+22Sep02=======================================================================
+1. Add changes to the installation manual for Windows users from K1XX
21Sep02=======================================================================
1. make some detail changes for connects out in Msg.pm
17Sep02=======================================================================
</H2>
<P>
-From version 1.47 there is a new (more efficient) way of doing this
+>From version 1.47 there is a new (more efficient) way of doing this
(see next section) but, if you prefer, the method of doing it described
here will continue to work just fine.
<P>
<H2><A NAME="ss4.3">4.3 Setting up telnet connects (from 1.47 onwards)</A>
</H2>
-<P>From version 1.47 you can choose to allow the perl cluster.pl program to
+<P>>From version 1.47 you can choose to allow the perl cluster.pl program to
allow connections directly (i.e. not via the <CODE>/spider/src/client</CODE>
interface program). If you are using Windows then this is the only method
available of allowing incoming telnet connections.
<P><B>IMPORTANT:</B>
<P>What you'll be left with once you've followed these instructions
-is (hopefully) a working DX Spider v1.47 system that is capable
+is (hopefully) a working DX Spider v1.50 system that is capable
of accepting or originating "internet" connections, plus inbound
-AX.25 and TCP/IP radio connections. If the absence of outbound
-radio connections is a serious limitation for you, it would be
-better for you to wait a couple more weeks until this support has
-been added.
+and outbound AX.25 and TCP/IP radio connections.
<P>On the other hand, you may have an enquiring mind, or better yet,
may be looking for a useful way of connecting your current
(perhaps) AK1A cluster "to the internet" via some networking
<P>Install your chosen Perl environment. Unless you have a very good
reason for not doing so, I strongly suggest that you use
ActivePerl v5.6. For my testing & development, I used build 623.
-You can get this from:-
-<A HREF="http://www.activestate.com/Products/ActivePerl/Download.html">http://www.activestate.com/Products/ActivePerl/Download.html</A><P>You will need to choose either the MSI or the AS package. My
-recommendation is that you choose the MSI package and deal with
-the consequences if your system isn't equipped with support for
-the latest MS Installer; you'll be better off in the long run.
-The build 623 download is 7,460 KB, so now is a really good time
-to have some tea if you're on a slow dial-up connection.
+(A recent installation used the newer ActivePerl v5.6.1, build
+633 without any noticable difficulty.) You can get this from:
+<A HREF="http://www.activestate.com/Products/ActivePerl/Download.html">http://www.activestate.com/Products/ActivePerl/Download.html</A><P>The link takes you to an initial page of System Requirements and
+Software Prerequisites. If you do not have it already installed,
+you can download and install the Windows Installer 2.0 for a Win98
+installation. Be forewarned, you will have to reboot your PC at the
+completion of the installer's installation.
+<P>If you already have the installer on your PC, simply click on the
+Next arrow at the bottom of the page. Two clicks will finally get
+you to the actual download page. The MSI version of Build 633 is
+now 8.6MB in size, so make that a big cup of tea or coffee if you're
+on a slow dial-up connection.
<P>During installation, please ensure that you do choose the options
to "Add Perl to the PATH environment variable" and "Create Perl
file extension association"; it will make your life so much
DB_File.zip
</PRE>
</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
-<P>Make yourself a convenient directory to unpack all of these zip
-files into (I put mine in "D:\ppm>") and do the following (the
-bits you type in are blue ). Note that where these files land
-will be directly related to where you chose to install your
-ActivePerl (mine, as you can probably guess from what follows,
-went into "D:\Perl"):-
+<P>If this is a new installation, now would also be a good time to
+install a copy of WinZip on your PC. Make yourself a convenient
+directory to unpack all of these zip files into (I put mine in
+"D:\ppm>" but "C:\ppm" works just as well.) and do the following
+(the bits you type in are blue ). You can upzip all of the files into
+the same directory. When prompted, simply overwrite the Readme file
+from each zip package. Note that where these files land will be
+directly related to where you chose to install your ActivePerl
+(mine, as you can probably guess from what follows, went into "D:\Perl"):-
<P>
<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
<PRE>
</H2>
<P>Get the current version of the DX Spider distribution. This needs
-to be v1.47 or later. You've got two ways (currently) of getting
+to be v1.50 or later. You've got two ways (currently) of getting
this; either get a CVS update from sourceforge (if you don't know
what this is, then it isn't for you) or get the latest "official"
-release from:-
+release from:
<P>
<A HREF="http://www.dxcluster.org/download/index.html">http://www.dxcluster.org/download/index.html</A><P>or if you want the lastest snapshot of CVS version (which is produced
every night):-
the case.
<P>
<P>The only difference between "CVSlatest.tgz" and the latest
-"official" release version is that it is more up to date. Don't confuse
-this TGZ file with "Downloading from Sourceforge with CVS" - they are two
-quite different things.
-<P>
-<P>If you went down the CVS route (ie installed wincvs and downloaded from
-sourceforge), then everything will be nicely
-set out on your local disk. If you got the TGZ file, unpack it to
-somewhere convenient. The following examples assume that you put
-it on drive "C:\", for convenience.
-<P>
-<P>You will need
-<A HREF="http://www.winzip.com">winzip</A> to
-manipulate the TGZ files (they are bit like ZIP files) if you are not using CVS.
+"official" release version is that it is more up to date. <B>Do not confuse
+the "CVSlatest.tgz" file with "Downloading from Sourceforge with CVS" - they
+are two quite different things.</B> "Downloading from Sourceforge with CVS" is
+explained in a section within the Admin manual.
+<P>
+<P>If you go down the CVS route (ie installing WinCVS as explained in the Admin
+manual and downloaded from sourceforge), then everything will be nicely
+installed on your local disk. If you got the CVSlatest.tgz file, unzip
+(
+<A HREF="http://www.winzip.com">winzip</A>) it to "C:\".
+This is an important point since paths are included within the .tgz
+file. Make sure you unzip to the root directory of whichever drive you use...
