I got CHIRP Next working under Linux.

[WSAA635]

Oh Happy Days. I managed to get CHIRP Next installed and working on my Linux Box. I had to install WINE to get the factory programing software working(but it didn't work all that well) and I thought "I'll bet I can get the .exe for CHIRP Next working under WINE too and low and behold, IT DOES. I also saw that in CHIRP Next I can "skip" channels from scanning on the H3 so YES, it can be done. I ordered an H8 because I want to play with that 10 watt beast to see what it'll do. Anyway, just wanted to share and let ya'll know that you CAN get CHIRP Next working under Linux by using WINE. Talk to ya'll later. TN.Frank Out.

[WRYZ926]

Glad to hear that you finally got CHIRP Next up and running.

[WSAA635]

There's so many more radios listed in Next vs Legacy.  It really opens up my options a lot. 

[WRYS709]

On 2/29/2024 at 2:19 PM, WSAA635 said:

Oh Happy Days. I managed to get CHIRP Next installed and working on my Linux Box. 

Let me see if I understand this: this Linux computer operating system: it's goal is to run as few applications natively as possible so that the true computer enthusiasts can spend their lifetimes...

Quote

I had to install WINE to get the factory programing software working(but it didn't work all that well) and I thought "I'll bet I can get the .exe for CHIRP Next working under WINE too and low and behold, IT DOES. I also saw that in CHIRP Next I can "skip" channels from scanning on the H3 so YES, it can be done. I ordered an H8 because I want to play with that 10 watt beast to see what it'll do. Anyway, just wanted to share and let ya'll know that you CAN get CHIRP Next working under Linux by using WINE. Talk to ya'll later. TN.Frank Out.

 

[WSAA635]

A GNU/Linux op system if for those of us who refuse to pay Bill Gates/MicroSoft for the privilege of being able to use our computers and don't want to give up our Freedom to a Large Major Company who(if you read the End User Lic. Agreement) basically gives MicroSoft permission to take over their computer and install or uninstall anything that THEY feel the need to do. You also have to pay money for that slavery.

Why more people don't simply download a good Linux Distro and do the install is beyond me. Linux is actually much more user friendly than Windoze is in that it doesn't FORCE updates and force you to use what they say you can use.  There are so many Free and Open Source programs that you can use under Linux to do "stuff" without the need to pay for or otherwise compromise your machine to a Major Corporation.  I do all my video editing with Kdenlive for FREE and it works as well as any of the paid programs that you'd use in Windoze.

 On those rare occasions where I must use a .exe I can install and use WINE to run them FOR FREE so I get the best of both Worlds in a manner of speaking.

People who think Linux is still ALL Terminal based and Hard to use haven't given a good Linux Distro a look in quite a while. Linux Mint or one of the Ubuntu flavors are just as easy(if not more so) to use as anything MicroSoft has put out and you don't have to Sell your Soul to the Devil to use them.

 

[WRYZ926]

I'm still surprised that you have to run the windows version of CHIRP in WINE instead of the native Linux version.

[WRYS709]

1 hour ago, WSAA635 said:

A GNU/Linux op system if for those of us who refuse to pay Bill Gates/MicroSoft for the privilege of being able to use our computers and don't want to give up our Freedom to a Large Major Company who(if you read the End User Lic. Agreement) basically gives MicroSoft permission to take over their computer and install or uninstall anything that THEY feel the need to do. You also have to pay money for that slavery.

Why more people don't simply download a good Linux Distro and do the install is beyond me. Linux is actually much more user friendly than Windoze is in that it doesn't FORCE updates and force you to use what they say you can use.  There are so many Free and Open Source programs that you can use under Linux to do "stuff" without the need to pay for or otherwise compromise your machine to a Major Corporation.  I do all my video editing with Kdenlive for FREE and it works as well as any of the paid programs that you'd use in Windoze.

 On those rare occasions where I must use a .exe I can install and use WINE to run them FOR FREE so I get the best of both Worlds in a manner of speaking.

