Installation (GNU Radio 3.7)

WARNING: Note that these instructions refer to the older version v1 of gr-satellites. The installation instructions for the current version v3 can be found in the user documentation.

Generic instructions

Install the following through your distribution's package manager:

• GNU Radio
• SWIG
• requests (also called python-requests)
• pip

Install through pip:

• construct

Install from source with ./configure; make; make install:

• libfec

Install from source with mkdir build; cd build; cmake ..; make; make install:

• gr-satellites

Distribution specific

(K)Ubuntu 19.04

$sudo apt-get install gnuradio --> will install version 3.7.13.4-4build1 plus dependencies

$sudo apt-get install gr-osmosdr --> will install the block to access a RTL-SDR stick

$sudo apt-get install xterm --> used by GNURadio

After installing the things above you should be able to start GNU Radio Companion from menu or command line.

$sudo apt-get install git --> will install git for cloning git repositories

$mkdir src

$cd src

$git clone https://github.com/daniestevez/gr-satellites.git --> the good stuff

$git clone https://github.com/daniestevez/libfec.git --> needed for gr-satellites

$cd libfec

$./configure

$make

$sudo make install

$cd ..

$sudo apt-get install python-pip --> needed to install gr-satellites dependencies

$pip install construct --> installs this gr-satellites dependency

$pip install requests --> make sure it has the trailing 's'

$sudo apt-get install swig --> installs this gr-satellites dependency $sudo apt-get install cmake --> if not installed already

$cd gr-satellites

$mkdir build

$cd build

$cmake ..

$make

$sudo make install

$sudo ldconfig

$cd ..

$./compile_hierarchical.sh --> blocks needed for certain gr-satellites flow graphs. Don't forget this step and be patient because it will take a while to complete.

Now you can start GNU Radio Companion and open a flow graph from the source directory of gr-satellites/apps folder. Compile and execute it.

After you execute a gr-satellites flow graph there should be a terminal window popping up. If there isn't then do either one of the following two options.

To change system wide:

$cd /etc/gnuradio/conf.d

$sudo nano grc.conf --> this will open the file with the nano editor

Append the line that says "xterm_executable =" with "/usr/bin/xterm"

To save and exit use: Ctrl-X, then Y, then Enter.

To change for the current user only:

$cd .gnuradio

$nano config.conf --> this will create the file and open it

In the newly created file make the following entry...

[grc] xterm_executable = /usr/bin/xterm

To save and exit: Ctrl-X, then Y, then Enter.

Final step: start GQRX, activate the UDP audio stream and start decoding telemetry.