Linux Hamradio Applications and Utilities Homepage

About the Linux Hamsoft Database

Terry Dawson started the HAM-HOWTO to encourage ham-radio operators to use the linux operating system. It was originally called the RADIOLINUX list, but when it moved to the Linux Documentation Project it was renamed HAM-HOWTO. The last version (2.3) was dated April 1, 1997. Here are Terry's words from the introduction:
It is hoped that this document will assist Amateur Radio operators in finding and trying the various amateur radio software that has been written for or ported to Linux. It is also hoped that as a consequence of this information being available that more amateur radio operators will choose Linux as the platform of choice for their experimentation, and that software developers will choose Linux as the platform for their software development, further expanding the role of operating systems like Linux in the Amateur Radio field.
Linux was becoming popular amongst hams quickly and it was hard to keep up with newly released software. Joop Stakenborg started the Linux Hamradio Applications and Utilities Homepage in an attempt to create browseable pages with references to linux hamradio software. He opened his site officially on January 2, 1999. Here is the announcement from the linux-announce mailing list:
After a month of testing and feedback I am ready to release the linux hamradio applications and utilities homepage. They are at http://www.casema.net/~aba. It is intended for hamradio operators who use linux and are looking for a software package. The site has 2 possible ways of navigations: through simple text screens and by a java-script enhanced page, which uses an icon driven menu system. At the time of writing 116 hamradio software packages are included ranging from a simple utility to calculate bearing and heading between two radio stations to an electronic design package. I hope radio hams will use my page as a starting point for using linux hamradio software. Hopefully it will inspire hamradio operators to write more linux software too.
Again, these pages where hard to maintain, because of the continously changing software version numbers, dates and URL's. Editing was done by hand and with over 100 html pages, it was hard to keep up with the ever changing software. A few months later, Terry and Joop got together and set up some requirements for a database driven web interface. MySQL was chosen, interfaced with PHP3. Terry wrote the pages and Joop's entries were merged into the database and updated. Linux Australia provided the webspace. The site was announced on the linux-hams mailing list on August 4, 1999:
After several weeks of testing we are proud to announce the LINUX AMATEUR RADIO SOFTWARE DATABASE. The database can be viewed at http://radio.linux.org.au The startup page will show you new software which has been entered in the last month. You will see buttons, which will allow you to browse the database by section, sorted by date, title, or subsection. There are 2 buttons on the main page for adding software packages and sending feedback to the database maintainers. When you add a package, it will be held back until it has been reviewed by one of the maintainers. Credits for the web-pages go to Terry Dawson, VK2KTJ. Terry has used PHP3, a powerful HTML language to talk to a MySQL database where the records are stored. The records were taken and updated from http://www.casema.net/~aba, which means these pages will soon be obsolete, as will be the HAM-HOWTO, if this database will prove to be useful. We hope this software database will encourage hams to write and share amateur radio software for linux.
The Linux Hamsoft Database runs Debian GNU/Linux and reached 100.000 requests in march 2000 with over 30.000 pages served. The administrator team consists of Terry Dawson, VK2KTJ, Joop Stakenborg, PG4I and about 50 hams who maintain their own entries in the database.
We are still looking for people who can help us with designing graphics and updating records in case you own a linux hamradio project. If you would like to join us, please fill in the feedback form.

About the Linux Hamsoft Database
Terry Dawson started the HAM-HOWTO to encourage ham-radio operators to use the linux operating system. It was originally called the RADIOLINUX list, but when it moved to the Linux Documentation Project it was renamed HAM-HOWTO. The last version (2.3) was dated April 1, 1997. Here are Terry's words from the introduction:
It is hoped that this document will assist Amateur Radio operators in finding and trying the various amateur radio software that has been written for or ported to Linux. It is also hoped that as a consequence of this information being available that more amateur radio operators will choose Linux as the platform of choice for their experimentation, and that software developers will choose Linux as the platform for their software development, further expanding the role of operating systems like Linux in the Amateur Radio field.
Linux was becoming popular amongst hams quickly and it was hard to keep up with newly released software. Joop Stakenborg started the Linux Hamradio Applications and Utilities Homepage in an attempt to create browseable pages with references to linux hamradio software. He opened his site officially on January 2, 1999. Here is the announcement from the linux-announce mailing list:
After a month of testing and feedback I am ready to release the linux hamradio applications and utilities homepage. They are at http://www.casema.net/~aba. It is intended for hamradio operators who use linux and are looking for a software package. The site has 2 possible ways of navigations: through simple text screens and by a java-script enhanced page, which uses an icon driven menu system. At the time of writing 116 hamradio software packages are included ranging from a simple utility to calculate bearing and heading between two radio stations to an electronic design package. I hope radio hams will use my page as a starting point for using linux hamradio software. Hopefully it will inspire hamradio operators to write more linux software too.
Again, these pages where hard to maintain, because of the continously changing software version numbers, dates and URL's. Editing was done by hand and with over 100 html pages, it was hard to keep up with the ever changing software. A few months later, Terry and Joop got together and set up some requirements for a database driven web interface. MySQL was chosen, interfaced with PHP3. Terry wrote the pages and Joop's entries were merged into the database and updated. Linux Australia provided the webspace. The site was announced on the linux-hams mailing list on August 4, 1999:
After several weeks of testing we are proud to announce the LINUX AMATEUR RADIO SOFTWARE DATABASE. The database can be viewed at http://radio.linux.org.au The startup page will show you new software which has been entered in the last month. You will see buttons, which will allow you to browse the database by section, sorted by date, title, or subsection. There are 2 buttons on the main page for adding software packages and sending feedback to the database maintainers. When you add a package, it will be held back until it has been reviewed by one of the maintainers. Credits for the web-pages go to Terry Dawson, VK2KTJ. Terry has used PHP3, a powerful HTML language to talk to a MySQL database where the records are stored. The records were taken and updated from http://www.casema.net/~aba, which means these pages will soon be obsolete, as will be the HAM-HOWTO, if this database will prove to be useful. We hope this software database will encourage hams to write and share amateur radio software for linux.
The Linux Hamsoft Database runs Debian GNU/Linux and reached 100.000 requests in march 2000 with over 30.000 pages served. The administrator team consists of Terry Dawson, VK2KTJ, Joop Stakenborg, PG4I and about 50 hams who maintain their own entries in the database.
We are still looking for people who can help us with designing graphics and updating records in case you own a linux hamradio project. If you would like to join us, please fill in the feedback form.

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