AX.25 interface type

On Linux (and only on Linux), you can set up AX.25 networking so that a single KISS TNC can be shared between multiple programs that know how to communicate with AX.25 interfaces.

This document assumes you already have AX.25 networking set up on your linux machine and that it is communicating with your TNC. If you need help to set that up, make sure you've installed the "ax25-tools" and "ax25-apps" packages on your system, then look at the man pages for "kissattach" and "kissparms". A really quick and probably inadequate quickstart can be found on Simple AX25.

• Activate on Startup?: If you haven't noticed, every interface has this option and it always means the same thing.
• Allow transmitting: Can we transmit on this interface or not?
• Digipeat: Will we allow Xastir to serve as an APRS digipeater through this interface? (Don't enable this unless you understand the implications of adding another digipeater to your local environment)
• AX.25 Device name: The name of the ax.25 device you set up in the axports and with kissattach.
• Comment: A little note to yourself for the list in Interface Control.
• IGate Options: whether to gate RF data to your internet interfaces, and whether to gate internet data to RF. Only enable IGate features if you understand the consequences of adding more IGates to your local environment.
• Unproto paths: Just like for Serial TNC, the digipeater paths you want your packets to take. WIDE2-2 is a safe thing to use, only change it if you know what you're doing. Don't spam APRS by using very wide paths.

Important

In order to use AX.25 networking, Xastir must be running with SUID root privileges. We noted that in the Installing Xastir page.

Note

Some Soundcard TNC software can present itself as a KISS TNC and can be used for AX.25 networking. Direwolf is one such program. We have direwolf users, but the set of direwolf users and the set of wiki editors are disjoint so specific instructions are left as an exercise for the reader until these sets overlap.