+"C:\" or "D:\" or .., not "C:\spider." If you double click on CVSlatest.tgz,
+WinZip should open with a dialogue box that says the Archive contains a single
+file (CVSlatest.tar) and asks whether WinZip should decompress it to a
+temporary fold and then open it. Say "Yes" and then you will get the typical
+Classical WinZip listing of files ready for extraction. Remember, extract
+them to your desired root directory ("C:\" or "D:\" or ...). The following
+examples assume that you put it on drive "C:\", for convenience.
<P>
<HR>
<A HREF="installation-6.html">Next</A>
<HR>
<H2><A NAME="s6">6. Installing the software</A></H2>
-<P>Ensure that your CVS session or your WINunZIPped file have left you with
-a directory "C:\spider\local" and C:\spider\local_cmd"; if not, go to
-"C:\spider\" and create them. If "C:\spider" is missing, go back and
-figure out why, because it shouldn't be.
+<P>At this point you will need to create 2 additional directories under
+"C:\Spider." Make directories "C:\spider\local" and "C:\spider\local_cmd".
+If "C:\spider" is missing, go back and figure out why, because it shouldn't be.
<P>Now create your own local copy of the DXVars.pm file by:-
<P>
<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
c:\spider\local\DXVars.pm
</PRE>
</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
-<P>Now you'll need to edit this file using a text editor. If nothing
+<P>Now you'll need to edit this file using a text editor like Notepad. If nothing
else, you can simply
<P>
<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
a "$" character in one of the above strings (typically in $myemail) you must
write them as "\@" or "\$".
<P>
-<P>
<H2><A NAME="ss6.1">6.1 Incoming telnets</A>
</H2>
<P>If you want to enable inbound "TELNET" connections (or you are running
-Windows NT, 2000 or XP), you've got a little more work to do. From a
+Windows 98, NT, 2000 or XP), you've got a little more work to do. From a
handy "DOS box" that's not doing anything else, do the following:-
<P>
<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
notepad listeners.pm
</PRE>
</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
-<P>The following lines need attention:-
+<P>The following line need attention:-
<P>
<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
<PRE>
-["0.0.0.0", 7300],
+# ["0.0.0.0", 7300],
</PRE>
</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>On my machine, I've simply uncommented the "0.0.0.0" entry by
removing the '#' from the front of the line.
<P><B>You MUST carry out this step if you are
-running on a Windows NT, 2000 or XP based system</B>
+running on a Windows 98, NT, 2000 or XP based system</B>
<P>If you don't have a static hostname for your machine, and you
intend to allow folk to connect to your machine across the
internet, then I'd suggest you pay a visit to www.dyndns.org and
create one for yourself. While it's free, it will take a modest
-an amount of effort on your part to read, understand and
+amount of effort on your part to read, understand and
implement what needs to be done to set this up.
<P>
<P>If your machine is connected to the internet <B>and</B> you don't
</H2>
<P>On the assumption that you'll be using the SV2AGW Packet Engine
-to interface your radios to the cluster, you should now create
-your own local copy of AGWConnect.pm by:-
+to interface your radios to the cluster, it would be a good idea to
+download the Packet Engine software! You can get this software from:
+<P>
+<A HREF="http://www.raag.org/sv2agw/agwpe.zip">http://www.raag.org/sv2agw/agwpe.zip</A><P>Depending upon your TNCs, you may also need to get:
+<P>
+<A HREF="http://www.raag.org/sv2agw/drivers.zip">http://www.raag.org/sv2agw/drivers.zip</A><P>A couple of the tools:
+<P>
+<A HREF="http://www.raag.org/sv2agw/agwterm.zip">http://www.raag.org/sv2agw/agwterm.zip</A><P>
+<A HREF="http://www.raag.org/sv2agw/agwmonitor.zip">http://www.raag.org/sv2agw/agwmonitor.zip</A><P>will also help with troubleshooting of the RF links themselves.
+<P>Install and configure AGWPE. You should now create your own local copy of
+AGWConnect.pm by:-
<P>
<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
<PRE>
<LI>$login - the login ID you chose when you set up the SV2AGW security :-)</LI>
<LI>$passwd - password that matches $login</LI>
</UL>
+<P>The login ID and passwd only need to be set if you are accessing AGW separately
+via its web interface. This interface is normally not needed for use with DXSpider.
<P>
<H2><A NAME="ss6.3">6.3 Setting up the initial user files</A>
</H2>
<P>
<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
<PRE>
-DXSpider DX Cluster Version 1.47
-Copyright (c) 1998-2001 Dirk Koopman G1TLH
+DXSpider DX Cluster Version 1.50
+Copyright (c) 1998-2002 Dirk Koopman G1TLH
loading prefixes ...
loading band data ...
loading user file system ...
<P>
<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
<PRE>
-Hello Iain, this is GB7SJP in Amersham, Bucks running DXSpider V1.47
+Hello Iain, this is GB7SJP in Amersham, Bucks running DXSpider V1.50
Cluster: 1 nodes, 1 local / 1 total users Max users 2 Uptime 0 00:00
M0ADI de GB7SJP 4-Mar-2001 1511Z >
</PRE>
<HR>
<H1>The DXSpider Installation Manual v1.50</H1>
-<H2>Iain Philipps, G0RDI (g0rdi@77hz.com) and
-Ian Maude, G0VGS, (g0vgs@gb7mbc.net)</H2>July 2002 revision 0.3
+<H2>Iain Philipps, G0RDI (g0rdi@77hz.com),
+Ian Maude, G0VGS, (g0vgs@gb7mbc.net) and Charlie
+Carroll, K1XX, (k1xx@ptcnh.net)</H2>September 2002 revision 0.4
<P><HR>
<EM>A reference for SysOps of the DXSpider DXCluster program.</EM>
<HR>
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<META NAME="GENERATOR" CONTENT="SGML-Tools 1.0.9">
- <TITLE>The DXSpider User Manual v1.49: Introduction</TITLE>
+ <TITLE>The DXSpider User Manual v1.50: Introduction</TITLE>
<LINK HREF="usermanual-2.html" REL=next>
<LINK HREF="usermanual.html#toc1" REL=contents>
relatively old DOS software today.
