I'm running VirtualBox on a Macbook Air / OSX High Sierra with four virtual machines, Win10, Win7, WinXP, and Andy's Ham Radio Linux (only running one at a time). Sound device is a SignaLink USB.
I am unable to get fldigi to properly decode an incoming signal, on any of the VMs. I can run fldigi as a Mac OSX native application and it works fine. Switching over to the VM and trying to receive the same signal does not work. The waterfall doesn't look the same, and the text window displays gibberish. The waterfall does show that a digital signal is coming in, it just looks different from what it looks like on Mac OSX.
After this failed on WinXP and Win7 I downloaded and installed AHRL figuring that a specialized Linux distro like that would stand the best chance of being beaten into submission.
I do have USB properly directed to the VM (as I said I'm getting the waterfall display, it just doesn't look right). I can also receive the signal in Audacity where it looks reasonable although I don't know exactly how it should look.
I have tried USB 2 and 3, with and without the Burr Brown filter, makes no difference.
Any ideas?
Thanks...
Rick WA1RKT
Londonderry, NH
Catch me on 14.300 MHz Intercon / MMSN most days
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Tried "sudo apt-get update" and "sudo apt-get upgrade" as suggested by Andy in another thread on a different topic. Very little was changed by the update but lots and lots of stuff were changed by the upgrade. But, made no difference, this problem persists.
Rick WA1RKT
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With all respect intended, "it doesn't work" doesn't give us enough information to suggest solutions. There are myriad permutations, and we don't know what you've got. Do other programs which use audio work for you in VirtualBox, e.g. xcwcp? Is the audio from the radio to fldigi working (you'd see it on the waterfall)? Does your radio connect to the computer via USB? Does the use of Pavucontrol help set the audio input/output correctly?
I've never actually tried using fldigi in a VirtualBox VM. I'm going to go try it right now.
73,
Andy
KB1OIQ
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I thought my first message in this thread had enough detail. I don't know what to add beyond what is there.
Digital modes via fldigi work native MacOSX, but trying to run them in any virtual machine on VirtualBox results in corrupted text and the waterfall that doesn't look very close to the waterfall when running fldigi native.
This is using a SignaLink USB via the Mac's USB port. I've tried all available USB settings in VirtualBox with no difference.
I don't really know how to diagnose it any deeper than that. I could provide some screen shots if that will help.
Rick WA1RKT
Londonderry, NH
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Note that this problem isn't unique to AHRL. I just figured that AHRL, being optimized for this stuff, will work better, and if I can get it to work on AHRL maybe I can get it to work on my Windows VMs.
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I have successfully gotten both fldigi AND wsjt-x to decode inside of a VirtualBox VM running AHRL. Please see the attached screenshots.
Here's a summary of what I did:
virtualbox version 6.something (graphics driver VMSVGA)
be sure that the user who runs the virtualbox command is in the vboxusers group
be sure that USB is enabled in the virtual machine (since my IC-7300 connects to the computer via USB)
connect the USB cable for the rig/rig interface and be sure (via lsusb) that the host computer can see it. If things don't work on the host, they can't work in the VM.
In virtualbox, make sure the appropriate USB devices are visible in the USB configuration menu (this is BEFORE booting the VM)
Boot AHRL in the VM
login
Be sure that this user (in the VM) is part of the dialout group. Logout/login after adding the user to this group. Type : groups (in a terminal) to verify.
Run lsusb (in the VM) and be sure that the USB devices from the host are visible
Run pavucontrol and setup the audio correctly. Test audio output by running xcwcp or some other noise making program.
Turn on your rig and tune to some frequency with lots of activity
Fire up fldigi (in the VM). Configure fldigi and pavucontrol until you see activity on the fldigi waterfall. NOTE: if nobody is transmitting in a mode that fldigi understands, there won't be anything decoded. I suggest trying to decode some CW, since psk31 activity has been scant as of late.
If the waterfall is alive in fldigi, that's a great sign! If not, fix that problem first.
For rig control, try using flrig to see if you can talk to your rig.
