Installing Linux AX25028 Experiences

[srbible@cs.nps.navy.mil (Steven R. Bible)]

I thought I would document my experiences with installing Alan's version 028
of the AX.25 code into the Linux kernel this weekend.  I had a few problems
along the way.  Perhaps others have (or will have) the same hic-ups.  Or
perhaps I had goofed somewhere.  In either case, could others comment
whether these errors occured when they installed the code or please tell me
where I went wrong.

1. Updating the Kernel

Alan says that you need at least version 1.1.92 of the kernel code for
AX25028.  The latest version this weekend is 1.1.94.

I had in the past done a "make config" to create a /usr/src/linux/config.in
file that I then went into to uncomment the AX.25 CONFIG line and "make
config" again.  Well this version did not make a config.in in the familar
directory.  So I found the mother config.in file in /usr/src/linux/arch/i386/.

2. Updated Net-tools

The latest version of net-tools is version 1.1.93.  Here I ran into a "make"
problem, it could not find files in usr/src/linux/include/asm.  Upon going
to the directory I found several asm-* files.  So I made a link to asm-i386.
(At the time I got this error, I had not compiled the kernel.  I had only
untar'd the source code.  Would this link been made had I compiled the kernel?)

Next the "make" errored on two programs: plipconfig and ipfw.  Since I am
not using plip and no firewalls, I commented the two out of the Makefile and
net-tools compiled and installed fine.

3. AX.25 krnl028.tgz

Alan had the sunacm.swan.ac.uk site down Saturday for repairs.  I downloaded
ax25028.tgz from ftp.ucsd.edu from /hamradio/packet/tcpip/incoming.  This
file has both the kernel (krnl028.tgz) and utility (util028.tgz) code plus a
sock.dif file.  No instructions are included.  So I untar'd the krnl028.tgz
in /usr/src/linux.

I found that the sock.dif was for sock.h in the /usr/src/linux/net/inet
directory.  I simply copied sock.dif there and used the command

  patch < sock.dif

to patch the code.

4. Compiled a new kernel.

Everything compiled fine at this point.  It's an adventure to watch as the
kernel changes the configuration change too.  I have to be careful and read
each line as I answer yes or no during "make config".

5.  AX.25 util028.tgz

A new set of utilities since AX25022.  Here I untar'd the file in
/usr/local.  At this point I cd'd to /usr/local/ax25/src and "make install".
I got an error when it got to the point of compiling axassociate.  I took
the easy way out and commented it out in the Makefile and then the "make
install" went the distance.

6. On the air.

Still need to test.

7. Summary

This took an entire Saturday to get this far.  Hopefully this will save
someone some time.  If you find that I "did it wrong" please tell me.  I am
sure Alan reads this group and will take note of my adventure.  I'd like to
get it all straightened out and then I can give it all to Terry to update
the AX.25 section of the NET-2 HOWTO.

I am still curious as to the proper order to do things.  Do I download the
kernel source, compile it, then update net-tools?  Or does it matter.

Thanks,

Steve, N7HPR

srbible@cs.nps.navy.mil
Naval Postgraduate School,  Monterey, CA 93943