<P>There are several new compatible cluster programs around now,
including DXSpider. DXSpider is a clone of PacketCluster software that runs
-under the Linux operating system. Linux is fast becoming the choice
-for amateur radio stations because of it's flexibility, reliability
-and the lack of the memory limitations of DOS. Linux supports
+under several operating systems including Linux and Windows. Linux is fast
+becoming the choice for amateur radio stations because of it's flexibility,
+reliability and the lack of the memory limitations of DOS. Linux supports
multitasking and is also multiuser. It has support for AX25, ROSE,
NetROM and TCPIP built in, making it the ideal choice for amateur
radio. It is also totally free!
exercise in perl programming. It has developed rapidly and today is a
very powerful cluster program. It was designed to be totally compatible
with the AK1A program, although several commands have been extended to
-try and improve functionality.
+improve functionality.
<P>This manual is designed to help you become familiar with the commands
that DXSpider supports and to help you get the best from the program so
you can enjoy working that rare DX! As DXSpider is being improved all the
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<META NAME="GENERATOR" CONTENT="SGML-Tools 1.0.9">
- <TITLE>The DXSpider User Manual v1.49: Filtering (From version 1.45)</TITLE>
+ <TITLE>The DXSpider User Manual v1.50: Filtering (From version 1.45)</TITLE>
<LINK HREF="usermanual-11.html" REL=next>
<LINK HREF="usermanual-9.html" REL=previous>
<LINK HREF="usermanual.html#toc10" REL=contents>
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<META NAME="GENERATOR" CONTENT="SGML-Tools 1.0.9">
- <TITLE>The DXSpider User Manual v1.49: Hints, tips and common questions.</TITLE>
+ <TITLE>The DXSpider User Manual v1.50: Hints, tips and common questions.</TITLE>
<LINK HREF="usermanual-12.html" REL=next>
<LINK HREF="usermanual-10.html" REL=previous>
<LINK HREF="usermanual.html#toc11" REL=contents>
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<META NAME="GENERATOR" CONTENT="SGML-Tools 1.0.9">
- <TITLE>The DXSpider User Manual v1.49: The DXSpider command reference</TITLE>
+ <TITLE>The DXSpider User Manual v1.50: The DXSpider command reference</TITLE>
<LINK HREF="usermanual-11.html" REL=previous>
<LINK HREF="usermanual.html#toc12" REL=contents>
<link rel=stylesheet href="style.css" type="text/css" title="default stylesheet">
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<META NAME="GENERATOR" CONTENT="SGML-Tools 1.0.9">
- <TITLE>The DXSpider User Manual v1.49: Logins and logouts.</TITLE>
+ <TITLE>The DXSpider User Manual v1.50: Logins and logouts.</TITLE>
<LINK HREF="usermanual-3.html" REL=next>
<LINK HREF="usermanual-1.html" REL=previous>
<LINK HREF="usermanual.html#toc2" REL=contents>
<H2><A NAME="ss2.3">2.3 Telnet logins.</A>
</H2>
-<P>Because DXSpider runs under the Linux operating system, it is possible to
-make a direct telnet connection into the cluster. With telnet
-connections, the source callsign is not seen by DXSpider, so you will be
-asked to login with your callsign.
+<P>With telnet connections, the source callsign is not seen by DXSpider, so
+you will be asked to login with your callsign.
To telnet to DXSpider, you would connect to a specific port. There is no
standard at the moment for a cluster telnet port but ask the sysop if
you are unsure.
command if you are connected via telnet.
If you do not log out gracefully using one of the above commands,
you may find you are unable to get a full connect next time. This
-may also happen if a NETRom connection drops. You may get connected,
+may also happen if a netrom connection drops. You may get connected,
but nothing else will happen because the program thinks you are still
connected and will not let you connect twice under the same call.
However you could reconnect by adding a number to the end of your call,
-for example G0YLM2.
+for example G0YLM-2.
This can be done by either altering your MYCALL setting in the TNC or
by altering your program configuration.
<P>
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<META NAME="GENERATOR" CONTENT="SGML-Tools 1.0.9">
- <TITLE>The DXSpider User Manual v1.49: Setting your personal details.</TITLE>
+ <TITLE>The DXSpider User Manual v1.50: Setting your personal details.</TITLE>
<LINK HREF="usermanual-4.html" REL=next>
<LINK HREF="usermanual-2.html" REL=previous>
<LINK HREF="usermanual.html#toc3" REL=contents>
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<META NAME="GENERATOR" CONTENT="SGML-Tools 1.0.9">
- <TITLE>The DXSpider User Manual v1.49: Getting and posting DX.</TITLE>
+ <TITLE>The DXSpider User Manual v1.50: Getting and posting DX.</TITLE>
<LINK HREF="usermanual-5.html" REL=next>
<LINK HREF="usermanual-3.html" REL=previous>
<LINK HREF="usermanual.html#toc4" REL=contents>
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<META NAME="GENERATOR" CONTENT="SGML-Tools 1.0.9">
- <TITLE>The DXSpider User Manual v1.49: Headings and propagation</TITLE>
+ <TITLE>The DXSpider User Manual v1.50: Headings and propagation</TITLE>
<LINK HREF="usermanual-6.html" REL=next>
<LINK HREF="usermanual-4.html" REL=previous>
<LINK HREF="usermanual.html#toc5" REL=contents>
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<META NAME="GENERATOR" CONTENT="SGML-Tools 1.0.9">
- <TITLE>The DXSpider User Manual v1.49: Announcements.</TITLE>
+ <TITLE>The DXSpider User Manual v1.50: Announcements.</TITLE>
<LINK HREF="usermanual-7.html" REL=next>
<LINK HREF="usermanual-5.html" REL=previous>
<LINK HREF="usermanual.html#toc6" REL=contents>
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<META NAME="GENERATOR" CONTENT="SGML-Tools 1.0.9">
- <TITLE>The DXSpider User Manual v1.49: Nodes and users.</TITLE>
+ <TITLE>The DXSpider User Manual v1.50: Nodes and users.</TITLE>
<LINK HREF="usermanual-8.html" REL=next>
<LINK HREF="usermanual-6.html" REL=previous>
<LINK HREF="usermanual.html#toc7" REL=contents>
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<META NAME="GENERATOR" CONTENT="SGML-Tools 1.0.9">
- <TITLE>The DXSpider User Manual v1.49: Talk mode.</TITLE>
