus service/daemon is active. The corresponding ircDDBGateway generated dashboard is here: 123.255.47.67/ , with the ircddbgateway dashboard "Configuration" indicator shown as off; "red balled". The dashboard shows a key characteristic of the G4KLX ircDDBGateway / AA4RC DPlus meld -- the two dashboards are still independent, but can be shown on one webpage siamesed together. This is not an integrated solution, but is a federated one working around the issue of independent development of D-Star components over time. However, it is a notable achievement each time an innovative ham can navigate through the maze of mostly compatible D-Star components and get something to work.
There may be something beneficial to activating the AA4RC DPlus daemon in an Icom based D-Star repeater using G4KLX ircDDBGateway for RF users, but I can't think of any. I believe the biggest benefit will be for DV Dongle and DV-AP "internet D-Star users" (by Internet Labs - AA4RC) who do not want to change their device software and only want to connect to DPlus (REF) reflectors. There are a number of users who can't, won't, or don't know how to change the device software they use with Internet Labs products. Many of the rest of the internet D-Star device users download one or more of the many pre-imaged G4KLX ircDDBgateway options such as DStar Commander -- w6kd.boards.net/thread/2/dstar-commander-public-release-download , WesternStarUK -- www.westerndstar.co.uk/html/downloads.html , KC4YOZ HotSpot -- www.metro-uhf.org/kc4yoz/dvap/yoz-pi2-setup-instructions.html , and Maryland D-Star -- www.maryland-dstar.org/ to name a few. Instead of just DPlus connectivity, users installing one of the above images get everything else G4KLX ircDDBGateway has to offer, in addition.
Bonus Rant:
Enough of figuring out how to patch systems together without instructions. Perhaps the best long term solution is for the D-Star community to re-investigate the requirement for a user registration and distribution system. Yaesu System Fusion does not seem to need a cumbersome registration system. Perhaps they feel having a legal FCC license is enough registration. The burden of the legacy D-Star registration system is considerable on both system performance, in attracting new D-Star users, and in keeping existing D-Star users. Maybe it is time to discard the registration system and look into the future with an enhancement of the ircDDB system, since it performs so well. D-Star users are ready for a new system which is more monolithic, i.e., not a collection of components patched together. Yaesu System Fusion is starting out with a clean sheet of paper and can evolve their system into something great and avoid the pitfalls of D-Star by looking at the numerous D-Star lessons learned.
Getting D-Star to the maturity point it is at today was difficult enough. Keeping it there will be just as difficult. There is no reason, except for human personality, for D-Star to be left behind. D-Star can reinvent itself and stay a leading digital communication tool for amateur radio.
P.S. The Centos 5 linux operating system, which all Icom repeaters have installed, will not receive updates after March 31, 2017 (Approx One and a half years from August 2015), so maybe it is time to make a major change anyway.
Centos-5 End of life reference - wiki.centos.org/FAQ/General#head-fe8a0be91ee3e7dea812e8694491e1dde5b75e6d
Partial file references to those mentioned above - not an all inclusive listing (along with their main config files):
Icom dsipsvd -- /opt/products/dstar/dstar_gw/dsipsvd/dsipsvd ; /opt/products/dstar/dstar_gw/dsipsvd/dsipsvd.conf (config file) ; /etc/rc.d/init.d/dstar_gw (startup script)
Icom dsgwd -- /opt/products/dstar/dstar_gw/dsgwd ; /opt/products/dstar/dstar_gw/dsgwd/dsgwd.conf (config file) ; /etc/rc.d/init.d/dstar_gw (startup script)
G4KLX ircDDBGateway -- /etc/rc.d/init.d/ircddbgateway (startup script) ; /etc/ircddbgateway (config file) ; restarted and configured by /usr/local/bin/ircddbgw_conf ; also configured by /usr/local/bin/ircddbgatewayconfig
AA4RC dplus -- /etc/rc.d/init.d/dplus (startup script) ; /dstar/tools/dplus.conf (config file)
Thank you for any help.
73, Greg AB8RG
If there are no written instructions, what changes are made within the repeater gateway software configuration to run G2 dsipsvd (the ICom RPC2 repeater controller controller interface software), G4KLX ircDDBGateway, and the AA4RC DPlus daemon all at the same time?
A brief "bonus" rant is included near the end addressing need for a longer term solution for D-Star survival.
Reason for asking: Many club policies and host repeater site agreements only allow a minimum set of pre-approved club members to have access to the repeater site and gateway PC. Providing account information to third parties, such as D-Star gateway PC login name and password, is often not allowed per site agreement. It would be helpful for D-Star gateway maintainers to have instructions describing how to add/activate the standalone DPlus daemon to an Icom/ircDDBGateway system so they can make the changes themselves instead of granting a third party login credentials and potentially risk getting booted out of a host facility.
Background: Many Icom based D-Star repeaters started out using the Icom gateway service/daemon called dsgwd which is being replaced by G4KLX ircDDBGateway software. The reason for the replacement is G4KLX ircDDBGateway has many advanced communications features such as access to DPlus (REF) reflectors, DExtra (XRF) reflectors, DCS reflectors, CCS advanced callsign routing, STARnet talk groups, DTMF keypad user control, advanced dashboard, time announcements, custom digital voice announcements, slow data announcements, and much more. The DPlus system, including reflectors and repeater DPlus daemons, and the ircDDB system are not harmonized. Therefore, a D-Star repeater gateway admin makes a choice to run the dsgwd/dplus combo on the gateway PC or the more advanced ircDDBGateway suite which also includes DPlus. If unaware of some of the benefits of using G4KLX ircDDBGateway on an Icom based repeater, please read about experiences/observations of using several Icom based D-Star repeaters with G4KLX ircDDBGateway in the Southwest Ohio area at www.qrz.com/db/AB8RG .
