        MicroSat Ground Station Software for Linux and X-Windows.

                                John Melton
                                g0orx/n6lyt
                        internet: g0orx@amsat.org

This is the third ALPHA release (0.6) of my MicroSat ground station software
for Linux and X-Windows.

This software is available by anonymous ftp from:

   ftp.ucsd.edu:/hamradio/packet/tcpip/incoming/microsat-0.6.tar.gz
   ftp.funet.fi:/pub/ham/satellite/microsat/microsat-0.6.tar.gz

To run this software you must be running a linux kernel that has had the
AX.25 protocol package (from Alan Cox - GW4PTS) added to it. I have also
uploaded this as AX25018.tar.gz, which should be applied to the kernel
version 1.1.12.

History

     0.4  first ALPHA release
     0.5  second ALPHA release
             Uploading of AX.25 package to funet and ucsd.
             Improved hole list management in xpb.
     0.6  third ALPHA release
             Fixed problem in directory.c not freeing memory.
             Makefile changes.
             Rebuilt and tested using:
                  gcc 2.5.8
                  libc 4.5.24
                  X-386 2.1
                  xview 3.2
                  kernel 1.1.12
                  AX25.018 kermel patches


Inroduction

All the programs are written using the OpenLook toolkit, but should work 
with other X-Windows window managers (i.e. tm).

This release consists of the following cwprogramsapplications:

       xpb             - broadcast monitor.
       directory       - directory list viewer.
       downloaded      - downloaded file list viewer.
       viewtext        - uncompressed ASCII text file viewer.
       upload          - message upload application.
       message         - message preparation application.

Also included are:

       lha             - unpack an lhz compressed file.
       unzip           - unpack a PKZIP file.
       xloadimage      - an X-Windows image viewer that has been
                               modified to display EIS images (directly
                               from the .dl file,  and from the extracted
                               file).

You should note that this is still ALPHA release software (as is the 
AX.25 package for the kernel),  and I am continuing to develop this 
software.  I believe that is now in a state that others can give me some 
good feedback.

The release includes all the source,  and I encourage others to help 
develop this software package.  I would appreciate hearing from anyone 
that is planning to make fixes/changes/enhancements to the software,  so 
that I can try to co-ordinate future releases.

Please send e-mail via internet to g0orx@amsat.org



Installing the software
-----------------------

From the root directory, extract the software from the tar file.  This 
will install the software in the directory /usr/local.  The directory 
tree will contain the following:

       microsat/bin
       microsat/src
       microsat/pacsat
       microsat/kitsat-a

Add /usr/local/microsat/bin to your PATH.

Create a directory for each satellite that you are going to work,  and 
create a start script in each.  There are samples for pacsat and kitsat-
a.  The start script sets up two environment variables,  MYCALL and 
SATELLITE.  These specify your callsign and the callsign of the satellite 
without any suffix.  The start script also starts up xpb, upload, 
directory and downloaded.

Running the software
--------------------

Setup your TNC in KISS mode for the satellite,  change directory to the 
one created for the satellite,  and run the start script. Four windows 
shoudl appear.

xpb:

       This program collects the broadcast data from the satellite.
       You can click on the 'Directory Fill' button to send a request
       to the satellite to get your directory updated.  You can enter
       a file id (currently lowercase 'a'..'f'), and then click on the
       'File Fill' button to send a request to the satellite to fill
       or send a file.

directory:

       This program displays the collected directory.

       The 'Update' button lets you update the listbox with the latest
       directory entries received by xpb (note that there is no automatic
       update of this list as new directory entries are received).

       The 'Fill Directory' buuton will send a request to xpb to
       transmit a request to the satellite to fill the holes in your
       directory.

       The 'Fill File' button will send a request to xpb to transmit
       a hole fill (or file send) request to the satellite for the
       currently selected file in the listbox.

       The 'View' menu lets you display all the directory entries (All), 
       mail to or from you (My Mail) or broadcast messages (Broadcast)
       that have All as their destination.

downloaded:

       This program displays a list of downloaded files in a similar
       manner to the directory program.

       The 'Update' button lets you update the listbox with the latest
       downloaded files received by xpb (note that there is no automatic
       update of this list as new files are received).

       The 'Extract' button will extract the currently selected file
       in the listbox into a subdirectory called msgs.

       The 'View File' button will try to display the currently selected
       file.  This only works if the file is an uncompressed ASCII
       file, or an EIS image.

       The 'Reply' button will startup a copy of the message program
       (see below),  but will fill in the destination,  and the title
       based on the currently selected message.

       The 'View' menu lets you display all the downloaded file (All), 
       mail to or from you (My Mail) or broadcast messages (Broadcast)
       that have All as their destination.

upload:

       This program displays a list of messages that have been prepared
       for uploading using message (see below).

       The 'Update' button will update the list of files prepared for
       uploading.

       The 'Message' button will bring up the message preparation program
       with only the source field filled in.

       The 'Upload' button will try to connect to the satellite and
       upload the file.

       Note that the initial message Id will be 0,  but will change to 
       the
       actual imessage Id once the upload request has been accepted by 
       the
       satellite.  This will be used if a message is not completely 
       uploaded
       in one session,  so that it can be continued on another pass.

       The Status message will show the current state of the upload.

message:

       This program is for preparing a message for uploading to the 
       satellite.  For simple text messages (uncompressed) there is
       an edit window that allows you to enter the text (limit of 2K).

       If you want to prepare a message that is a file,  you should
       click on the 'File' selection,  and then type in the full
       path of the file in the message text area.

       Clicking on the 'Prepare' button will create the .upl file.  To
       see this in the upload listbox,  you must click on the 'Update'
       button in the upload window.