+ <TITLE>The DXSpider User Manual v1.50: Talk mode.</TITLE>
<LINK HREF="usermanual-9.html" REL=next>
<LINK HREF="usermanual-7.html" REL=previous>
<LINK HREF="usermanual.html#toc8" REL=contents>
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<META NAME="GENERATOR" CONTENT="SGML-Tools 1.0.9">
- <TITLE>The DXSpider User Manual v1.49: Mail.</TITLE>
+ <TITLE>The DXSpider User Manual v1.50: Mail.</TITLE>
<LINK HREF="usermanual-10.html" REL=next>
<LINK HREF="usermanual-8.html" REL=previous>
<LINK HREF="usermanual.html#toc9" REL=contents>
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<META NAME="GENERATOR" CONTENT="SGML-Tools 1.0.9">
- <TITLE>The DXSpider User Manual v1.49</TITLE>
+ <TITLE>The DXSpider User Manual v1.50</TITLE>
<LINK HREF="usermanual-1.html" REL=next>
Previous
Contents
<HR>
-<H1>The DXSpider User Manual v1.49</H1>
+<H1>The DXSpider User Manual v1.50</H1>
-<H2>Ian Maude, G0VGS, (g0vgs@gb7mbc.net)</H2>December 2001 revision 4.1
+<H2>Ian Maude, G0VGS, (g0vgs@gb7mbc.net)</H2>September 2002 revision 0.1
<P><HR>
<EM>A complete reference for users of the DXSpider DXCluster program.</EM>
<HR>
<!-- Title information -->
<title>The DXSpider Installation Manual v1.50</title>
-<author>Iain Philipps, G0RDI (g0rdi@77hz.com) and
-Ian Maude, G0VGS, (g0vgs@gb7mbc.net)</author>
-<date>July 2002 revision 0.3</date>
+<author>Iain Philipps, G0RDI (g0rdi@77hz.com),
+Ian Maude, G0VGS, (g0vgs@gb7mbc.net) and Charlie
+Carroll, K1XX, (k1xx@ptcnh.net)</author>
+<date>September 2002 revision 0.4</date>
<abstract>
A reference for SysOps of the DXSpider DXCluster program.
<sect1>Allowing telnet connects from users
<P>
-From version 1.47 there is a new (more efficient) way of doing this
+>From version 1.47 there is a new (more efficient) way of doing this
(see next section) but, if you prefer, the method of doing it described
here will continue to work just fine.
<sect1>Setting up telnet connects (from 1.47 onwards)
<P>
-From version 1.47 you can choose to allow the perl cluster.pl program to
+>From version 1.47 you can choose to allow the perl cluster.pl program to
allow connections directly (i.e. not via the <tt>/spider/src/client</tt>
interface program). If you are using Windows then this is the only method
available of allowing incoming telnet connections.
<bf>IMPORTANT:</bf>
What you'll be left with once you've followed these instructions
-is (hopefully) a working DX Spider v1.47 system that is capable
+is (hopefully) a working DX Spider v1.50 system that is capable
of accepting or originating "internet" connections, plus inbound
-AX.25 and TCP/IP radio connections. If the absence of outbound
-radio connections is a serious limitation for you, it would be
-better for you to wait a couple more weeks until this support has
-been added.
+and outbound AX.25 and TCP/IP radio connections.
On the other hand, you may have an enquiring mind, or better yet,
may be looking for a useful way of connecting your current
Install your chosen Perl environment. Unless you have a very good
reason for not doing so, I strongly suggest that you use
ActivePerl v5.6. For my testing & development, I used build 623.
-You can get this from:- <htmlurl
-url="http://www.activestate.com/Products/ActivePerl/Download.html"
+(A recent installation used the newer ActivePerl v5.6.1, build
+633 without any noticable difficulty.) You can get this from:
+<htmlurl url="http://www.activestate.com/Products/ActivePerl/Download.html"
name="http://www.activestate.com/Products/ActivePerl/Download.html">
-You will need to choose either the MSI or the AS package. My
-recommendation is that you choose the MSI package and deal with
-the consequences if your system isn't equipped with support for
-the latest MS Installer; you'll be better off in the long run.
-The build 623 download is 7,460 KB, so now is a really good time
-to have some tea if you're on a slow dial-up connection.
+The link takes you to an initial page of System Requirements and
+Software Prerequisites. If you do not have it already installed,
+you can download and install the Windows Installer 2.0 for a Win98
+installation. Be forewarned, you will have to reboot your PC at the
+completion of the installer's installation.
+
+If you already have the installer on your PC, simply click on the
+Next arrow at the bottom of the page. Two clicks will finally get
+you to the actual download page. The MSI version of Build 633 is
+now 8.6MB in size, so make that a big cup of tea or coffee if you're
+on a slow dial-up connection.
During installation, please ensure that you do choose the options
to "Add Perl to the PATH environment variable" and "Create Perl
DB_File.zip
</verb></tscreen>
-Make yourself a convenient directory to unpack all of these zip
-files into (I put mine in "D:\ppm>") and do the following (the
-bits you type in are blue ). Note that where these files land
-will be directly related to where you chose to install your
-ActivePerl (mine, as you can probably guess from what follows,
-went into "D:\Perl"):-
+If this is a new installation, now would also be a good time to
+install a copy of WinZip on your PC. Make yourself a convenient
+directory to unpack all of these zip files into (I put mine in
+"D:\ppm>" but "C:\ppm" works just as well.) and do the following
+(the bits you type in are blue ). You can upzip all of the files into
+the same directory. When prompted, simply overwrite the Readme file
+from each zip package. Note that where these files land will be
+directly related to where you chose to install your ActivePerl
+(mine, as you can probably guess from what follows, went into "D:\Perl"):-
<tscreen><verb>
D:\ppm>ppm install Data-Dumper.ppd
<P>
Get the current version of the DX Spider distribution. This needs
-to be v1.47 or later. You've got two ways (currently) of getting
+to be v1.50 or later. You've got two ways (currently) of getting
this; either get a CVS update from sourceforge (if you don't know
what this is, then it isn't for you) or get the latest "official"
-release from:-
+release from:
<htmlurl url="http://www.dxcluster.org/download/index.html" name="http://www.dxcluster.org/download/index.html">
unstable. Generally, there will be a note on the website if this is
the case.
