[Xastir] Automated Xastir

[Tom Russo]

On Mon, Jun 17, 2013 at 02:44:53PM -0700, we recorded a bogon-computron collision of the <esarfl at gmail.com> flavor, containing:
> On Fri, Jun 14, 2013 at 8:19 PM, Chip G. <n1mie at mac.com> wrote:
> > Can I script Xastir to send an APRS message/bulletin?
> >
> > I run Xastir on my base station at home. I'm putting together a remote setup to relay some data into the network. I'm trying to determine the best method of getting the data onto RF. I have a Raspberry Pi (actually many) and a TNC-Pi (http://tnc-x.com/tncpi.htm). The TNC-Pi is reported compatible with Xastir, so that seems to be one possible solution. But I need something automated. Something that can either send a message upon trigger (i.e., temperature hits a certain high or low value) or on some frequency (i.e., send battery voltage every 15 minutes).
> >
> > Thanks.
> >
> >
> > 73,
> > --de Chip (N1MIE) FN41bn
> 
> You can configure cron to run a script that sends a beacon via
> Xastir's server port. This is convenient if you are already running
> Xastir. 

But remember that Xastir's server port does NOT normally allow you to gate 
anything from the server port to the TNC.  It only forwards that information
to the APRS-IS if you're connected to that.  

There are tricks to make it forward posits (such as objects) to RF (i.e. by
having them use the same FROM call sign/ssid as Xastir is using), but then 
Xastir takes ownership of them and will beacon them itself on schedule.

I'm not sure it'll always do the expected thing for messages.

> If you want to run it headless, just do the same but have the
> script send the beacon direction to the TNC.

I would probably script this to use AX.25 networking on the Pi, and use
the "beacon" command to generate the data upon the trigger, and use the
"one time only" option for that program.  For the "send battery voltage
every 15 mins" I'd make it so that the appropriate beacon command was 
constructed in a cron job every 15 mins.

Xastir's really not the right tool for a remote setup.  It's forte is 
applications where the user needs to interact with APRS, not unattended,
remote services.  It's also overkill for your needs --- all of the things
you've given as examples are easily done with a cron job and the "beacon" 
program, with a little scripting.

-- 
Tom Russo    KM5VY   SAR502   DM64ux          http://www.swcp.com/~russo/
Tijeras, NM  QRPL#1592 K2#398  SOC#236        http://kevan.org/brain.cgi?DDTNM
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