Contents
Fedora AX.25
This is a work in progress
Xastir AX.25 'HowTo'
First - be sure to read HowTo:AX.25!
However, due to some of the differences in distributions (Fedora is 'bleeding edge' after all), not all of the AX.25 HowTo applies. When I get this figured out, I'll delineate the differences here.
Fedora
Here is but one of the many resources I've been using: http://www.linux-ax25.org/wiki/AX.25
I don't have it working on my systems yet - but I've started!
I'm hoping some gurus will jump in and fill in the missing parts.
AX.25 But, doesn't that mean "recompile the kernel"?
Nope - it doesn't. The ax.25 kernel module is included in the distribution! Find it in: /lib/modules/<version>/kernel/net/ax25/ax25.ko
Get it installed into your kernel with:
modprobe -a ax25
If you follow that up with an
lsmod | grep ax25
You'll see it there. You now have Linux Kernel AX.25 support!
To make this happen at bootup will require a modification of /etc/modprobe.d - working on those details. (Fedora no longer uses /etc/modprobe.d - changes coming)
OK, now to make AX.25 available to Xastir
With many thanks for the efforts of the folks over at the Fedora Amateur Radio Special Interest Group, not only is Xastir now included as an RPM within the Fedora Distribution, they've also included the AX.25 apps, libraries, tools and development headers for kernel level AX.25 support!
Start by getting all the requisites installed.
See the Fedora CVS Xastir HowTo for details on use of yum, use of su - and configuration and use of sudo etc
yum install ax25-apps ax25-tools libax25 libax25-devel
Compile Xastir from Source
The Fedora Xastir RPM - I believe - is not compiled with AX.25 support. So, you'll have to compile Xastir yourself. See the Fedora HowTo.
Once that's done, you'll need to set the xastir binary itself as SUID.
Be sure to read the warnings about running Xastir SUID first!
Section 14 of the INSTALL file. I suggest you read the whole section. Only part of it is shown here.
Starting at line 1164 of INSTALL
LINUX-SPECIFIC SECURITY WARNING: If you're using Linux AX.25 kernel
networking, you'll need to either make Xastir SUID-root, or use a shim
(which itself is set to SUID-root) between Xastir and the AX.25 ports.
See Option #2 below for the (possibly safer) shim method. If you're the
paranoid type (and you should be if you're running a system with multiple
users), you may wish to skip SUID-root mode/kernel AX.25 interfaces and
use standard serial port TNC interfaces instead. Any program is safer if
run as a normal user (not safe, but safer). It is currently impossible
to use kernel-mode AX.25 interfaces without the program running with
root privileges.
You can set the xatir binary as SUID with the command:
chmod 4555 /usr/local/bin/xastir
The 'In Progress' Part
Setup a Serial / KISS TNC
See the AX.25 Wiki page at: http://www.linux-ax25.org/wiki/KISS