-<p>The only difference between "CVSlatest.tgz" and the latest
-"official" release version is that it is more up to date. Don't confuse
-this TGZ file with "Downloading from Sourceforge with CVS" - they are two
-quite different things.
-<p>
-If you went down the CVS route (ie installed wincvs and downloaded from
-sourceforge), then everything will be nicely
-set out on your local disk. If you got the TGZ file, unpack it to
-somewhere convenient. The following examples assume that you put
-it on drive "C:\", for convenience.
+The only difference between "CVSlatest.tgz" and the latest
+"official" release version is that it is more up to date. <bf>Do not confuse
+the "CVSlatest.tgz" file with "Downloading from Sourceforge with CVS" - they
+are two quite different things.</bf> "Downloading from Sourceforge with CVS" is
+explained in a section within the Admin manual.
-<p>You will need <htmlurl url="http://www.winzip.com" name="winzip"> to
-manipulate the TGZ files (they are bit like ZIP files) if you are not using CVS.
+<p>
+If you go down the CVS route (ie installing WinCVS as explained in the Admin
+manual and downloaded from sourceforge), then everything will be nicely
+installed on your local disk. If you got the CVSlatest.tgz file, unzip
+(<htmlurl url="http://www.winzip.com" name="winzip">) it to "C:\".
+This is an important point since paths are included within the .tgz
+file. Make sure you unzip to the root directory of whichever drive you use...
+"C:\" or "D:\" or .., not "C:\spider." If you double click on CVSlatest.tgz,
+WinZip should open with a dialogue box that says the Archive contains a single
+file (CVSlatest.tar) and asks whether WinZip should decompress it to a
+temporary fold and then open it. Say "Yes" and then you will get the typical
+Classical WinZip listing of files ready for extraction. Remember, extract
+them to your desired root directory ("C:\" or "D:\" or ...). The following
+examples assume that you put it on drive "C:\", for convenience.
<sect>Installing the software
<P>
-Ensure that your CVS session or your WINunZIPped file have left you with
-a directory "C:\spider\local" and C:\spider\local_cmd"; if not, go to
-"C:\spider\" and create them. If "C:\spider" is missing, go back and
-figure out why, because it shouldn't be.
+At this point you will need to create 2 additional directories under
+"C:\Spider." Make directories "C:\spider\local" and "C:\spider\local_cmd".
+If "C:\spider" is missing, go back and figure out why, because it shouldn't be.
Now create your own local copy of the DXVars.pm file by:-
c:\spider\local\DXVars.pm
</verb></tscreen>
-Now you'll need to edit this file using a text editor. If nothing
+Now you'll need to edit this file using a text editor like Notepad. If nothing
else, you can simply
<tscreen><verb>
a "$" character in one of the above strings (typically in $myemail) you must
write them as "\@" or "\$".
-
<sect1>Incoming telnets
<P>
If you want to enable inbound "TELNET" connections (or you are running
-Windows NT, 2000 or XP), you've got a little more work to do. From a
+Windows 98, NT, 2000 or XP), you've got a little more work to do. From a
handy "DOS box" that's not doing anything else, do the following:-
<tscreen><verb>
notepad listeners.pm
</verb></tscreen>
-The following lines need attention:-
+The following line need attention:-
<tscreen><verb>
-["0.0.0.0", 7300],
+# ["0.0.0.0", 7300],
</verb></tscreen>
On my machine, I've simply uncommented the "0.0.0.0" entry by
removing the '#' from the front of the line.
<bf>You MUST carry out this step if you are
-running on a Windows NT, 2000 or XP based system</bf>
+running on a Windows 98, NT, 2000 or XP based system</bf>
If you don't have a static hostname for your machine, and you
intend to allow folk to connect to your machine across the
internet, then I'd suggest you pay a visit to www.dyndns.org and
create one for yourself. While it's free, it will take a modest
-an amount of effort on your part to read, understand and
+amount of effort on your part to read, understand and
implement what needs to be done to set this up.
<p>If your machine is connected to the internet <bf>and</bf> you don't
<P>
On the assumption that you'll be using the SV2AGW Packet Engine
-to interface your radios to the cluster, you should now create
-your own local copy of AGWConnect.pm by:-
+to interface your radios to the cluster, it would be a good idea to
+download the Packet Engine software! You can get this software from:
+
+<htmlurl url="http://www.raag.org/sv2agw/agwpe.zip" name="http://www.raag.org/sv2agw/agwpe.zip">
+
+Depending upon your TNCs, you may also need to get:
+
+<htmlurl url="http://www.raag.org/sv2agw/drivers.zip" name="http://www.raag.org/sv2agw/drivers.zip">
+
+A couple of the tools:
+
+<htmlurl url="http://www.raag.org/sv2agw/agwterm.zip" name="http://www.raag.org/sv2agw/agwterm.zip">
+
+<htmlurl url="http://www.raag.org/sv2agw/agwmonitor.zip" name="http://www.raag.org/sv2agw/agwmonitor.zip">
+
+will also help with troubleshooting of the RF links themselves.
+
+Install and configure AGWPE. You should now create your own local copy of
+AGWConnect.pm by:-
<tscreen><verb>
copy c:\spider\perl\AGWConnect.pm
<item>$passwd - password that matches $login
</itemize>
+The login ID and passwd only need to be set if you are accessing AGW separately
+via its web interface. This interface is normally not needed for use with DXSpider.
+
<sect1>Setting up the initial user files
<P>
hold a display which looks something like:-
<tscreen><verb>
-DXSpider DX Cluster Version 1.47
-Copyright (c) 1998-2001 Dirk Koopman G1TLH
+DXSpider DX Cluster Version 1.50
+Copyright (c) 1998-2002 Dirk Koopman G1TLH
loading prefixes ...
loading band data ...
loading user file system ...
