F4KXL_DStarGateway/README.md

- [1. Introduction](#1-introduction)
- [2. Current State](#2-current-state)
  - [2.1. Code sanity](#21-code-sanity)
  - [2.2. Code Credits](#22-code-credits)
  - [2.3. Thanks](#23-thanks)
  - [2.4. Features](#24-features)
    - [2.4.1. Features that where left out :](#241-features-that-where-left-out-)
    - [2.4.2. Additional Features :](#242-additional-features-)
- [3. Building and installing](#3-building-and-installing)
  - [3.1. Initial setup](#31-initial-setup)
  - [3.2. Get latest stable version (recommended)](#32-get-latest-stable-version-recommended)
  - [3.3. Get latest development version version](#33-get-latest-development-version-version)
  - [3.4. Prerequisites and dependencies](#34-prerequisites-and-dependencies)
  - [3.5. Building](#35-building)
      - [3.5.0.1. Build With GPSD Support](#3501-build-with-gpsd-support)
      - [3.5.0.2. Debug Build](#3502-debug-build)
  - [3.6. Installing](#36-installing)
  - [3.7. Configuring](#37-configuring)
- [4. Contributing](#4-contributing)
  - [4.1. Work Flow](#41-work-flow)
  - [4.2. Continuous Integration](#42-continuous-integration)
- [5. Version History](#5-version-history)
  - [5.1. Version 0.6](#51-version-06)
  - [5.2. Version 0.5](#52-version-05)
  - [5.3. Version 0.4](#53-version-04)
  - [5.4. Version 0.3](#54-version-03)
  - [5.5. Version 0.2](#55-version-02)
  - [5.6. Version 0.1](#56-version-01)
- [6. Future](#6-future)


# 1. Introduction
This is a port of G4KLX Jonathan Naylor's [ircddbGateway](https://github.com/g4klx/ircDDBGateway). It is wxWidgets free and has minimal dependencies to boost (header libs only) and libcurl. I plan to ad some features in the future

# 2. Current State
## 2.1. Code sanity
The current code is working, yet it is a mix of C and C++ of various ages and there is plenty of room for rework. I realised that G4KLx started programming this over a decade ago, when C++11 was not yet a thing !

The code has also been amended to no longer rely on compiler defines for paths like log or data. These can be set in configuration file.

Quite a few classes are more or less copy/paste from each other some sanitization by using base classes or template classes would greatly improve code maintainibility. Maybe one day ;)
## 2.2. Code Credits
- Jonathan Naylor G4KLX (The original author of [ircddbGateway](https://github.com/g4klx/ircDDBGateway))
- Thomas A. Early N7TAE (Code taken from his [smart-group](https://github.com/n7tae/smart-group-server) software)
- Geoffrey Merck F4FXL / KC3FRA [That's me !](https://github.com/F4FXL/)
## 2.3. Thanks
- Cyrille F1MHV / DF1CHB for the testing
- Jonathan Naylor G4KLX for all the work ahead and the rock solid code base
## 2.4. Features
All the features found in ircddbGateway are supposed to be working. Except the ones listed below

### 2.4.1. Features that where left out :
- CCS: is still being used? I always considered this as trojan horse to push some DMR Agenda into DStar an more or les a burdain to use. Call sign routing is by far more flexible and superior.
- Starnet: You might consider running [Smart Group Server XL](https://github.com/F4FXL/smart-group-server-xl) from a dedicated computer instead.
- Announcement: same can be achieved using VoiceTransmit.
- APRSGateway capability: I would prefer to have some sort of TCP "APRS-IS proxy" program sitting between the program and the APRS server, thus keeping the ability to directly connect to APRS-IS or not, depending on the system owner wish. I run mostly DStar Only repeaters, having an additional program to maintain is unnecessary burden.
- DRats : Is on the to-do list see [#6](#6)
- CallSign Server : this is a legacy from the dead project xreflector.net, I will most probably drop it for good.

### 2.4.2. Additional Features :
- DPlus, DExtra and G2 NAT Traversal using ircddb network as rendez-vous server
- Forward RSMS1A app messages from/to  APRS-IS Network, yes you can send/receive messages to and from aprs.
- Repeater Link status is sent to APRS-IS as a status frame

# 3. Building and installing
## 3.1. Initial setup
Clone the repository (only required initally)
```
git clone https://github.com/F4FXL/DStarGateway.git
cd DStarGateway
```
## 3.2. Get latest stable version (recommended)
From inside the cloned repository run following commands to get the latest stable version
```
git pull -p
git fetch --tags
latestTag=$(git describe --tags `git rev-list --tags --max-count=1`)
git checkout $latestTag
```
## 3.3. Get latest development version version
```
git checkout develop
```

## 3.4. Prerequisites and dependencies
Before first time building you need to install dependencies and prerequisites
```
sudo apt install build-essential libcurl4-openssl-dev libboost-dev
```
If you are going to build with gpsd support, also install libgps-dev
```
sudo apt install libgps-dev
```
## 3.5. Building
Regular building
```
make
```
#### 3.5.0.1. Build With GPSD Support
```
make USE_GPS=1
```
#### 3.5.0.2. Debug Build
```
make ENABLE_DEBUG=1
```
Note that this will link with libl
## 3.6. Installing
The program is meant to run as a systemd service. All bits an pieces are provided.
```
sudo make install newhostfiles
```
## 3.7. Configuring
After installing you have to edit the configuration file. If you went with default paths, the config file is located in `/usr/local/etc/dstargateway.cfg`

The configuration format is quite straight forward. It is organised in sections and key/value pairs.
The order of the sections or key/values pairs inside the sections does not matter nor does casing.
Boolean values can be set using true, false, 1 or 0
Floating point values must use . (point) as decimal separatorsensitive.

