Linux and BSD software

Linux runs most of the important amateur software natively, and it is what nearly every embedded and remote station runs. FreeBSD covers a smaller but real subset through its ports tree.

Distributions and ready-made images

• Any mainstream distribution works; Debian and Ubuntu have the largest packaged selection.
• Raspberry Pi OS — the standard for a portable digital-modes box, an

APRS igate, a remote receiver or an AllStar node.

• DragonOS — Ubuntu preloaded with SDR and signal-analysis tools.
• HamPi and Build-a-Pi — Raspberry Pi images with the ham stack already installed.

Logging

• CQRLOG — the mature Linux general logger (MySQL/MariaDB backed, LoTW, cluster).
• Klog — Qt, cross-platform, straightforward.
• TLF — terminal contest logger for CW, SSB and digital, in the N1MM tradition.
• Xlog, HAMRS — lighter alternatives.

Digital modes

• WSJT-X, JTDX, fldigi, JS8Call, QSSTV — all packaged in most distributions.
• Pat — the Go-based Winlink client; pairs with

ARDOP, Direwolf packet, or VARA under Wine.

• Direwolf — the software TNC. It replaces a hardware TNC for packet, APRS and igates, and it

is the reason a $40 Pi can run a full APRS station.

Programming and control

• CHIRP — packaged, or run from a Python virtual environment for the newest builds.
• Hamlib / rigctld — native home of the project; nearly everything speaks to it.
• Grig, flrig — graphical rig control front ends.

SDR

• GQRX, SDR++, SDRangel, CubicSDR, welle.io (DAB).
• GNU Radio and gr-satellites — the reference toolkit for building your own receivers.
• rtl_433, dump1090, multimon-ng — decoding utilities worth knowing.

FreeBSD and OpenBSD

The ports tree carries hamlib, fldigi, wsjtx, gnuradio, gqrx, direwolf, xlog and chirp; audio goes through OSS rather than ALSA/PulseAudio, so set dev.pcm defaults and use the device names your program expects. It is a good fit for a headless igate or remote receiver, and a poor one if you need a specific GUI title that only ships as a Debian package.

Practical notes

• Serial permissions. Add yourself to the dialout group (uucp on BSD) or every program will

report "cannot open /dev/ttyUSB0".

• Audio. PipeWire and PulseAudio both work; pick the radio's USB codec explicitly in each

program rather than "default", and set 48 kHz.

• Time. Install chrony and confirm it is actually syncing before blaming decodes. On a Pi

without a network, add a GPS or an RTC module.

• Flatpak builds of WSJT-X are sandboxed — grant device and audio access or use the distribution

package.