I also tried wsjt-x, and after configuration it worked and was decoding properly.
Thanks, Andy. Much appreciate all of your efforts. I have done almost all of that (all except pavucontrol, CW, wsjt-x, and flrig), the USB connections are well proven and I do get a waterfall with individual received signals showing, it just doesn't look right and won't decode. I can run fldigi native on MacOSX using the same hardware and get a solid decode on PSK31, then switch over to the VM on the same hardware and same received signal and get garbage. I haven't tried CW, will try that.
Rick WA1RKT
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
I'm running VirtualBox on a Macbook Air / OSX High Sierra with four virtual machines, Win10, Win7, WinXP, and Andy's Ham Radio Linux (only running one at a time). Sound device is a SignaLink USB.
I am unable to get fldigi to properly decode an incoming signal, on any of the VMs. I can run fldigi as a Mac OSX native application and it works fine. Switching over to the VM and trying to receive the same signal does not work. The waterfall doesn't look the same, and the text window displays gibberish. The waterfall does show that a digital signal is coming in, it just looks different from what it looks like on Mac OSX.
After this failed on WinXP and Win7 I downloaded and installed AHRL figuring that a specialized Linux distro like that would stand the best chance of being beaten into submission.
I do have USB properly directed to the VM (as I said I'm getting the waterfall display, it just doesn't look right). I can also receive the signal in Audacity where it looks reasonable although I don't know exactly how it should look.
I have tried USB 2 and 3, with and without the Burr Brown filter, makes no difference.
Any ideas?
Thanks...
Rick WA1RKT
Londonderry, NH
Catch me on 14.300 MHz Intercon / MMSN most days
Tried "sudo apt-get update" and "sudo apt-get upgrade" as suggested by Andy in another thread on a different topic. Very little was changed by the update but lots and lots of stuff were changed by the upgrade. But, made no difference, this problem persists.
Rick WA1RKT
Anybody have any idea what can be done about this? Digital modes are completely unuseable in a VirtualBox VM, yet work fine as native (on MacOSX).
Hi Eric,
With all respect intended, "it doesn't work" doesn't give us enough information to suggest solutions. There are myriad permutations, and we don't know what you've got. Do other programs which use audio work for you in VirtualBox, e.g. xcwcp? Is the audio from the radio to fldigi working (you'd see it on the waterfall)? Does your radio connect to the computer via USB? Does the use of Pavucontrol help set the audio input/output correctly?
I've never actually tried using fldigi in a VirtualBox VM. I'm going to go try it right now.
73,
Andy
KB1OIQ
Understood, Andy, sorry about that.
I thought my first message in this thread had enough detail. I don't know what to add beyond what is there.
Digital modes via fldigi work native MacOSX, but trying to run them in any virtual machine on VirtualBox results in corrupted text and the waterfall that doesn't look very close to the waterfall when running fldigi native.
This is using a SignaLink USB via the Mac's USB port. I've tried all available USB settings in VirtualBox with no difference.
I don't really know how to diagnose it any deeper than that. I could provide some screen shots if that will help.
Rick WA1RKT
Londonderry, NH
Note that this problem isn't unique to AHRL. I just figured that AHRL, being optimized for this stuff, will work better, and if I can get it to work on AHRL maybe I can get it to work on my Windows VMs.
Hi Eric et al,
I have successfully gotten both fldigi AND wsjt-x to decode inside of a VirtualBox VM running AHRL. Please see the attached screenshots.
Here's a summary of what I did:
Yes, that's a lot of steps, but it does work.
Have fun and 73!
Andy
KB1OIQ
Last edit: Andy Stewart 2020-01-03
Thanks, Andy. Much appreciate all of your efforts. I have done almost all of that (all except pavucontrol, CW, wsjt-x, and flrig), the USB connections are well proven and I do get a waterfall with individual received signals showing, it just doesn't look right and won't decode. I can run fldigi native on MacOSX using the same hardware and get a solid decode on PSK31, then switch over to the VM on the same hardware and same received signal and get garbage. I haven't tried CW, will try that.
Rick WA1RKT