Installing Linuxnet

This documentation refers to Linux(X)NET version 1.32 (linuxnet) with SuSe Linux 6.0 or greater.

Unzipping and first Test

To Unzip the file linuxnet.zip enter:
unzip linuxnet.zip
To start linuxnet from the command line enter:
./linuxnet
Now You should see the following:

********** HighSpeedTNC3 *********
* (X)NET Router Firmware         *
* DAMA/TURBOXHOST  Version  1.32 *
*  (C) '93 - '01 by Jimy, DL1GJI *
*  300 channel       0 KByte RAM *
**********************************

Congratulation: (X)NET runs on Your Linux platform. To connect the Node press the <ESC> Key and enter:

c nocall
You will get a "* Connected to" message and a prompt. Now enter:
=> sys
OK, now You are Sysop. You can now set the terminal call and the node call with:
=> my tcall dl1xyz
=> my call db0xyz

Editing AUTOBOOT.NET

The file AUTOBOOT.NET in the current directory is the first file executed at the start of (X)NET. It is used to set up the hardware configuration before the node comes up. Typically all the "attach" commands are located in this file. To attach a simple KISS-TNC you have to write a single line to AUTOBOOT.NET:
attach sdev0 kiss 0 1 19200 /dev/ttyS0
This command attaches a KISS driver on the (X)NET device sdev0 on (X)NET port 0 using the Linux device /dev/ttyS0 (COM1) and 19200 baud tty speed.
To test the attach command You can enter it also directly from the (X)NET prompt. A wrong attach can be reversed with:
detach <device>
In the above example You would enter
detach sdev0
the driver will be stopped and sdev0 can be attached again. For more details on attaching various hardware see the chapter "Attach Examples".

Devices and Drivers

(X)NET has many software devices built in. For each Class of device various drivers can be attached. The following table shows which drivers can be attached to the predefined devices:
 
Devices Class Driver
AX0  to AXF Kernel AX25 devices AX25
IP0 to IPF AXIP, AXUDP devices AXIP, AXUDP
NULL pseudo device for tests ECHO
SDEV0 to SDEVF Serial devices (tty) KISS, RMNC, SLIP, SMACK, SRPM, TRKISS,
TRSMACK
VANESSA Vanessa Cards AX25

With the attach command the devices are assigned to drivers, (X)NET ports and Linux devices. The SDEV[0-f] devices are intended to be attached to ttys (e.g. /dev/ttyS0). The AX[0-f] devices can be assigned to network devices (e.g. bcsh0).

Attach Examples

Single TNC2 with KISS

To attach a TNC2 in KISS-Mode on COM1 You have to use the command:
attach sdev0 kiss 0 1 19200 /dev/ttyS0
If Your TNC has SMACK checksum KISS You should use the SMACK driver:
attach sdev0 smack 0 1 19200 /dev/ttyS0

Single TNC3 (Multi Port TNC) with SMACK

The TNC3 has two AX.25 Ports. (X)NET is able to attach Multi Port TNCs without any further driver. Simply specify a port count "2".
attach sdev0 smack 0 2 115200 /dev/ttyS0
Now ports 0 and 1 have been simultaneously attached.

Multiple TNC2/3 with SRPM

If You want to use more than one TNC on one COM You can attach a serial ring driver. Even if You use only one TNC SRPM is the best choice. To attach TNCs in a serial ring enter:
attach sdev0 srpm 0 4 115200 /dev/ttyS0
Now ports 0 to 3 have been simultaneously attached. The Serial Ring Protocol finds out how many ports are available and detects also the AX.25 baud rates automatically. On the TNC3 You have to run TRKISS.APL. On TNC2 You should use trkiss.bin EPROMs for this configuration.

AXIP/AXUDP

To attach a node via IP You can use an attach like:
attach ip0 axip 4 1 215.32.10.3
Now all packets sent on port 4 are encapsulated in AXIP and transmitted to 215.32.10.3. All AXIP frames coming from 215.32.10.3 are now heard on port 4. For security reasons AXIP packets from other IPs are discarded.
Attention: AXIP/UDP has nothing to do with the (X)NET-IP router. AXIP/UDP uses the IP-Number of the Linux host when sending AXIP frames - not the IP number of the (X)NET IP router. To connect (X)NET with AXIP You have to send AXIP frames to the Linux host directly (use the Linux IP number).

AXUDP

To connect a Node via UDP/IP, just take the AXIP example above enter:
attach ip0 axudp 4 1 215.32.10.3
Now the frames are encapsulated in User Datagram Protocol (UDP) instead of AXIP. The destination and the local UDP port number are both 93.
If You want to run multiple instances of (X)NET on one host, or if You are running a mailbox software also with AXUDP, You have to use different numbers port numbers for each instance as in the following example:
att ip1 axudp  3 1 l94 d6093 192.168.44.1
The "l94" sets the local UDP port number to 94. "d6093" sets the destination port number to 6093.

TNC4e with AXIP

The TNC4e in the IPKISS Mode is attached with:

attach ip0  axip  3 1 cp 192.168.44.4
attach ip1  axip  4 1 cp 192.168.44.5
attach ip2  axip  5 1 cp 192.168.44.6

All three ports have to be attached separately. The Option "c" is used to suppress AXIP CRC calculation and checking (this is not necessary on a local ethernet). The Option "p" allows MAC parameters to be set via AXIP (TxDelay, Persistence and so on).

BayCom Modem

A BayCom modem is used via the Network Interface. Here is an example how to install the interface directly in AUTOBOOT.NET:

# Install Network Interface bcsh0 for a BayCom Modem on COM1
shell setserial /dev/ttyS0 uart none
shell modprobe baycom_ser_hdx mode="ser12*"
shell ifconfig bcsh0 hw ax25 dummy up
# Attach BayCom Modem to (X)NET
attach ax0 ax25 0 1 bcsh0

USCC Card

To be continued.

SLIP connection

To be continued.