As an Icom D-Star repeater gateway admin, the current practice is to disable the independent DPlus daemon/service and use the DPlus feature contained in the G4KLX ircDDBgateway package. Here is an example of a repeater dsync status report page of an Icom D-Star repeater using G4KLX ircDDBGateway (embedded dplus enabled) but with the independent DPlus service off: dsync.dstar.info/gw_status.php?gw=W8RTL . The corresponding ircDDBGateway generated dashboard is here: w8rtl.gw.ircddb.net/index.php , showing the embedded DPlus function on.
Up until recently, the D-Star repeater gateway admin desiring G4KLX ircDDBGateway disabled the independent DPlus service/daemon in order to prevent malfunction within the greater D-Star system. However, a new technique is developed (by Adrian VK4TUX …. I think) makes it possible to have both G4KLX ircDDBGateway and AA4RC DPlus running at the same time on a D-Star repeater gateway PC. Here is an example of an Icom D-Star repeater dsync status report page of an Icom repeater using G4KLX ircDDBGateway and the independent AA4RC DPlus daemon: dsync.dstar.info/gw_status.php?gw=ZL2VH . Notice dplus along with the process owner and process ID is listed in the "Last Status Reported:" block, meaning the DPlus service/daemon is active. The corresponding ircDDBGateway generated dashboard is here: 123.255.47.67/ , with the ircddbgateway dashboard "Configuration" indicator shown as off; "red balled". The dashboard shows a key characteristic of the G4KLX ircDDBGateway / AA4RC DPlus meld -- the two dashboards are still independent, but can be shown on one webpage siamesed together. This is not an integrated solution, but is a federated one working around the issue of independent development of D-Star components over time. However, it is a notable achievement each time an innovative ham can navigate through the maze of mostly compatible D-Star components and get something to work.
There may be something beneficial to activating the AA4RC DPlus daemon in an Icom based D-Star repeater using G4KLX ircDDBGateway for RF users, but I can't think of any. I believe the biggest benefit will be for DV Dongle and DV-AP "internet D-Star users" (by Internet Labs - AA4RC) who do not want to change their device software and only want to connect to DPlus (REF) reflectors. There are a number of users who can't, won't, or don't know how to change the device software they use with Internet Labs products. Many of the rest of the internet D-Star device users download one or more of the many pre-imaged G4KLX ircDDBgateway options such as DStar Commander -- w6kd.boards.net/thread/2/dstar-commander-public-release-download , WesternStarUK -- www.westerndstar.co.uk/html/downloads.html , KC4YOZ HotSpot -- www.metro-uhf.org/kc4yoz/dvap/yoz-pi2-setup-instructions.html , and Maryland D-Star -- www.maryland-dstar.org/ to name a few. Instead of just DPlus connectivity, users installing one of the above images get everything else G4KLX ircDDBGateway has to offer, in addition.
Bonus Rant:
Enough of figuring out how to patch systems together without instructions. Perhaps the best long term solution is for the D-Star community to re-investigate the requirement for a user registration and distribution system. Yaesu System Fusion does not seem to need a cumbersome registration system. Perhaps they feel having a legal FCC license is enough registration. The burden of the legacy D-Star registration system is considerable on both system performance, in attracting new D-Star users, and in keeping existing D-Star users. Maybe it is time to discard the registration system and look into the future with an enhancement of the ircDDB system, since it performs so well. D-Star users are ready for a new system which is more monolithic, i.e., not a collection of components patched together. Yaesu System Fusion is starting out with a clean sheet of paper and can evolve their system into something great and avoid the pitfalls of D-Star by looking at the numerous D-Star lessons learned.
Getting D-Star to the maturity point it is at today was difficult enough. Keeping it there will be just as difficult. There is no reason, except for human personality, for D-Star to be left behind. D-Star can reinvent itself and stay a leading digital communication tool for amateur radio.
We need to keep up with the times or the times will go right past us!
P.S. The Centos 5 linux operating system, which all Icom repeaters have installed, will not receive updates after March 31, 2017 (Approx One and a half years from August 2015), so maybe it is time to make a major change anyway.
Centos-5 End of life reference - wiki.centos.org/FAQ/General#head-fe8a0be91ee3e7dea812e8694491e1dde5b75e6d
Partial file references to those mentioned above - not an all inclusive listing (along with their main config files):
Icom dsipsvd -- /opt/products/dstar/dstar_gw/dsipsvd/dsipsvd ; /opt/products/dstar/dstar_gw/dsipsvd/dsipsvd.conf (config file) ; /etc/rc.d/init.d/dstar_gw (startup script)
Icom dsgwd -- /opt/products/dstar/dstar_gw/dsgwd ; /opt/products/dstar/dstar_gw/dsgwd/dsgwd.conf (config file) ; /etc/rc.d/init.d/dstar_gw (startup script)
G4KLX ircDDBGateway -- /etc/rc.d/init.d/ircddbgateway (startup script) ; /etc/ircddbgateway (config file) ; restarted and configured by /usr/local/bin/ircddbgw_conf ; also configured by /usr/local/bin/ircddbgatewayconfig
AA4RC dplus -- /etc/rc.d/init.d/dplus (startup script) ; /dstar/tools/dplus.conf (config file)
Thank you for any help.
73, Greg AB8RG