AllStar

SOUTH WALES DIGITAL GROUP

What is AllStar?

AllStar is a digital linking network used to link repeaters, or nodes, over the Internet to other repeaters or nodes.

According to their web site:

The AllStar Link network consists of a number of large (and small) individuals and groups who provide efficient, large-area communications to the Amateur Radio public in their respective local areas. This is done by providing a local VHF or UHF repeater system controlled by a Linux-based computer system running the open-source Asterisk PBX telephone switch platform along with the app_rpt repeater/remote base controller/linking software module (which is included in the distribution of Asterisk) connected to a high speed (broadband, such as Cable Modem or DSL) Internet connection.

The computer system running Linux/Asterisk PBX coupled with the app_rpt module makes a repeater/remote base controller capable of controlling many repeaters and/or remote bases per computer system. It provides linking of these repeater and remote base “nodes”, with “nodes” on other systems of similar construction anywhere in the world, over the Internet via its IAX2 Voice Over IP protocol.

AllStar Link is an organization devoted to the proliferation of this technology, and to organize its public use. Certainly, anyone can have a “private” system using this technology, and they would have no need for AllStar Link affiliation, but there needs to be a single, central point of organization for public use of this technology, and that’s what AllStar Link provides.

The technology has the unique characteristic that repeaters and remote base nodes are completely separate from each other, unlike any other repeater/remote-base controllers. That means that just because a remote-base is at the same site or even on the same computer system as a repeater, they are not tied together in any way. They are implemented as completely separate nodes, usable separately.

Unlike other Radio-centric VOIP technologies, such as Echolink or IRLP, etc, Allstar and the app_rpt/Asterisk technology have been specifically designed to be part of, and to link together parts of the very infrastructure of the radio systems that it implements, as opposed to be an end-to-end protocol like others.

All systems (nodes) are either repeater controllers or remote-base controllers. They connect directly with the radio hardware (thus replacing/outdating) current controllers on a system that is already up and operating. Just simply as a repeater controller, the amount of functionality and flexibility is very impressive, and when you also consider its remote base, linking (full-duplex) and VOIP (for autopatch, remote control, etc) capabilities, it’s amazing.

Allstar Link is an attempt to take this technology and make it available and applicable to as many Amateur Radio operators as possible, via their local repeater systems.

AllStar Distributions (Distros)

A Linux distribution (often abbreviated as distro) is an operating system made from a software collection that is based upon the Linux Kernel and, often, a package management system. Linux users usually obtain their operating system by downloading one of the Linux distributions, which are available for a wide variety of systems ranging from embedded devices (for example, OpenWrt) and personal computers (for example, Linux Mint) to powerful supercomputers (for example, Rocks Cluster Distribution).

A typical Linux distribution comprises a Linux kernel, GNU tools and libraries, additional software, documentation, a windows system (the most common being the X Window System), a window manager, and a desktop environment.

Most of the included software is free and open-source software made available both as compiled binaries and in source code form, allowing modifications to the original software. Usually, Linux distributions optionally include some proprietary software that may not be available in source code form, such as binary blobs required for some device drivers.

A Linux distribution may also be described as a particular assortment of application and utility software (various GNU tools and libraries, for example), packaged together with the Linux kernel in such a way that its capabilities meet the needs of many users. The software is usually adapted to the distribution and then packaged into software packages by the distribution’s maintainers. The software packages are available online in so-called repositories, which are storage locations usually distributed around the world. Beside glue components, such as the distribution installers (for example, Debian-installer and Anaconda) or the package management systems, there are only very few packages that are originally written from the ground up by the maintainers of a Linux distribution.

Almost one thousand Linux distributions exist. Because of the huge availability of software, distributions have taken a wide variety of forms, including those suitable for use on desktops, servers, laptops, netbooks, mobile phones and tablets, as well as minimal environments typically for use in embedded systems. There are commercially-backed distributions, such as Fedora (Red Hat), openSUSE (SUSE) and Ubuntu (Canonical Ltd.), and entirely community-driven distributions, such as Debian, Slackware, Gentoo and Arch Linux. Most distributions come ready to use and pre-compiled for a specific instruction set, while some distributions (such as Gentoo) are distributed mostly in source code form and compiled locally during installation.

How do you Install AllStar on a Raspberry Pi?

How do you Install AllStar on a Cloud Server?

How do you install Supermon?

How do you install Allmon2?

The first thing to do is to log on your node as user ‘repeater’ command line, you can log in with a keyboard and monitor or using SSH as in the initial node setup.

repeater@repeater:~$

Once you are there you have to type the following commands:

repeater@repeater:~$ sudo apt install git
repeater@repeater:~$ sudo git clone https://github.com/AllStarLink/AllMon2.git /var/www/html/allmon2
repeater@repeater:~$ cd /var/www/html/allmon2
repeater@repeater:~$ sudo mv allmon.ini.txt allmon.ini.php
repeater@repeater:~$ sudo mv controlpanel.ini.txt controlpanel.ini.php

Configuration

Now you have to edit the allmon.ini.php file:

repeater@repeater:~$ sudo nano allmon.ini.php

Change: the ‘500’ number [500] to your node number.
Change: host=127.0.0.1:5038
Change: passwd=yourpassword
(note: ‘llcgi’ is the default password acording to the initial node setup)
Change: menu=yes

After making your changes type <CTRL> + <X> and then type <Y> followed by <Enter>. You will be back to the previous menu and choose <Back>.

repeater@repeater:~$ htpasswd -cB .htpasswd admin
repeater@repeater:~$ chmod 777 astdb.php

Test and Use

Using your web browser go to:

Note: 192.168.x.x is your nodes IP.

http://192.168.x.x/allmon2

There you can login with the user ‘admin’ and your password ‘yourpassword’ or remember default password is ‘llcgi’.

Lighttpd Notes

If you are using Lighttpd, you must modify your configuration to work with Allmon2.

Add

server.stream-response-body = 2

to /etc/lighttpd/lighttpd.conf and restart lighttpd.