Rob Compton wrote:
>
> Like Scott, kb2ear, I am new to Linux and find the setup of a system
> compared to a Win95 or MS-DOS system bewildering.
>
> It took me two weeks to get Linux installed and working on my system - much
> of that because RH5.2's install prog didn't like the old 2x CDROM. But
> that's sorted now.
>
> What I think is really needed is some sort of prog for X where you enter the
> ports you want to use, serial i/o for KISS, serial i/o for YAM modem,
> parallel for PICPAR, pc-card solutions like PC100/120, DRSI, BAYCOM, etc..
> and that then compiles the config files which get's the whole shooting match
> up and running, without the need for a masters degree in C++, and 25 years
> of UNIX experience to make it tick.
So, you need to meet the Debian or Redhat package managers. They won't
configure the ax25 stuff, but they will take care of the underlying
system. They are ncurses based rather than X, for reasons that should
be obvious. And they are sufficient to get a system up and running to
the point of figuring out how to connect to your ISP, which is what most
folks want. Either is okay, but Debian is more oriented toward the
amateur community, and the ax25 stuff is in the package manager script.
The ax25 HOWTO is a little outdated, but there is enough there so you
can figure it out.
But the ax25 extensions really aren't for the person who wants to pull
it out of the box and plug it in. Amateur Radio exists to give people
the opportunity to learn . . . . They have plenty of other media if all
they want to do is just talk . . .
>
> If Linux is to win the war with NT, then it must be as easy to set up. I
> know there are books on the subject, but at the end of the day, Joe Public
> isn't interested in them, he want's a system that's easy to configure and
> reliable when it's running.
>
Joe public is never going to have anything to do with installing either
NT or linux . . . He (or she) is going to buy a computer with the
operating system preinstalled, and take it back to the dealer when
something goes wrong.
> I've gone to Linux because my old DOS based packet BBS (GB7ZPU) is coming to
> the end of it's life (Dec31st!), and I have looked at all of the
> alternatives. None of them offer the selection of available modems supported
> with the features it needs to provide the same / better service for the
> future, as Linux does.
>
> So here's my cry for help!
>
> My system will comprise of :
>
> Cyrix MX233 processor in a PC-Chips TX-ProII m/b with on-board svga & sound.
> 32Mb ram, 520Mb HD, 4 serial, 1 parallel, mouse on sio3.
>
> The packet interfaces will be:
>
> sio1 - KISS TNC 1200bd
> sio2 - KISS TNC 1200bd
> sio4 - YAM 9600bd
> PC120 port A - 9600bd
> PC120 port B - 1200bd
> BAYCOM USCC port A - 1200bd
> BAYCOM USCC port B - 1200bd
> BAYCOM USCC port C - 19200bd
> BAYCOM USCC port D - 9600bd
>
> BBS Software - F6FBB v7g for Linux running the daemon version
> IP Hub software - TNOS
> Node/Rose software : FPAC
You can duplicate all of this by installing JNOS or TNOS on top of Linux
. . . . But neither of them is simple to run, and TNOS is now totally
unsupported (its author even shut off the mailing list when he decided
to "retire."). Having said that, I use TNOS (on
K6HS.#NCA.CA.USA.NOAM/k6hs.ampr.org) because it has more features to
play with. But I don't know why you would want to run both F6FBB and
TNOS at the same time.
>
> I need some pointers as to setting up the PC120 / Baycom ports as the kiss
> stuff seems relatively simple-ish.
>
The baycom setup is covered in the ax25 HOWTO, and once done looks just
like a KISS port. I am not familiar with the PC120. If it is not
connected through a serial port or using the Z8530 chip you may have to
write your own driver . . . . or do something differently. If it is,
then it is covered in the AX25 HOWTO. Once you go through the initial
configuration steps, everything looks the same . . . like a serial
stream to a KISS TNC. Which is why it makes sense to use JNOS or TNOS,
because each can be simply attached to as many linux devices as you
want.
The HOWTO's are available at metalab.unc.edu, ftp.cdrom.com and a few
hundred other mirrors. Metalab is the Linux Documentation Project (LDP)
home, so it gets there first.
> Thanks in advance for any help.
>
> Regards
>
> Rob. G1ZPU @ GB7ZPU.#21.GBR.EU
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
73 de K6HS
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