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  • Linux and Winlink

    From nblade@21:1/164 to All on Mon Dec 29 12:45:00 2025
    After a hiatus, I am looking to get back into the hobby. Of course it is something
    to try and decide what in the hobby I want to work on. For some reason, I remembered
    hearing about Winlink and was like hey that's something to check out.

    Checking it out, I was like, OK so it's basically an over the air email gateway system.
    I was also like, there were times when I was RVing fulltime that it might have been
    nice to have some sort of system like that. I know there were a few places that I
    stopped that did not have any Internet available (not to mention no cell as well).
    It would have been nice to have some sort of backup for at least email, which is what
    winlink seems to provide.

    That said I wondering what the people here's experience trying to operate Winlink is?
    Not to mention I was wondering who might be using it on Linux and what if any pit falls
    there might be. The biggest one I've seen so far is the VARA/VARA FM, being a Windows
    thing and having to use WINE to run it.

    Thanks for any information you might have.



    ... Just because you can doesn't mean you should.
    --- MultiMail/Linux v0.49
    * Origin: electronic chicken bbs - bbs.electronicchicken.com (21:1/164)
  • From Khronos@21:2/153 to nblade on Mon Dec 29 21:12:45 2025
    Re: Linux and Winlink
    By: nblade to All on Mon Dec 29 2025 12:45:00

    Hi,
    If you want a total Linux solution check out a program called Pat this can be used with Ardop.
    Ardop is a slower protocol, but it is still used.

    Tom
    --- SBBSecho 3.34-Linux
    * Origin: telnet://cwshack.ddns.net:2330 (21:2/153)
  • From nblade@21:1/164 to Khronos on Tue Dec 30 10:41:00 2025
    Thanks, I have already looked at pat. I still need to get my radios
    connected try it out with a radio. I have already tried it out with
    just using the telnet connect and it works like I expected. Hell
    it reminds me a lot of just using an offline message reader. You compose
    or read messages offline downloading messages or uploading replies.

    My main hurldes is the radio, I still need to get an HF rig to try the HF connections. There is a 2m Packet station near me, I might try and see if
    I can connect via that.

    Khronos wrote to nblade <=-

    Re: Linux and Winlink
    By: nblade to All on Mon Dec 29 2025 12:45:00

    Hi,
    If you want a total Linux solution check out a program called Pat this
    can be used with Ardop. Ardop is a slower protocol, but it is still
    used.

    Tom
    --- SBBSecho 3.34-Linux
    * Origin: telnet://cwshack.ddns.net:2330 (21:2/153)

    ... Just because you can doesn't mean you should.
    --- MultiMail/Linux v0.49
    * Origin: electronic chicken bbs - bbs.electronicchicken.com (21:1/164)
  • From Reverend Shaft@21:4/111 to nblade on Tue Dec 30 23:16:17 2025
    Wow, it's been a hot minute.

    I do remember setting something up on Linux, but I don't remember if I ever did get it running. (The Windows install with VARA was pretty cut and dry, all things considered.)

    I've got some other projects going in the shack over the holiday weekend... I'll take a look at my Linux installs and see if I can dredge something up.

    Meanwhile, something Winlink adjacent... Have you looked at Network105? That might be something up your alley as well.

    73!
    Randall
    WZ8Q

    ... People say I act like I don't care. It's not an act.

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Windows/32)
    * Origin: The Arena BBS ú netasylum.com:2323 (21:4/111)
  • From phigan@21:3/193 to nblade on Wed Dec 31 04:27:22 2025
    it reminds me a lot of just using
    an offline message reader. You

    That would be cool if there was a mod to Synchronet (or whatever BBS) that could accept packet calls and do some funky authentication kind of like Winlink does.. then send/accept QWK packets, or just brings you to the QWK menu prompt.

    Then you'd probably need a modified offline mail reader to not make it a PITA ;).



    --- NE BBS v1.13.2 (linux; x64)
    * Origin: NE BBS - nebbs.servehttp.com:9223 (21:3/193)
  • From nblade@21:1/164 to Reverend Shaft on Wed Dec 31 08:36:00 2025
    Never heard of Network105, I'll have to look that up.


    Reverend Shaft wrote to nblade <=-

    Wow, it's been a hot minute.

    I do remember setting something up on Linux, but I don't remember if I ever did get it running. (The Windows install with VARA was pretty cut
    and dry, all things considered.)

    I've got some other projects going in the shack over the holiday weekend... I'll take a look at my Linux installs and see if I can
    dredge something up.

    Meanwhile, something Winlink adjacent... Have you looked at Network105? That might be something up your alley as well.

    73!
    Randall
    WZ8Q

    ... People say I act like I don't care. It's not an act.

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Windows/32)
    * Origin: The Arena BBS ù netasylum.com:2323 (21:4/111)

    ... Just because you can doesn't mean you should.
    --- MultiMail/Linux v0.49
    * Origin: electronic chicken bbs - bbs.electronicchicken.com (21:1/164)
  • From Khronos@21:2/153 to nblade on Wed Dec 31 21:31:31 2025
    Re: Re: Linux and Winlink
    By: nblade to Reverend Shaft on Wed Dec 31 2025 08:36:00

    After a short search seems to be some people who do packet on 20 meters.
    14105 khz.
    --- SBBSecho 3.34-Linux
    * Origin: telnet://cwshack.ddns.net:2330 (21:2/153)