diff --git a/doc/BUILDING.md b/doc/BUILDING.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..188a082 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/BUILDING.md @@ -0,0 +1,21 @@ + +Compiling aprsc from source +=========================== + +If you're familiar with compiling software from the source code, and +pre-built binary packages are not available for your platform, this is where +you need to start. Binary packages will be provided shortly for Debian and +Ubuntu systems. + +aprsc has also been built and tested on: + +* Debian 5.0 ("lenny"): i386 and x86_64 +* Mac OS X 10.8 (Snow Leopard) +* FreeBSD 9.0 amd64 +* Solaris 11 (SunOS 5.11 11.0 i86pc i386) + +If you wish to have decent support, please pick Debian or Ubuntu. The other +platforms do work, but when it comes to building and installing, you're +mostly on your own. + + diff --git a/doc/INSTALLING.md b/doc/INSTALLING.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..58cb7ed --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/INSTALLING.md @@ -0,0 +1,18 @@ + +Installing aprsc +================ + +aprsc is "officially" "supported" on the following platforms: + +* Debian stable (6.0, "squeeze"): i386 and x86_64 +* Ubuntu LTS (10.04, 12.04): i386 and x86_64 + +If you're familiar with compiling software from the source code, and +your preferred operating system is not listed above, take a look at +BUILDING.md for documentation on building from source. + +If you wish to have decent support, please pick Debian or Ubuntu. A number +of other Unix-like platforms do work, but when it comes to building and +installing, you're mostly on your own. + + diff --git a/doc/README.md b/doc/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c797987 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,89 @@ + +aprsc - an APRS-IS server in C +============================== + +aprsc (pronounced a-purrs-c) is a plain APRS-IS server intended to be used on the core and Tier2 +APRS-IS servers. It is written in the C language, and it runs on Linux and Unix servers. + +If you need igate or other radio-interfacing features, aprsc is not for you. + +If you need to run a server on Windows, aprsc is not for you. Sorry! + +A word of warning +--------------------- + +The aprsc software is brand new, under active development, and release +cycles are currently very quick - be ready to upgrade on a short notice when +new versions are announced. Like any new software, aprsc is likely to +contain new bugs, and some upgrades might have a high priority. + +If you're not prepared to upgrade often, please wait for a few months – it +should be more peaceful then. Documentation is not there yet, either, but +if you're an experienced APRS-IS server operator, there should be no big +surprises around. + +Features (lack of) +--------------------- + +aprsc has been designed strictly for use within the APRS-IS core, hub and +Tier2 servers. It includes only the basic functionality required by those +servers. It does not, and will not, have any additional functions such as +igating, digipeating, interfacing to radios, D-PRS or other gateway +functions, or object generation. It will not work on Windows. + +If you need a nice, compact igate software for Linux, please take a look at +either aprsg, aprx, or aprs4r. If you need to run an APRS-IS server on +Windows or some other platform not supported by aprsc, or if you need the +features existing in javAPRSSrvr which are missing from aprsc, javAPRSSrvr +is the right choice for you – it's got a lot of good features that many of +you need, and it works on virtually all operating systems. If you need an +igate for Windows, APRSIS32 should be good. + +Licensing, environments and requirements +------------------------------------------- + +aprsc is open source, licensed under the BSD license. It has about 11000 +lines of relatively clean C code, built using the usual ./configure && make +&& make install method. The embedded HTTP status server is built using the +libevent2 library, no other extra libraries are needed. Linux and OS X are +the main development environments and will receive premium support, but +FreeBSD and Solaris 11 are known to work too. Packaged binaries for Debian +and Ubuntu will be available shortly for super-easy installations and +automatic upgrades. + +Quality control +------------------- + +aprsc comes with an APRS-IS server test suite, implemented using the Perl +Test framework. A "make test" executed in the tests/ subdirectory will +execute automated tests for all of the basic functions of the server in +about 2 minutes. Individual test scripts run fake APRS-IS servers, clients +and peers around the tested server, and pass various valid and invalid +packets through the server, checking for expected output. + +Test-driven development methods have been used during the development: a +testing script has been implemented first, based on existing documentation +and wisdom learned from the mailing lists and communication with other +developers, the test case has been validated to match the functionality of +javAPRSSrvr (by running javAPRSSrvr through the test suite), and only then +the actual feature has been implemented in aprsc. This approach should +ensure a good level of compatibility between the components and prevent old +bugs from creeping back in. + +Who's who, and how long did it take +--------------------------------------- + +aprsc has been developed between 2008 and 2012 by Matti Aarnio, OH2MQK +(aprx), and Heikki Hannikainen, OH7LZB (aprs.fi). Design phase and most of +the core development happened during 2008, but the final sprint for feature +completeness happened during the summer of 2012. Substantial code reuse +happens between aprx, aprsc and other projects of the authors. + +Discussion group +-------------------- + +aprsc has it's own discussion group and mailing list. If you run aprsc, +please subscribe to the list to keep updated on new versions. + +https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/aprsc +