People who think Linux is still ALL Terminal based and Hard to use haven't given a good Linux Distro a look in quite a while. Linux Mint or one of the Ubuntu flavors are just as easy(if not more so) to use as anything MicroSoft has put out and you don't have to Sell your Soul to the Devil to use them.

 

All that computer libertarianism aside, I haven't paid for Windoze since XP; and even that was in a program called SoftWindows (or VirtualPC, who can remember that long ago...) to run Windows on a PowerPC (IBM-Motorola-Apple) Mac!

When I discovered that various wireless radios programming software needed to be run in Windows, I sucked XP out of that program, and armed with my serial number, I reinstalled it, first into BootCamp, when Mac went Intel, and then into Parallels, when I wanted to be able to run Windows and MacOS concurrently (like needing to use copy and paste between environments).

And that worked for me for years, hand in hand with Chirp for certain radios that were lucky enough to have been reverse engineered by those dedicated radio hounds! 

And then sure enough people started asking me questions about how to program certain radios that only had Windows CPS software and they only had Windows 10, or gosh-forbid, Windows 11, and did not even know what XP was!

So I had to break down and install an upgraded version, but after some research I discovered Windows 10 and 11's dirty little secret: You do NOT need to activate it!

Now I do not know if this is an after-result of the MicroSoft antitrust settlement, or some other "business reason," but it works perfectly fine if you do not activate it. Now Microsoft is not going to give you any technical support, but after all, all I am doing is programming radios!

AND, I turned off Auto-Update, because, well if it ain't broken, why fix it?!?

[WSAA635]

1 hour ago, WRYZ926 said:

I'm still surprised that you have to run the windows version of CHIRP in WINE instead of the native Linux version.

Have you ever tried to install a tar.gz file? Much easier to do CHIRP Next with the built in Windows installer in WINE.

[WRXB215]

2 hours ago, WRYS709 said:

I discovered Windows 10 and 11's dirty little secret: You do NOT need to activate it!

@WRYS709 What do you mean when about activating it?

[WRYZ926]

2 hours ago, WSAA635 said:

Have you ever tried to install a tar.gz file? Much easier to do CHIRP Next with the built in Windows installer in WINE.

Yes I have but it's been a few years since I've messed with Linux. Maybe it's something with how the CHIRP program is written.

[WRYS709]

1 hour ago, WRXB215 said:

@WRYS709 What do you mean when about activating it?

What do you mean: "what do you mean"??

I install Windows and I just cancel the activation and move on with using it...

[WRXB215]

1 hour ago, WRYS709 said:

What do you mean: "what do you mean"??

LOL! I suppose it's because I've never installed Windows before I don't know what the install process looks like. I've installed various *nix systems and I use Windows daily but I've never installed Windows. 

[WRYZ926]

There are a few restrictions when one instals Windows 10 or 11. As mentioned, there will be no tech support. Another thing is that you won't be able to change some of the customizable features either. But Windows 10 and 11 will still work without activation.

[WSAA635]

On 3/7/2024 at 2:34 PM, WRXB215 said:

LOL! I suppose it's because I've never installed Windows before I don't know what the install process looks like. I've installed various *nix systems and I use Windows daily but I've never installed Windows. 

You're lucky. I had to install Win98 about every 4 or 5 months just to keep my system half way working.

[WSAA635]

On a similar note I did get Win 10 installed in VirtualBox and got both CHIRP Next and the programming software for the Wouxun KG-905g installed so I can run it under WINE in Linux or "native" in VBox. One question, is there suppose to be that much space between channels?  All the radios I've programmed in CHIRP had all the channels next to each other without gaps between them. Why would the factor program for the KG-905g have gaps and would it hurt anything to move all the channels up to get rid of the gaps?

[Sshannon]

37 minutes ago, WSAA635 said:

One question, is there suppose to be that much space between channels? 

Yes.  The frequencies of the channels are established in regulation:

§ 95.1763 GMRS channels.

