I’ve made some progress and now have an ASL3 node running on Debian 12, using DVSwitch and Node Remote on my Android devices. I’ve also included the asl3-pi-appliance in the build and have most of it working.
How are the updates coming along to get Debian 12 running like the Raspberry Pi image? I’m working on improving Skywarn and Supermom, and then I’ll focus on adding menus to include other devices.
I can’t thank the developers of ASL3.0 and previous versions enough. I have a ClearNode, but it has dropped to monitor-only mode and might need to go back to Node-Ventures. Without AllStar Link, I’d be off the air."
I’m not really following this post. In regards to “Debain 12 running like the Rapsberry Pi image” all that’s really needed there is to install the asl3-pi-appliance package and you’ll get the whole web system. However that package is also designed to take over the whole OS and many people installing the x86_64 version of AllStarLink aren’t looking for an out-of-the-box appliance. An x86_64 appliance is on the list of things to do, but it’s not a priority given the perceived lack of demand.
I’m not sure what you mean by “I have a ClearNode but it has dropped to monitor-only mode”? Are you saying you installed ASl3 on ClearNode?
On the Clearnode, there is a setting in the APP that only connects as Monitor mode only. Go to main page>add connection and see if the switch for that is enabled…
The Clear Node is being addressed by Node-Ventures. I had an issue with the node and the config got scrambled. I was able to back track to an earlier config. I found the Monitor switch and it was disabled - Thank you.
For those who don’t have Raspberry Pi’s laying around but if you have a Windows 10/11/Linux system you can install ASL3.0. To do this you need to install Debian 12 in either VMWare Workstation or VirtualBox. It is not as elegant as using the image on a Raspberry Pi, but it can be done. The asl3-pi-appliance package will add the backend and gives you an easy interface to configure your Debian 12 node, but there are configurations to get it running.
I am sad to hear that the x86_64 version is not a priority as most ham shacks have Windows or Linux box sitting idle. I can run 4 nodes easily on a modest system. The resources required starts with one core, 2-3GB Ram and 3 GB Disk for each node.
You can run the node in no-radio mode and use a IAX client on your Windows/Linux system or Android phone. This allows you to have a node at almost no cost except for time learning about your node. Next step up is adding a sound CM108 USB sound dongle for less than $20 and some soldering. If you want to have a RF interface, you can add this for about $100.
I have friends who have their license for over 50 years and find themselves in a nursing home. The nursing homes don’t allow external antennas, I know as I spent 3 years in a home. If it were not for my HT and a local repeater, I would have had nothing to-do but watch TV. I found ClearNode and luckily had the money - that extended my reach almost worldwide. AllStar kept my sanity, I owe the developers a big gratitude. I am returning to the workforce if possible and will be a supporter of AllStar.
To be clear, installing ASL3 to a Debian 12 x86_64/amd64 system is fully supported. It’s just having an installable “appliance” (like the Pi appliance) that remains on the TODO list.
You’re only the second person to ever ask for an installable appliance on x86_64. However like Allan stated, installation on Debian 12 is very straightforward and is well-documented at Debian 12 Install - AllStarLink Manual. It 100% supported and works great. apt install asl3-pi-appliance will bring down all the appliance bits if you want ASL3 to “take over” the whole system. However most people don’t seem to want that – but if that’s an mistaken impression those people need to speak up Customizing the general-purpose Debian installer is a whole lot more complicated than the Pi appliance build that only has to support one platform target. It’s just a question of labor prioritization.
I installed ASL3 on an old HP Pavilion laptop running Debian 12. I configured the node using asl-menu. I tied to launch the AllStarLink landing web page that works on my Raspberry Pi4 Hat node, but I’m not able to launch the AllStarLink landing web page on the Debian 12 ASL3 node. I tried https://local_ip_address:9090 and couldn’t connect to the AllStarLink landing page. Is it possible to connect to the AllStarLink landing page with a Debian 12 AllStarLink node? If so, is there something that I need to do to get the AllStarLink landing page to work with a Debian 12 AllStarLink node?
Customizing the general-purpose Debian installer is a whole lot more complicated than the Pi appliance build that only has to support one platform target. It’s just a question of labor prioritization.