<p>Anyway, if you are rewarded with a display which looks something like:-
<tscreen><verb>
-Hello Iain, this is GB7SJP in Amersham, Bucks running DXSpider V1.47
+Hello Iain, this is GB7SJP in Amersham, Bucks running DXSpider V1.50
Cluster: 1 nodes, 1 local / 1 total users Max users 2 Uptime 0 00:00
M0ADI de GB7SJP 4-Mar-2001 1511Z >
</verb></tscreen>
at the cron page where it is explained more fully.
</article>
+
+
<!-- Title information -->
-<title>The DXSpider User Manual v1.49</title>
+<title>The DXSpider User Manual v1.50</title>
<author>Ian Maude, G0VGS, (g0vgs@gb7mbc.net)</author>
-<date>December 2001 revision 4.1</date>
+<date>September 2002 revision 0.1</date>
<abstract>
A complete reference for users of the DXSpider DXCluster program.
There are several new compatible cluster programs around now,
including DXSpider. DXSpider is a clone of PacketCluster software that runs
-under the Linux operating system. Linux is fast becoming the choice
-for amateur radio stations because of it's flexibility, reliability
-and the lack of the memory limitations of DOS. Linux supports
+under several operating systems including Linux and Windows. Linux is fast
+becoming the choice for amateur radio stations because of it's flexibility,
+reliability and the lack of the memory limitations of DOS. Linux supports
multitasking and is also multiuser. It has support for AX25, ROSE,
NetROM and TCPIP built in, making it the ideal choice for amateur
radio. It is also totally free!
exercise in perl programming. It has developed rapidly and today is a
very powerful cluster program. It was designed to be totally compatible
with the AK1A program, although several commands have been extended to
-try and improve functionality.
+improve functionality.
This manual is designed to help you become familiar with the commands
that DXSpider supports and to help you get the best from the program so
<sect1>Telnet logins.
<p>
-Because DXSpider runs under the Linux operating system, it is possible to
-make a direct telnet connection into the cluster. With telnet
-connections, the source callsign is not seen by DXSpider, so you will be
-asked to login with your callsign.
+With telnet connections, the source callsign is not seen by DXSpider, so
+you will be asked to login with your callsign.
To telnet to DXSpider, you would connect to a specific port. There is no
standard at the moment for a cluster telnet port but ask the sysop if
you are unsure.
command if you are connected via telnet.
If you do not log out gracefully using one of the above commands,
you may find you are unable to get a full connect next time. This
-may also happen if a NETRom connection drops. You may get connected,
+may also happen if a netrom connection drops. You may get connected,
but nothing else will happen because the program thinks you are still
connected and will not let you connect twice under the same call.
However you could reconnect by adding a number to the end of your call,
-for example G0YLM2.
+for example G0YLM-2.
This can be done by either altering your MYCALL setting in the TNC or
by altering your program configuration.
The DXSpider Installation Manual v1.50
- Iain Philipps, G0RDI (g0rdi@77hz.com) and Ian Maude, G0VGS,
- (g0vgs@gb7mbc.net)
- July 2002 revision 0.3
+ Iain Philipps, G0RDI (g0rdi@77hz.com), Ian Maude, G0VGS,
+ (g0vgs@gb7mbc.net) and Charlie Carroll, K1XX,
+ (k1xx@ptcnh.net)
+ September 2002 revision 0.4
A reference for SysOps of the DXSpider DXCluster program.
______________________________________________________________________
-
1. Linux Installation
4.2. Allowing telnet connects from users
- From version 1.47 there is a new (more efficient) way of doing this
+ >From version 1.47 there is a new (more efficient) way of doing this
(see next section) but, if you prefer, the method of doing it
described here will continue to work just fine.
4.3. Setting up telnet connects (from 1.47 onwards)
- From version 1.47 you can choose to allow the perl cluster.pl program
+ >From version 1.47 you can choose to allow the perl cluster.pl program
to allow connections directly (i.e. not via the /spider/src/client
interface program). If you are using Windows then this is the only
method available of allowing incoming telnet connections.
IMPORTANT:
What you'll be left with once you've followed these instructions is
- (hopefully) a working DX Spider v1.47 system that is capable of
- accepting or originating "internet" connections, plus inbound AX.25
- and TCP/IP radio connections. If the absence of outbound radio
- connections is a serious limitation for you, it would be better for
- you to wait a couple more weeks until this support has been added.
+ (hopefully) a working DX Spider v1.50 system that is capable of
+ accepting or originating "internet" connections, plus inbound and
+ outbound AX.25 and TCP/IP radio connections.
On the other hand, you may have an enquiring mind, or better yet, may
be looking for a useful way of connecting your current (perhaps) AK1A
Install your chosen Perl environment. Unless you have a very good
reason for not doing so, I strongly suggest that you use ActivePerl
- v5.6. For my testing & development, I used build 623. You can get
- this from:-
+ v5.6. For my testing & development, I used build 623. (A recent
+ installation used the newer ActivePerl v5.6.1, build 633 without any
+ noticable difficulty.) You can get this from:
http://www.activestate.com/Products/ActivePerl/Download.html
- You will need to choose either the MSI or the AS package. My
- recommendation is that you choose the MSI package and deal with the
- consequences if your system isn't equipped with support for the latest
- MS Installer; you'll be better off in the long run. The build 623
- download is 7,460 KB, so now is a really good time to have some tea if
- you're on a slow dial-up connection.
+
+ The link takes you to an initial page of System Requirements and
+ Software Prerequisites. If you do not have it already installed, you
+ can download and install the Windows Installer 2.0 for a Win98
+ installation. Be forewarned, you will have to reboot your PC at the
+ completion of the installer's installation.
+
+ If you already have the installer on your PC, simply click on the Next
+ arrow at the bottom of the page. Two clicks will finally get you to
+ the actual download page. The MSI version of Build 633 is now 8.6MB
+ in size, so make that a big cup of tea or coffee if you're on a slow
+ dial-up connection.