The GMRS is allotted 30 channels—16 main channels and 14 interstitial channels. GMRS stations may transmit on any of the channels as indicated below. 

(a) 462 MHz main channels. Only mobile, hand-held portable, repeater, base and fixed stations may transmit on these 8 channels. The channel center frequencies are: 462.5500, 462.5750, 462.6000, 462.6250, 462.6500, 462.6750, 462.7000, and 462.7250 MHz. 

(b) 462 MHz interstitial channels. Only mobile, hand-held portable and base stations may transmit on these 7 channels. The channel center frequencies are: 462.5625, 462.5875, 462.6125, 462.6375, 462.6625, 462.6875, and 462.7125 MHz. 

(c) 467 MHz main channels. Only mobile, hand-held portable, control and fixed stations may transmit on these 8 channels. Mobile, hand-held portable and control stations may transmit on these channels only when communicating through a repeater station or making brief test transmissions in accordance with § 95.319(c). The channel center frequencies are: 467.5500, 467.5750, 467.6000, 467.6250, 467.6500, 467.6750, 467.7000, and 467.7250 MHz. 

(d) 467 MHz interstitial channels. Only hand-held portable units may transmit on these 7 channels. The channel center frequencies are: 467.5625, 467.5875, 467.6125, 467.6375, 467.6625, 467.6875, and 467.7125 MHz. 

 

[WSAA635]

But is there Suppose to be that big gap between the channel groups? When I've programed my other radios it's 1 thru 39, no gaps. 

[Sshannon]

35 minutes ago, WSAA635 said:

But is there Suppose to be that big gap between the channel groups? When I've programed my other radios it's 1 thru 39, no gaps. 

The regulations establish four set of channels with different rules for output power and bandwidth.  The software might use groups internally to manage how the radio complies with those rules. Or it might leave those gaps so you can add channels that have different tones within each group.  It’s your radio, if you want to put all the channels under one group and if the software allows it, it’s your choice.

[WRYS709]

59 minutes ago, WSAA635 said:

But is there Suppose to be that big gap between the channel groups? When I've programed my other radios it's 1 thru 39, no gaps. 

I don't have a Wouxun KG-905g, but I do play a 905g programmer on television. 

It looks like that is their implementation for how to handle multiple repeaters on the same frequencies with the same or different CTCSS/DPLs:

I suspect that the "gaps" do not show up when you manually scroll (or scan) between these channels.

 

[WSAA635]

I know in CHIRP I set the bandwidth and power manually. I also skip all the channels except for the ones I want to scan and set the transmit to "off" so I won't accidentally transmit on those channels.

[WSAA635]

I also noticed that the programming window for the Wouxun CPS doesn't resize in Win10 VirtualBox either same as in WINE so it must be set at a predetermined size. 

[WSAA635]

Ok, so I tested my usb connection in VirtualBox with the CHIRP install and my UV-5R and it was a "no go" so I installed the expansion pack and still nothing. It seems like VB doesn't want to play well with my usb connections(and yes, I set them up in VB so they were suppose to be active) so I just went back to my WINE version of the KG-905g software since I can't change the size of the window in either.

Also, I think I figured out why they have the different channels split up with space in between them. They're Scan Groups in the 905g so you can pick which Scan Group you want to scan. You have G1-1 through G1-16 all the way to G16-1 through G16-16 so there's 16 Scan Groups each with 16 channels for a total of 256 memory spots. This is nice because if you have say Public Safety channels in Scan Group G6 you can move to Group 6 and only scan those channels but it also leaves you free to move to any other group you'd like to scan without having to add "skip" in the program to stop them from scanning like I have to do now. I have all my GMRS/MURS channels set to "skip" so when I hit "scan" I'll only scan the 4 Public Safety channels. The way I'm understanding it I can scan them in their group with the KG-905g or I can move to a different group and only scan those channels. I really think I'm going to get the KG-905g and give it a try.