f5vmr/svxlinkdb4rptr-uk

Dashboard SVXLINK for FM repeaters and FM simplex systems

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Dashboard for SVXLINK for public repeaters

This is a rework, not fork in the proper sense, based at codebase https://github.com/FM-POLAND/hs_dashboard_pi (created by SP2ONG, SP0DZ). Many thanks to these guys for their excellent work.

Preamble

This dashboard is re-designed for use with public repeaters (duplex) in hamradio, less for hotspots (I mean FM-simplex systems, but it works too). Beware, this all is a work-in-progress and I will fix things in the code. Please check for regularly updates from time to time of this dashboard, so please keep it up-to-date.

Changes from the original

For better use with public repeaters some things are different

• remove audio player and audio stuff complete for saving data rates if the repeater has only a network connection like LTE
• read the most config values now from the svxlink config files automatic
• the visibility and usability of control buttons depend on source network/source IP (private networks or public internet) for making the dashboard accessible from internet (if needed)
• change some status views for more clarity
• add additional functionality for [RepeaterLogic]
• startup check if all required config files are available
• remove most of hard-coded things, which significantly limit the functionality for flexible use
• make the config.php update-safe by add a new user-defined file config.inc.php
• remove all SA818/DRA818 stuff for hotspots, not needed by repeaters
• remove web-editing of svxlink.conf, not a good idea, that was already a dangerous thing with PiStar

Requirements

• installed git support
• a running SVXLINK by SM0SVX https://github.com/sm0svx/svxlink
• a webserver with php7 activated (I recommend lighttpd rather than nginx, development and testing dashboard only with lighttpd too)
• the webserver needs to be run as user svxlink, otherwise the DTMF controls via webinterface maybe be not working (there are some limitations if using PTYs)
• activate/install php-curl for read the status from SVXReflector via his API
• basic knowledge of using and working with Linux :) This piece of software is not plug'n'play !

Please add 2 new variables in your svxlink.conf:

[ReflectorLogic]
...
# set the name of your network
FMNET=FM-Funknetz.de
# set the API access to your SVXReflector
API=https://status.thueringen.link
...

It is strongly recommended, for protect the SDCard if using a Raspberry Pi, that the logging from SVXLINK and from the httpd is running at a ramdisk and, if possible, turn off the swap. You can change the logpath of SVXLINK in /etc/default/svxlink and restart SVXLINK for activation.

A ramdisk can be added in /etc/fstab. For example, add the following line there for a ramdisk with 64MB for new logfile in /var/log/dv/svxlink :

tmpfs           /var/log/dv     tmpfs   nodev,noatime,nosuid,mode=0777,size=64m         0       0

Installation

As I say before, the httpd (webserver) needs to be run as user svxlink, otherwise the DTMF control function via webinterface don't work. As default the webserver run as user www-data. You need to change this in the webserver config file, depend on httpd you use (ngninx, apache2, lighttpd). The user svxlink is not a privileged user and hasn't root rights. From the view of security this is not a problem, if the httpd/webserver runs as user svxlink.

$ cd /var/www
$ sudo mv html html.old
$ sudo git clone https://github.com/dl1bz/svxlinkdb4rptr.git html
$ sudo chown -R svxlink:svxlink html

Important: Start your webbrowser now and access the dashboard like a normal website.

After that, a new file include/config.inc.php will be saved, if it not already exists. Edit this file with your own values. This file is update-safe and will be not overwritten, if you do an update.

$ cd /var/www/html/include
$ sudo nano config.inc.php

Update the dashboard

If you want to make an update of dashboard (frequently recommended):

$ cd /var/www/html
$ sudo git pull

After update please look at the /var/www/html/include/config.inc.php.example if there are new defintions of new functions. If yes, you need to copy by hand the additional lines to /var/www/html/include/config.inc.php.

If there is an error message like fatal: detected dubious ownership in repository at '/var/www/html' please do this one time:

$ cd /var/www
$ sudo chown -R svxlink:svxlink html
$ sudo git config --global --add safe.directory /var/www/html

Then try again:

$ cd /var/www/html
$ sudo git pull

Now it should be worked correctly.

Update the TG-List (FM-Funknetz DL only!)

You can update the TG-List. At the moment only the German FM-Funknetz is supported.

Requirements:

• installed python3 and pip3 (if not pip3 installed, do sudo apt-get install python3-pip)
• installed html-table-parser for python3 (sudo pip3 install html-table-parser-python3)
• installed sed (normally part of every Linux distribution)

$ cd /var/www/html/scripts
$ sudo ./tgdb_update.sh

For automatic update the TG-List you can create a cron job and execute tgdb_update.sh regularly.

Have fun with SVXLINK Dashboard for repeater !

Known bugs

Important: Please use ever the latest version of this package and update regularly. I'm constantly working on it and fix bugs.

• I develop this Dashbaord with Raspian light Bullseye/Debian11 and lighttpd as webserver with enabled PHP support 7.x, PHP >= 8.x NOT supported at this time, sorry ! I prepare a new version, which will be running with PHP8 too. But it need some major code changes for PHP8, please be patient for that.
• use a Raspberry Pi >= 2B or higher or similiar clones. Slow systems like Raspberry Pi Zero are NOT supported, because a webserver needs some cpu power for good working
• use ram-disks if possible for running 24/7 to protect the SD card and minimize the I/O cycles at the SD card storage filesystem
• the additional PHP module php-curl and php-xml need to be installed too, otherwise some functions are not available or don't work
• For the Dashboard we need a SVXLINK managed by systemd (default setup for SVXLINK), older things like init.d are NOT supported !
• If httpd is nginx, there are some minor problems around PHP, I recommend use lighttpd as httpd
• if possible, use the latest version of Raspian, which is at this time based at Bullseye/Debian11 and do regularly updates

Final words for note

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it how you want. This codebase is a "work in progress","as is" without any kind of support. This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

73 Heiko, DL1BZ