Netrom-Node mini-Howto
 Karl Larsen,  [email protected]
 v1.10, 19 October 1998

 This document describes how to setup the ax25-utilities package for
 Amateur Radio such that it makes Netrom Nodes for the Node program and
 the BBS software from John-Paul Roubelat, F6FBB. The DOS G8BPQ Switch
 makes a bbs node and many features, it was expected that the Linux
 ax25-utils would have a similar capability. This was not the case.
 Help came from John Ackerman, N8UR who put a message on the Linux-Ham
 SIG that he had done the BBS node and the info was on his web site!
 When the information was tried it didn't work properly but much was
 learned about the technique. Help from Tomi Manninen, OH2BNS did the
 trick. Nodes for the BBS and the Node and the DX Cluster were made and
 work fine.
 ______________________________________________________________________

 Table of Contents


 1. Introduction

 2. How to Begin

 3. Some Details of the AX.25 Utilities

 4. Setting Up Netrom

 5. Setting Up FBB and DXNet:



 ______________________________________________________________________

 1.  Introduction

 It is possible, using just the ax25-util's to generate node listings
 for the Node application and the FBB BBS and the DXNet DX Cluster.
 This is done by changing the configuration files for Netrom and making
 a Netrom entry for each application. At present there is a kernel
 imposed limit of 4 Netrom entries. The new kernels are expected to
 drop this limit.

 Now users look for CRUCES:K5DI-4 and LCBBS:K5DI-3 and LCDX:K5DI-5 on
 the many nodes here in New Mexico, Texas and Arizona and are connected
 like magic. They no longer need to remember anything.



 2.  How to Begin

 Obtain and read the AX25-HOWTO:

 ftp:/sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO/AX25-HOWTO/

 Using the AX25-HOWTO set up the normal Amateur Radio ax.25 and Netrom
 system and make certain it is operating properly.  When the software
 "CALL" can be used to make either a ax25 or Netrom connection to a
 distant node, the system is ready to change to one using node listings
 like the BPQ Switch.

 3.  Some Details of the AX.25 Utilities

 Below is a list of all the applications and files that are needed to
 set up a working ax.25 system. The Applications are all in the
 /usr/sbin/ directory and the Configuration files are in the /etc/ax25/
 directory. Note: Kissattach is used only if you have TNC's in the Kiss
 Mode.


   kissattach             Application

   call                   Application

   ax25d                          Application

   ax25d.conf             Configuration file

   axspawn                        Application

   axspawn.conf           Configuration file

   axports                        Configuration file

 There are several names that a ax25-util user must invent.  Since this
 paper uses the files of k5di, a listing of those names can be made.



      Name            Call-sign       Alias           Other

      ax0             k5di-9                          ax25 9600 baud
      ax1             k5di-10                         ax25 1200 baud
      Netrom          k5di-1          #CRUCE          Real Netrom
      netnod          k5di-4          CRUCES          Node node-list
      netbbs          k5di-3          LCBBS           BBS  node-list
      netdx           k5di-5          LCDX            DX-Cluster



 It's a good idea to make a list like this on paper before you start to
 change things. It is easy to put the wrong name in a control file.

 Kissattach is an application that connects the kernel to the TNC, sets
 the tcp/ip address up, sets the speed of the connection, and is given
 the serial port to use.

 Axports is a file that defines the name of the ax.25 ports and tells
 kissattach what call-sign, baud-rate and window size to use.  Below is
 an example of a 2 TNC system.



      # /etc/ax25/axports
      # Be very careful with the speed setting. This is the speed in
      # bits/second that data passes from the computer to the TNC, and has
      # nothing to do with the radio baud rate!
      #
      # The format of this file is:
      #
      # name call-sign speed paclen window description
      #
      ax0     K5DI-9          9600    255     3       445.1 (9600 bps)
      ax1     K5DI-10         9600    255     1       145.07 (1200 bps)



 AX25D is the application that reads the ax25d.conf Configuration file
 and answers calls made to the system. Below is a sample ax25d.conf
 that has no Netrom defined. In fact all it will do is answer calls to
 k5di-9 and k5di-10. When it answers it starts the node application and
 logs the caller in.



      # /etc/ax25/ax25d.conf
      #
      #  AX25D Configuration File.
      #
      # AX.25 ports begin with a '['.
      #
      [k5di-4 VIA ax0]
      default  * *    *   *   *    0 - root   /usr/sbin/node  node
      [k5di-4 VIA ax1]
      default  * *    *   *   *     0 - root  /usr/sbin/node  node
      #



 The next step is to get ax25d to answer a call to the alias CRUCES as
 well as the call-sign. This is easy to do and is shown below:



      # /etc/ax25/ax25d.conf
      #
      #  AX25D Configuration File.
      #
      # AX.25 ports begin with a '['.
      #
      [CRUCES VIA ax0]
      default  * *    *   *   *    0 - root   /usr/sbin/node  node
      [k5di-4 VIA ax0]
      default  * *    *   *   *    0 - root   /usr/sbin/node  node
      [CRUCES VIA ax1]
      default  * *    *   *   *    0 - root   /usr/sbin/node  node
      [k5di-4 VIA ax1]
      default  * *    *   *   *     0 - root  /usr/sbin/node  node
      #



 If you have trouble, as root kill ax25d if it is running and then at
 the prompt type ax25d &. As ax25d loads the ax25d.conf file it will
 print out any errors it finds. This print out is very accurate and
 tells you which row in the file is wrong.

