[nos-bbs] some timid questions

[Sky (Jim Schuyler)]

The JNOS compile on Pi is the proverbial piece o' cake.

Just to show you how easy...

I set up a directory /jnos2 then...

cd /jnos2
rsync -av www.langelaar.net::jnos2 .
tar xvzf jnos_2.0m.3_patch.tar.g

make clean
./configure
make

...process is from information in

    https://www.langelaar.net/jnos2/documents/changes.txt

I just ran this half an hour ago and easily made a new JNOS executable
for some testing I'm doing. As I recall, there were no compilers or
other junk I had to install months ago when I started this. I think that
once I figured out the process above it just compiled right out of the box.

—Sky

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Sky" (Jim Schuyler)
—Amateur Radio AA6AX
http://aa6ax.us/

On 7/21/20 2:35 PM, MJ Inabnit wrote:
> Thanks for the reply Sky.  Cool that you got it working in SF area.
>
> I am on packet now.  In fact, I have the strongest signal in Humboldt on
> my tower with the high gain antenna.  The radio side I am very
> comfortable with, software side, with all the esoteric terms/arguments
> is what hamper me.  The goal is to enable a larger packet net check in.
>  I have had a couple of ops on the other side of the mountain ask me
> about this.  They would like to be able to check in via the wide node
> network up and down the I-5 interstate.  So I am trying to work toward
> that direction.
>
> Hopefully there is some documentation on using the PI with Jnos, the
> build tools needed etc.  I used to compile jnos for MANY people here
> back in the day using old windows 3.1!  hahaha..  I think I used an old
> copy of Borland<?> to make the executables.
>
> Agn, TU for reply and good luck on your end!
> 73
> Jaye ke6sls
>
> On 7/21/20 2:08 PM, Sky (Jim Schuyler) wrote:
>> One nice thing about Raspbian and Raspi is that the "hard drive" resides
>> on a cheap SD card. And there's an easy way to clone the SD card. So one
>> could give you a fully-functional OS with JNOS installed and operating,
>> on a cloned SD card, and you'd have to buy the Raspi, but then just plug
>> in the SD card, turn it on, and go through some minor discovery and
>> configuration to "make it your own."
>>
>> I just did this here in San Francisco with a friend (KJ6PTX Richard) and
>> we're still struggling with a few aspects of the configuration, but
>> largely it worked.
>>
>> We have not told JNOS about the Internet. Instead the Raspi hooks in to
>> our wi-fi (in the house). I have interfaced JNOS to outbound email,
>> inbound email, and have automated the pickup of email and packet
>> messages using Python scripts that run every few minutes. (So there was
>> no need for us to configure a mail gateway or 44-net within JNOS.) We
>> use regular ol' email apps to send and receive our packet messages as
>> well as our Internet-based email (gmail, etc.) All from the little
>> Raspi. (Ah, and we also don't have any keyboards, mice or displays on
>> the Raspi. We view a virtual (VNC) Raspi screen from any other computer
>> instead.)
>>
>> The things I personally find more channelging are the radio and the TNC.
>> I use an MFJ TNC-X which is the same as the TNC-X ... plugs into USB on
>> the Pi. It requires wiring a cable to the radio, which I found almost
>> more challenging than the software, as the pre-configured cables didn't
>> work for me and I had to wire up one of my own. And you gotta put up the
>> radio and antenna. But that's what hams do, I guess.
>>
>> Here's another suggestion. You might want to get a cheap SDR to do some
>> on-air listening. These SDR's can hear 2m radio pretty easily. I have
>> one here in San Francisco that can hear N0ARY (BBS) on Mt. Umunum about
>> 60 miles away. Using the SDR you can perhaps gauge whether you already
>> can hear some stations somewhere. 2m is propagation-challenged, of
>> course, but maybe there's somebody in range.
>>
>> -Sky
>>
>> A little more detail available at https://aa6ax.us/p just to give you a
>> peek.
>>
>> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>> "Sky" (Jim Schuyler)
>> —Amateur Radio AA6AX
>> http://aa6ax.us/
>>
>> On 7/21/20 12:34 PM, MJ Inabnit wrote:
>>> Hi all,
>>>
>>> I ran a Jnos network here in Eureka(!) California into the early 2000's.
>>>  I think I was issued six IP's then.  I recall the HUGE learning curve
>>> to make them function well with the great help of Bob in Sacramento--no
>>> longer recall his call sign but I think he was a professional truck
>>> driver and great Jnos guru then.  Activity completely stopped with hams
>>> switching to the Internet, and I couldn't justify keeping a computer
>>> running 24/7, so I turned it off.
>>>
>>> I've moved into a little house and now there is a new resurgence of
>>> packet activity, but we are now completely isolated beyond any usable
>>> mountain top nodes.
>>>
>>> Getting new nodes on our mountains will take a huge effort.  So I'd like
>>> to revisit using Jnos on a Rpi since a local ham has gifted a version 3
>>> pi to me.
>>>
>>> The problem is if I can get it up and running.  The program is not an
>>> easy thing to configure and I find a lot of traffic on this reflector is
>>> quite above my head.
>>>
>>> What I would like to do is find a second station that is capable and
>>> willing to link via Internet a gateway to the I-5 corridor for users to
>>> find more activity.  But the hurdle of getting a simple configuration
>>> has me concerned--would I be able to do it, or even keep it running??
>>>
>>> Perhaps there is a simpler way--maybe not Jnos but some other program?
>>>
>>> I could sure use some suggestions and guidance.
>>>
>>> PS  I think my old IP's may have been given away or possibly sold?
>>>
>>> Thank you, 73
>>> Jaye ke6sls
>>>
>
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