PSKMail Server - how to setup.

[KC9SGV]

Ubuntu Linux 10.04 (Lucid) and
Ubuntu Linux 11.10 (Oneiric)

Connect to the Internet.

Download FLDigi from the website:
http://www.w1hkj.com/Fldigi.html

You can click your way through this:

In the Downloads Folder: Right click the .tar file and move to home folder.
In the Home Folder: Right click and Extract here.
Double click to open the orange FlDigi-3.x.x.bin file
Double click to open .bin file
Right click FlDigi icon - move to desktop
On the Desktop: Double click the FlDigi icon to open and run.

Download the PSKMail Server from the website:
http://pskmail.org/PSKMaildownloads.html
Look for pskmail_server-1.5.3.tar.gz

In the Downloads Folder: Right click the .tar file - move to home folder.
In the Home Folder: Right click the .tar file - extract here.
In the Home Folder: Right click the orange PSKMail-server-1.5.x file
In PSKMail_server: Double click Install - Click Run in terminal.
Enter sudo password - (Should/could be the same as your Ubuntu Linux password) <Enter>

Open a terminal (File>Open terminal or Dash Home, type "Terminal" or double click on a terminal icon.)
Type pskmail_server <Enter>
Answer the questions.
Your callsign - 5 (or -1,-2,-3, SSID etc.)
Latitude = 42.4567
Longitude is -85.6743 (use your own position)
Short server message - this shows up on the server list and maps.
Verify and y
It should say "Listening to the radio".

REBOOT, then
Start FLDigi
Open a terminal (File>Open terminal or Dash Home, type "Terminal" or double click on a terminal icon.)
Type pskmail_server <Enter>

Download and read the Server Manual here:
http://www.pskmail.org/downloads/PSKmail_server-1.0.34.pdf
Also read this:
http://pskmail.wikispaces.com/Server

Please advertise your server here:
http://pskmail.wikispaces.com/PSKmailservers

[KC9SGV]

So, if you have the PSKMail client software as well, you can test the PSKmail system and contribute to the effort by running two computers.
One the server, and the other one the client, both with different callsigns or SSID's.
Use acoustic coupling, i.e. external mikes to speakers for ease.

The PSKmail client software is here:
Look for jPSKMail-1.5.7
You also need the Java runtime environment for this (most computers have it already.)
http://pskmail.org/PSKMaildownloads.html

Please send bug reports to:
pskmail AT freelists dott org

[AI7RR]

I've spent the better part of 3 days installing and setting up pskmail (client). Already had FLdigi installed and working fine. I've read the manual numerous times, researched various other documented sites and joined the wiki. So far, I have not been able to connect to any server or copy any transmissions. I've listened and pinged 10.148 -1000 = dial setting 10.147 USB, to no avail. I've used power levels from 20 up to 100w. I've tried connecting to servers nearest to me using PSK250 and one Canadian server using PSK500R. Nothing.

Have conditions been that bad?

So far, I've yet to find a piece of software I couldn't make work but this one is kicking my backside. Any help or advice would be appreciated.

Tnx and 73, Roger

[KC9SGV]

Hi Roger,

You must have been successful once, because you show up here:
http://hermes.esrac.ele.tue.nl/maps/pskmailers.php

Yes, conditions have been really bad the past few days.
That is why the U.S. needs many more of these PSKMail servers for hams to experiment with.
This is a real cool concept, especially for boaters, RVers EMcomm, etc.

30 M dies down at night and in the middle of the day.
So other bands are also required additionally.

You have all the info now, please keep trying.
I will help as much as work allows me to.

KC9SGV

[AI7RR]

Thanks for the reply, Bernie.

I made a tiny bit of progress last night. I at least saw and heard some activity on 10.147 and decoded something that makes no sense to me, certainly no calls anyway. I still get no responses that I can see when I do a ping. How long after I ping should it take to receive a response? Should I be using TX ID? Seems everytime I turn it off, the program turns it back on?

73, Roger

[KC9SGV]

Hi Roger,

Yes, TX ID and RX ID on the client's FLDigi must be on.
If the program (PSKMail), changes that later, so be it.

We need more servers 24/7 on different bands to help everybody with connectability.