 A connect from any adjacent node to k5di-4 or CRUCES will connect to
 the k5di node. But Netrom is not transmitting a node listing for
 CRUCES or k5di-4. This is done by changing some Netrom Configuration
 files.



 4.  Setting Up Netrom

 Netrom has applications and files that control it's function and to
 achieve the G8BPQ look and function we must use these in ways never
 intended. Below is a list of these components of Netrom:


   nrattach        Application

   netromd         Application

   nrports         Configuration File

   nrbroadcast     Configuration File

    Nrattach is the application that works with the kernel and
    establishes the ports and tcp-ip used by Netrom. To use nrattach
    you place it in your startup file and the example looks like this:



      /usr/sbin/nrattach -i 44.30.2.5 netrom
      /usr/sbin/nrattach -i 44.30.2.5 netnod



 Nrattach gets some of it's information from a configuration file
 called nrports. This file is shown below:



      # /etc/ax25/nrports
      #
      # The format of this file is:
      #
      # name call-sign alias paclen description
      #
      netrom          K5DI-1  #CRUCE   235    Switch
      netnod          K5DI-4  CRUCES   235    Real Node



 There is no change to the nrbroadcast file so the remaining changes
 will be made to the ax25d.conf file. In this file you normally put the
 real netrom application called k5di-1, but since a call to k5di-1 or
 #CRUCE gets undesirable results, leave that entry out of ax25d.conf
 and a user will get just a "busy" when calling.

 Instead put in the netnod and that will allow ax25d to answer a call
 to CRUCES. This is shown in the example below:



 # /etc/ax25/ax25d.conf
 #
 #  AX25D Configuration File.
 #
 # AX.25 ports begin with a '['.
 #
 [CRUCES VIA ax0]
 default  * *    *   *   *    0 - root   /usr/sbin/node  node
 [k5di-4 VIA ax0]
 default  * *    *   *   *    0 - root   /usr/sbin/node  node
 [CRUCES VIA ax1]
 default  * *    *   *   *    0 - root   /usr/sbin/node  node
 [k5di-4 VIA ax1]
 default  * *    *   *   *     0 - root  /usr/sbin/node  node
 #
 # NET/ROM ports begin with a '<'.
 #
 <netnod>
 default         * *     *   *   *   * -  root   /usr/sbin/node node
 #



 With these changes netrom node broadcasts will include the node
 K5DI-4:CRUCES and K5DI-1:#CRUCE. By testing it was determined that a
 call from any node to k5di-1 or #CRUCE got a busy, and a call to
 k5di-4 or CRUCES connected to the node on this system.


 5.  Setting Up FBB and DXNet:


 The FBB packet BBS and DXNet Linux software are written to answer
 calls to a call-sign defined in the configuration files. In these
 examples the FBB call-sign is k5di-3 and the DXNet is k5di-5.

 Since calls to k5di-3 and k5di-5 are answered by other software, ax25d
 is not used and these calls should NEVER be found in a ax25d.conf
 file. But the nrports file needs to have the information added and 2
 more nrattach lines are added to the start file. The nrattach lines (4
 each) and the file "nrports" are shown below:



      /usr/sbin/nrattach -i 44.30.2.5 netrom
      /usr/sbin/nrattach -i 44.30.2.5 netbbs
      /usr/sbin/nrattach -i 44.30.2.5 netnod
      /usr/sbin/nrattach -i 44.30.2.5 netdx

      # /etc/ax25/nrports
      #
      # The format of this file is:
      #
      # name call-sign alias paclen description
      #
      netrom          K5DI-1  #CRUCE   235    Switch
      netnod          K5DI-4  CRUCES   235    Real Node
      netbbs          K5DI-3  LCBBS    235    FBB BBS
      netdx           K5DI-5  LCDX     235    DXNet DX Cluster



 These changes will make the node listings wanted but a call to LCBBS
 will not work yet. Recall that FBB answers a call to k5di-3 but not
 the alias. To achieve this a change to the
 /usr/local/fbb/system/port.sys file is required. Before these changes
 port.sys had a listing for the name "netrom". With these changes
 replace "netrom" with "netbbs". That section of port.sys is shown
 below:


      #TNC NbCh Com MultCh Pacln Maxfr NbFwd MxBloc M/P-Fwd Mode  Freq
       0   0    0   0      0     0     0     0      00/01   ----  File-fwd.
       1   8    1   ax0    250   4     1     10     30/60   XUWY  UHF port
       2   2    1   ax1    250   4     1     10     00/60   XUWY  VHF port
       3   6    1 netbbs   250   4     4     10     30/60   XUWY  BPQ look
       4   8    2   0      250   5     4     1000    5/15   TUWY  Telnet
      #



 A similar change is made to the "dxnet.cfg" file where netrom is
 replaced with netdx. When these changes are made and a few hours have
 passed to let Netrom send node lists, any nearby node will have nodes
 listed to your Netrom for CRUCES and LCBBS and LCDX, and they will all
 work just as they do when using the G8BPQ Switch under DOS.

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