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INITIAL_SETUP.md

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Initial installation steps for the accessory tools

As FAASGS relies on some extra tools I will give here a basic guide for each one.

warning Warning: all the installation steps mentioned here need root privileges, typically just making a sudo -i in the console to gain root is enough.

  • Web server + PHP support

You need a web server with php installed (at least version 7.x, no MySQL or MariaDB support needed), google has a lot of guides indexed, just google for "install nginx and php in [your-operating-system]"

RaspiOS/Raspbian users: follow this tutorial about how to enable php support for nginx.

Armbian users: can follow any tutorial for the flavour of your version (Debian 9 or Ubuntu 20.04) and you will be fine.

  • Predict

You need to install predict the software to make predictions of satellite passes.

For RaspiOS / Raspbian:

sudo apt install predict

For Armbian you need to compile it from source, you can get it from the Predict home page.

After installing predict for any distro, you need to do this additional steps to make it run properly:

sudo -i
mkdir /root/.predict
cd /root/.predict
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kd2bd/predict/master/default/predict.db
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kd2bd/predict/master/default/predict.tle
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kd2bd/predict/master/default/predict.qth
# Next step only if using a Rasberry Pi board
ln -s /root/.predict /home/pi/.predict

Then edit the file predict.qth with this command nano /root/.predict/predict.qth to reflect your location settings, it needs to contain something like this:

CO7WT
 21.xxxx
 77.xxxx
 100

That's the equivalent for:

  • CO7WT (me, use N0CALL or your name without spaces if you are not an amateur radio operator)
  • Latitude: 21.xxxx N
  • Longitude: 77.xxxx W
  • Altitude: 99.908 m (Above mean sea level)

Watchout! there is a space in front of the Lat/Lon/Alt parameters, to sign it belongs to CO7WT.

  • WXtoImage

This wonderful piece of software was deprecated by the original authors but a group of enthusiast keep it alive in the Restored WXtoImage site.

Just download it here: WXtoImage deb package for ARM or browse the site for other architectures.

To install it copy it to your SBC computer and run (Debian based distribution):

sudo dpkg -i wxtoimg-armhf-2.11.2-beta.deb
# [ignore errors if any]
sudo aptitude install -f
# [this will fix any dependency error listed above]

registration of wxtoimg

I provided an example wxtoimgrc file with the public registration included, edit it and set the location and altitude data, then copy it to /root/.wxtoimgrc, just modify this part on the file:

Ground Station: (user's location: city, country, like: Camaguey, Cuba)
Latitude: (positive North, like: 22.xxx)
Longitude: (negative West, like -77.xxx)
Altitude: (altitude above mean sea level, like: 100)

See the file if in doubt.

  • Utilities

You need at least git and make, in most linux (including SBCs) you are set by running this:

sudo apt install git make
  • Accurate Time source and timezone

Yes, the prediction relies on an precise timing, usually you has your SBC/PC connected to the home internet and the OS has all the tools to sync to an internet time server pool, at least Raspbian/RaspiOS and Armbian do.

If you don't has an active internet connection you can use a RTC module on your SBC, see this tutorial from Adafruit to know more. I'm using this way + the one below.

Or even on extreme cases you can get an GPS module to sync the SBC clock, but that's a lot more trickier.

You need to setup also your timezone, Armbian and RaspiOS has that covered with their own tools (armbian-config and raspi-config), follow the menu system to get your timezone right.

On all Debian based systems you can do sudo dpkg-reconfigure tzdata to accomplish that also.

You are done, get back to the README.md file and continue with the setup.