Gqrx on Linux Mint 18.1 (fairly) easy install.

General discussions
Post Reply
octave9
Posts: 59
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2017 7:54 pm

Gqrx on Linux Mint 18.1 (fairly) easy install.

Post by octave9 » Mon Jun 12, 2017 10:03 pm

Gqrx is fairly easy to install on a new Linux Mint 18.1 installation.

The available packaged version is 2.4.1 and the version you get following these instructions is 2.6.1, so worth a little command line effort. I haven't tried with 2.4.1 so don't know if it works.

I don't think it matters, but may save some head scratching later if you make sure the RSP2 is not plugged in to the computer.

I always install a few things I can't do without and I use Synaptic.

onboard - is a really nice virtual keyboard, with a useful 'Snippets' feature.
clipit - is a configurable clip-board history which I can't do without...
build-essential - install's essential programs for building from sources.
git - used to clone repositories and obtain source files to build/compile.
cmake - used to configure build environments.

I followed the instructions here http://gqrx.dk/download/install-ubuntu
As it's a new install, I didn't need to do the purge step. Can't do any harm to do those if you're in any doubt about what is already installed.

If all goes well gqrx should be available in Mint-Menu - All and you can right click on its entry to put a launcher on the desktop (or panel...). It should run and it works with a .raw I/Q stream recorded with gqrx and my RSP2 on my other partition.

Follow the SDRplay_non_Windows_Flow document available from http://www.sdrplay.com/docs/SDRplay_non ... s_Flow.pdf

But only as far as the end of Chapter 4. SoapySDRPlay.

I did the "In addition to these, in order to build CubicSDR" part, but they may not be necessary if you don't want to build CubicSDR. I'd be interested to know the result of anyone trying this part without that step. The second sudo apt-get line doesn't look like much, but both libgtk-3-dev and freeglut-3-dev have many dependencies, so I'd like to know if they're required for gqrx.

The 'SoapySDRUtil --find=sdrplay' test may result in output like the following, if you have the device plugged in:

######################################################
## Soapy SDR -- the SDR abstraction library
######################################################

Error: libusb_open() -3
No devices found!

So UNPLUG YOUR RSP2 and PLUG IT IN AGAIN.

Try double clicking your new (resizeable) desktop Gqrx icon and you should find your RSP2 in the list of available devices. It works, for me, with the default 'Device string' which is 'driver=sdrplay,soapy=0' as below.
It also works with just 'sdrplay'.

I had thought it would need the osmocom GNU Radio Blocks (http://osmocom.org/projects/sdr/wiki/GrOsmoSDR), but just the two Soapy parts seem enough (as well as the gqrx PPAs). No NONFREE option used anywhere.

Many thanks to the developers who put all this stuff together...
gqrx-config-IO-devices.png
gqrx-config-IO-devices.png (35.31 KiB) Viewed 23150 times
gqrx-linux-mint-18.1.jpg
gqrx-linux-mint-18.1.jpg (213.16 KiB) Viewed 23150 times

Reason: No reason

snifferdsx
Posts: 9
Joined: Fri May 19, 2017 12:42 pm

Re: Gqrx on Linux Mint 18.1 (fairly) easy install.

Post by snifferdsx » Tue Jun 13, 2017 8:23 am

thanks for you Tutorial

for user who knows linux it easy but i DONT Recommend Synaptic, you can easy distroy you system if you not know what you do

clipit

Code: Select all

sudo apt install clipit
onboard

Code: Select all

sudo apt install onboard
if people liek i can post my usb-stick backup image with mint and all apps and so

Reason: No reason

snifferdsx
Posts: 9
Joined: Fri May 19, 2017 12:42 pm

Re: Gqrx on Linux Mint 18.1 (fairly) easy install.

Post by snifferdsx » Tue Jun 13, 2017 8:42 am

here de complete discription viewtopic.php?f=5&t=2181
and for gqrx http://gqrx.dk/download for linuxmint click on the first link (Gqrx for Ubuntu Linux)

Reason: No reason

octave9
Posts: 59
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2017 7:54 pm

Re: Gqrx on Linux Mint 18.1 (fairly) easy install.

Post by octave9 » Tue Jun 13, 2017 2:13 pm

Thanks for your tutorial too. I used bits of it while I was trying to get gqrx working on a new installation. I'd got the idea that it needed the gr-osmoSDR stuff and built gnuradio and others. I'll do all that again, sometime soon, as a source build of gqrx needs gnuradio headers and co. and I'd like to build it with Qt Creator...

I like finding the minimum requirements for a program, whereas your approach provides everything. 8-)

I was surprised by your opinion on Synaptic. We all have to be careful using anything which requires 'super user' privilege of course, but I don't think it's "easy" to destroy a Linux system by any means these days.

Mint users have seemed to like it over the years: https://community.linuxmint.com/software/view/synaptic

Reason: No reason

kp3ft
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Jun 22, 2017 8:59 pm

Re: Gqrx on Linux Mint 18.1 (fairly) easy install.

Post by kp3ft » Sun Jun 25, 2017 5:25 pm

I'm very interested in your Mint 18.1 backup image. Is there any way I can download it?
snifferdsx wrote:thanks for you Tutorial

for user who knows linux it easy but i DONT Recommend Synaptic, you can easy distroy you system if you not know what you do

clipit

Code: Select all

sudo apt install clipit
onboard

Code: Select all

sudo apt install onboard
if people liek i can post my usb-stick backup image with mint and all apps and so
Last edited by kp3ft on Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am, edited 0 times in total.
Reason: No reason

Post Reply