During installation, please ensure that you do choose the options to
"Add Perl to the PATH environment variable" and "Create Perl file
- Make yourself a convenient directory to unpack all of these zip files
- into (I put mine in "D:\ppm>") and do the following (the bits you type
- in are blue ). Note that where these files land will be directly
+ If this is a new installation, now would also be a good time to
+ install a copy of WinZip on your PC. Make yourself a convenient
+ directory to unpack all of these zip files into (I put mine in
+ "D:\ppm>" but "C:\ppm" works just as well.) and do the following (the
+ bits you type in are blue ). You can upzip all of the files into the
+ same directory. When prompted, simply overwrite the Readme file from
+ each zip package. Note that where these files land will be directly
related to where you chose to install your ActivePerl (mine, as you
can probably guess from what follows, went into "D:\Perl"):-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
D:\ppm>ppm install Data-Dumper.ppd
Installing package 'Data-Dumper.ppd'
Installing D:\Perl\site\lib\auto\Data\Dumper\Dumper.bs
5.6. Getting Spider
Get the current version of the DX Spider distribution. This needs to
- be v1.47 or later. You've got two ways (currently) of getting this;
+ be v1.50 or later. You've got two ways (currently) of getting this;
either get a CVS update from sourceforge (if you don't know what this
- is, then it isn't for you) or get the latest "official" release from:-
+ is, then it isn't for you) or get the latest "official" release from:
http://www.dxcluster.org/download/index.html
The only difference between "CVSlatest.tgz" and the latest "official"
- release version is that it is more up to date. Don't confuse this TGZ
- file with "Downloading from Sourceforge with CVS" - they are two quite
- different things.
-
-
- If you went down the CVS route (ie installed wincvs and downloaded
- from sourceforge), then everything will be nicely set out on your
- local disk. If you got the TGZ file, unpack it to somewhere
- convenient. The following examples assume that you put it on drive
+ release version is that it is more up to date. Do not confuse the
+ "CVSlatest.tgz" file with "Downloading from Sourceforge with CVS" -
+ they are two quite different things. "Downloading from Sourceforge
+ with CVS" is explained in a section within the Admin manual.
+
+
+ If you go down the CVS route (ie installing WinCVS as explained in the
+ Admin manual and downloaded from sourceforge), then everything will be
+ nicely installed on your local disk. If you got the CVSlatest.tgz
+ file, unzip (winzip) it to "C:\". This is an important point since
+ paths are included within the .tgz file. Make sure you unzip to the
+ root directory of whichever drive you use... "C:\" or "D:\" or ..,
+ not "C:\spider." If you double click on CVSlatest.tgz, WinZip should
+ open with a dialogue box that says the Archive contains a single file
+ (CVSlatest.tar) and asks whether WinZip should decompress it to a
+ temporary fold and then open it. Say "Yes" and then you will get the
+ typical Classical WinZip listing of files ready for extraction.
+ Remember, extract them to your desired root directory ("C:\" or "D:\"
+ or ...). The following examples assume that you put it on drive
"C:\", for convenience.
- You will need winzip to manipulate the TGZ files (they are bit like
- ZIP files) if you are not using CVS.
6. Installing the software
- Ensure that your CVS session or your WINunZIPped file have left you
- with a directory "C:\spider\local" and C:\spider\local_cmd"; if not,
- go to "C:\spider\" and create them. If "C:\spider" is missing, go back
- and figure out why, because it shouldn't be.
+ At this point you will need to create 2 additional directories under
+ "C:\Spider." Make directories "C:\spider\local" and
+ "C:\spider\local_cmd". If "C:\spider" is missing, go back and figure
+ out why, because it shouldn't be.
Now create your own local copy of the DXVars.pm file by:-
- Now you'll need to edit this file using a text editor. If nothing
- else, you can simply
+ Now you'll need to edit this file using a text editor like Notepad. If
+ nothing else, you can simply
o $mylongitude - The station longitude in degrees and decimal
fractions
+
o $mylocator - The Maidenhead (or QRA) locator of the station
You really also ought to update the $myqth and $myemail variables. And
6.1. Incoming telnets
If you want to enable inbound "TELNET" connections (or you are running
- Windows NT, 2000 or XP), you've got a little more work to do. From a
- handy "DOS box" that's not doing anything else, do the following:-
+ Windows 98, NT, 2000 or XP), you've got a little more work to do. From
+ a handy "DOS box" that's not doing anything else, do the following:-
- The following lines need attention:-
+ The following line need attention:-
- ["0.0.0.0", 7300],
+ # ["0.0.0.0", 7300],
On my machine, I've simply uncommented the "0.0.0.0" entry by removing
the '#' from the front of the line.
- You MUST carry out this step if you are running on a Windows NT, 2000
- or XP based system
+ You MUST carry out this step if you are running on a Windows 98, NT,
+ 2000 or XP based system
If you don't have a static hostname for your machine, and you intend
to allow folk to connect to your machine across the internet, then I'd
suggest you pay a visit to www.dyndns.org and create one for yourself.
- While it's free, it will take a modest an amount of effort on your
- part to read, understand and implement what needs to be done to set
- this up.
+ While it's free, it will take a modest amount of effort on your part
+ to read, understand and implement what needs to be done to set this
+ up.
If your machine is connected to the internet and you don't want to
6.2. The AGW packet engine
On the assumption that you'll be using the SV2AGW Packet Engine to
- interface your radios to the cluster, you should now create your own
- local copy of AGWConnect.pm by:-
+ interface your radios to the cluster, it would be a good idea to
+ download the Packet Engine software! You can get this software from:
+
+ http://www.raag.org/sv2agw/agwpe.zip
+
+ Depending upon your TNCs, you may also need to get:
+
+ http://www.raag.org/sv2agw/drivers.zip
+
+ A couple of the tools:
+
+ http://www.raag.org/sv2agw/agwterm.zip
+
+ http://www.raag.org/sv2agw/agwmonitor.zip
+
+ will also help with troubleshooting of the RF links themselves.