When done with configuration, the daemon will be started automatically on boot. To manual start and stop it use the usual systemd commands
```
sudo systemctl start dstargateway.service
sudo systemctl stop dstargateway.service
```
# 4. Contributing
## 4.1. Work Flow
I Use [Git flow](https://danielkummer.github.io/git-flow-cheatsheet/) as my workflow. PR are welcome but pleasee observe following rules :
- You have tested your code thoroughly
- Compilation produces no warnings
- Code formating rules are observed (these are very lousy though)
## 4.2. Continuous Integration
I have added some basic CI using CircleCI [![F4FXL](https://circleci.com/gh/F4FXL/DStarGateway.svg?style=svg)](https://app.circleci.com/pipelines/github/F4FXL/DStarGateway?filter=all) I am trying to rewrite the code so that it can be put into some Behavior Driven Development scheme. This is a long haul task and I'll try do do it on the go while changing/adding stuff.
the testing framwework used is Google Test.

# 5. Version History
## 5.1. Version 0.6
- [**Improvement**] Add time server
- [**Improvement**] Gracefully exit on SIGINT and SIGTERM ([#21](https://github.com/F4FXL/DStarGateway/issues/21)). DStarGateway can also be run as a "forking" daemon. This might be required for distros still using sysv. Systemd can live without it.
- [**Improvement**] Add text transmit utility dgwtexttransmit ([#18](https://github.com/F4FXL/DStarGateway/issues/18))
- [**Improvement**] Add voice transmit utility dgwvoicetransmit ([#18](https://github.com/F4FXL/DStarGateway/issues/18))
## 5.2. Version 0.5
- [**Improvement**] Add remote control utility dgwremotecontrol ([#17](https://github.com/F4FXL/DStarGateway/issues/17))
- [**Bugfix**] Two simultaneous incoming G2 streams would fail to be transmitted on dual band repeaters ([#16](https://github.com/F4FXL/DStarGateway/issues/16))
- [**Improvement**] Add NAT Traversal for G2 and DExtra, using IRCDDB as a Rendez Vous server ([#5](https://github.com/F4FXL/DStarGateway/issues/5))
- [**Improvement**] Add forwarding of RS-MS1A messages to APRS-IS ([#9](https://github.com/F4FXL/DStarGateway/issues/9))
- [**Bugfix**] Failed to download XLX Hosts when URL contains a = sign ([#14](https://github.com/F4FXL/DStarGateway/issues/14))
- [**Bugfix**] Remote control connection failed ([#13](https://github.com/F4FXL/DStarGateway/issues/13))
- [**Bugfix**] Trying to connect to ghost ircDDB when no ircDDB is configured
## 5.3. Version 0.4
- [**Improvement**] Add APRS status link feature ([#8](https://github.com/F4FXL/DStarGateway/issues/8))
- [**Bugfix**] Posotions received over radio were not sent to APRS-IS when GPDS connection failed. ([#7](https://github.com/F4FXL/DStarGateway/issues/7))
- [**Improvement**] Bring back GPSD support ([#6](https://github.com/F4FXL/DStarGateway/issues/6))
- [**Improvement**] Log enhancements ([#4](https://github.com/F4FXL/DStarGateway/issues/4))
## 5.4. Version 0.3
- [**Improvement**] Get ride of libcongig++ dependency. When upgrading from earlier version you need to manualy delete the config file before reinstalling.
## 5.5. Version 0.2
- [**Bugfix**] ircDDBFreeze when repeater not found ([#1](https://github.com/F4FXL/DStarGateway/issues/1))
- Code sanitization
## 5.6. Version 0.1
First working version
# 6. Future
I started this during my 2021 seasons holiday. It took me almost 8 days to get to a workable version. Here are a couple of stuff I'd like to do :
- &#9745; Better NatTraversal
  - No banging on every gateway: use ircDDB (or something else) as mitigation server to notify peer
  - Support for all protocols (G2, DExtra, DPlus) DCS does nto make sense as it was historically never used as protocol for linking repeaters
- &#9745; Send the connection status to APRS-IS as a status frame
- &#9746; Reinstantiate DRATS
- &#9745; Migrate all the "accessories" (VoiceTransmit, RemoteControl ...)
- &#9746; Automatic refresh of host files
- &#9746; Reduce ircDDB dependency, build something more P2P, maybe based on [Distributed Hashtable](https://github.com/DavidKeller/kademlia) ?
- &#9746; Forward messages from RS-MS1A to APRS and vice versa
- Everything that might come handy to make dstar the most powerful system ever :)