KB1OIQ - Andy's Ham Radio Linux Files

Hi Everybody,

Several people have asked me, "how do I get started?", so I thought I'd answer
it here.  Please note that I am neither a Windoze nor a Mac person, so these
instructions will be very Linux centric.

These instructions have been updated for version 25.

0) You shouldn't need this information, but if you get stuck, the default account
   is "xubuntu" and the password is blank/empty/there_is_no_password.

1) Download the ISO file from Sourceforge.  It will be named something like this:
   andy_<version>.iso

2) Verify that the download is not corrupt.  Please don't skip this step!
   a) On a Linux system, run this command:  md5sum andy_<ver>.iso
   b) Compare that value to the value shown on Sourceforge
   c) Follow these detailed instructions to find the known good value
      https://sourceforge.net/p/kb1oiq-andysham/discussion/1789007/thread/9e4b0279bf/
   d) Please don't omit this check.  Many strange problems have been 
      shown to be caused by a corrupt download.  If you report a problem,
      this will be the first question I ask of you.

3) An optional step is to use VirtualBox and boot the ISO file.
   After logging in, it should be fully functional.

4) Create a bootable USB thumb drive, containing the data from the ISO file.
   On Linux, I recommend MultiBootUSB version 9.2.0 (or greater).
   Note that with version 25, usb-creator-gtk also works.

   Note that there have been issues with some software that doesn't properly
   create a bootable USB thumb drive.  Please use either MultiBootUSB or
   usb-creator-gtk since I know those work correctly.

   You will need a USB thumb drive that is at least 4GB in size.

5) Put the USB thumb drive into the computer that you wish to use
   for ham radio.

6) Boot that computer, and make sure it really boots the correct device. You'll
   know if you did it correctly because it will say "Andy's Ham Radio Linux" on 
   the boot splash screen. You may have to go into the BIOS of your computer to get the
   correct device to boot.

7) The user will then be asked to "Try Xubuntu" or "Install Xubuntu".
   DO NOT CHOOSE "Install Xubuntu".
   CHOOSE "Try Xubuntu", otherwise you will have a problem.
   CHOOSE "Try Xubuntu".

8) When booting the live medium, the user will automatically be logged into the
   default account.  Username = xubuntu, password is empty (as in, there is no password).

9) The user should now see a Tux penguin background and the xfce4 windowing environment.
   Play with it and have fun!

10) At the top left corner of the screen is a small blue icon.  Click it to get the
    menu.  Note the entry entitled "Andy_Ham_Radio_Linux".  All of the ham radio
    software is accessible from that menu or one of its submenus.  The same programs
    MAY be accessible from other menus (e.g. Hamradio).

11) Now, play with the software!  

12) Eventually, you'll want to install the software to your hard drive.
    Double click the "Install Xubuntu 22.04.0" icon on the left of the screen to 
    start the installation procedure.

13) Be sure that you have the network enabled and that it is working!  The installation
    might not succeed if the network is inaccessible.

14) The installation procedure will ask for a "Normal" or "Minimal" installation.
    This has no effect on the ham radio programs.

15) Installation type: Choose that which is appropriate for your computer and hard
    drive.  If possible, choose "Erase disk and Install Xubuntu", but be VERY SURE
    that you've backed up any desired data before taking this step.

16) After the installation succeeds, it will ask "Continue Testing" or "reboot".
    Choose "Continue Testing".
    If the only option you receive is "reboot", you didn't follow instruction 7 correctly.

17) Bring up a terminal window.  Right click on the background and select
    "Open Terminal Here".

18) Type the following commands:
    - sudo chroot /target
    - /root/bin/fix_account
    - deluser xubuntu
    - rm -fr /home/xubuntu
    - exit

19) Reboot the computer, this time booting from the hard drive.

20) When the login prompt appears (with Tux wearing headphones), 
    login to the account you created with the "fix_account" script.

21) That's it!  Enjoy!

Please read the documentation contained in the Andy Ham Radio Linux -> Documentation menu.

Please note that I cannot possibly support every program in this software
collection.  Please search the internet if you have problems of that nature.

Have a lot of fun, and 73!

Andy
KB1OIQ
September 2022