+
+ Install and configure AGWPE. You should now create your own local
+ copy of AGWConnect.pm by:-
-
- notepad AGWConnect.pm
+ notepad AGWConnect.pm
o $passwd - password that matches $login
+ The login ID and passwd only need to be set if you are accessing AGW
+ separately via its web interface. This interface is normally not
+ needed for use with DXSpider.
+
6.3. Setting up the initial user files
following:-
-
perl cluster.pl
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- DXSpider DX Cluster Version 1.47
- Copyright (c) 1998-2001 Dirk Koopman G1TLH
- loading prefixes ...
- loading band data ...
- loading user file system ...
- starting listeners ...
- Internal port: localhost 27754
- load badwords: Ok
- reading in duplicate spot and WWV info ...
- reading existing message headers ...
- load badmsg: Ok
- load forward: Ok
- load swop: Ok
- @msg = 0 before delete
- @msg = 0 after delete
- reading cron jobs ...v cron: reading /spider/cmd/crontab
- cron: adding 1 0 * * 0
- DXUser::export("$main::data/user_asc")
- reading database descriptors ...
- doing local initialisation ...
- orft we jolly well go ...
- queue msg (0)
+ DXSpider DX Cluster Version 1.50
+ Copyright (c) 1998-2002 Dirk Koopman G1TLH
+ loading prefixes ...
+ loading band data ...
+ loading user file system ...
+ starting listeners ...
+ Internal port: localhost 27754
+ load badwords: Ok
+ reading in duplicate spot and WWV info ...
+ reading existing message headers ...
+ load badmsg: Ok
+ load forward: Ok
+ load swop: Ok
+ @msg = 0 before delete
+ @msg = 0 after delete
+ reading cron jobs ...v cron: reading /spider/cmd/crontab
+ cron: adding 1 0 * * 0
+ DXUser::export("$main::data/user_asc")
+ reading database descriptors ...
+ doing local initialisation ...
+ orft we jolly well go ...
+ queue msg (0)
On getting the login: prompt, enter your sysop callsign (the one you
put in DXVars.pm as $myalias).
-
-
I would recommend strongly that you obtain a better telnet client than
that which comes with windows (I use PuTTY).
like:-
- Hello Iain, this is GB7SJP in Amersham, Bucks running DXSpider V1.47
+
+ Hello Iain, this is GB7SJP in Amersham, Bucks running DXSpider V1.50
Cluster: 1 nodes, 1 local / 1 total users Max users 2 Uptime 0 00:00
M0ADI de GB7SJP 4-Mar-2001 1511Z >
going to connect to. This will now check every 10 minutes to see if
gb7xxx is connected, if it is then nothing will be done. If it is
not, then a connect attempt will be started.
-
-
There are probably lots of other things you could use this crontab
file for. If you want to know more about it, look at the DXSpider
website at the cron page where it is explained more fully.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
- The DXSpider User Manual v1.49
+ The DXSpider User Manual v1.50
Ian Maude, G0VGS, (g0vgs@gb7mbc.net)
- December 2001 revision 4.1
+ September 2002 revision 0.1
A complete reference for users of the DXSpider DXCluster program.
______________________________________________________________________
There are several new compatible cluster programs around now,
including DXSpider. DXSpider is a clone of PacketCluster software
- that runs under the Linux operating system. Linux is fast becoming
- the choice for amateur radio stations because of it's flexibility,
- reliability and the lack of the memory limitations of DOS. Linux
- supports multitasking and is also multiuser. It has support for AX25,
- ROSE, NetROM and TCPIP built in, making it the ideal choice for
- amateur radio. It is also totally free!
+ that runs under several operating systems including Linux and Windows.
+ Linux is fast becoming the choice for amateur radio stations because
+ of it's flexibility, reliability and the lack of the memory
+ limitations of DOS. Linux supports multitasking and is also
+ multiuser. It has support for AX25, ROSE, NetROM and TCPIP built in,
+ making it the ideal choice for amateur radio. It is also totally
+ free!
DXSpider was conceived and begun in 1998 by Dirk Koopman, G1TLH as an
exercise in perl programming. It has developed rapidly and today is a
very powerful cluster program. It was designed to be totally
compatible with the AK1A program, although several commands have been
- extended to try and improve functionality.
+ extended to improve functionality.
This manual is designed to help you become familiar with the commands
that DXSpider supports and to help you get the best from the program
-
connect GB7MBC
connect GB7MBC-1
2\b2.\b.3\b3.\b. T\bTe\bel\bln\bne\bet\bt l\blo\bog\bgi\bin\bns\bs.\b.
- Because DXSpider runs under the Linux operating system, it is possible
- to make a direct telnet connection into the cluster. With telnet
- connections, the source callsign is not seen by DXSpider, so you will
- be asked to login with your callsign. To telnet to DXSpider, you
- would connect to a specific port. There is no standard at the moment
- for a cluster telnet port but ask the sysop if you are unsure.
+ With telnet connections, the source callsign is not seen by DXSpider,
+ so you will be asked to login with your callsign. To telnet to
+ DXSpider, you would connect to a specific port. There is no standard
+ at the moment for a cluster telnet port but ask the sysop if you are
+ unsure.
E\bEx\bxa\bam\bmp\bpl\ble\be:\b:
command if you are connected via telnet. If you do not log out
gracefully using one of the above commands, you may find you are
unable to get a full connect next time. This may also happen if a
- NETRom connection drops. You may get connected, but nothing else will
+ netrom connection drops. You may get connected, but nothing else will
happen because the program thinks you are still connected and will not
let you connect twice under the same call. However you could
reconnect by adding a number to the end of your call, for example
- G0YLM2. This can be done by either altering your MYCALL setting in
+ G0YLM-2. This can be done by either altering your MYCALL setting in
the TNC or by altering your program configuration.
+
3\b3.\b. S\bSe\bet\btt\bti\bin\bng\bg y\byo\bou\bur\br p\bpe\ber\brs\bso\bon\bna\bal\bl d\bde\bet\bta\bai\bil\bls\bs.\b.
Once logged in to the cluster, you should set your details so that
projects / spider.git / commitdiff