Linux Applications for Amateur Radio
Find a variety of Linux software tools for ham radio operations, including logging, digital modes, contest programs, and utility applications.
Linux has become a strong platform for amateur radio operators, offering a stable and flexible environment for many station activities. Hams use Linux for everything from daily QSOs to contesting and weak signal work, often leveraging its open-source nature to customize their setups. This operating system supports a wide array of ham radio applications, making it a popular choice for those building dedicated radio computers or integrating amateur radio into their existing Linux workstations.
Operators can find a variety of Linux-native software for common tasks. This includes digital mode programs like JTDX for FT8 and JT9, as well as SSTV applications such as QSSTV. For contesters, logging programs like TLF Contest Log and FDLog provide essential tools, while utilities like linSmith assist with antenna projects. Packet radio enthusiasts also have options like LinPac and CLX Packet Cluster, ensuring that many aspects of amateur radio activity are well-supported on Linux.
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CHIRP is a free, open-source, cross-platform radio programming tool supporting a vast array of transceivers from Icom, Kenwood, Yaesu, and others. -
JTDX is a free, open-source software for digital modes like FT8, designed for Linux, MacOS, and Windows, enhancing weak signal decoding. -
Fldigi Freeware Digital multi mode program for Linux, Free-BSD, MacOS X and MS Windows . Support CW and several digital modes like PSK31, MFSK, RTTY, Olivia, WeFax, Hell and others and is a fully multi platform application -
SSTV program for the Linux platform with several functions written by ON1MH Johan. QSSTV is a Linux-based program for receiving and transmitting SSTV (Slow Scan Television) and HAMDRM (Digital SSTV) signals, compatible with MMSSTV and EasyPal. Key features include support for narrow band SSTV modes, gallery functionality for viewing received/transmitted images, repeater capabilities for both SSTV and DRM modes, PulseAudio direct interface, and CAT radio control. The software includes waterfall visualization, hybrid mode operation, and template editing features. QSSTV requires Qt5 and several other libraries for compilation, and operates with a three-window interface for receive, transmit, and gallery functions. -
A morse tutor that drives any Linux supported soundcard. -
Unix or linux programme atlc calculates the impedance of electrical transmission lines of totally arbitrary cross section. -
Free german Open Source HAM Logging Program unter the terms of the GNU General Public License. CLLOG runs under MS-DOS (Windows DOS-Window under 3.x,9x,NT,ME,2000) and LINUX. All Functions for Logbook. -
CQiNet is a family of programs that combine Ham Radio with the Internet using Voice over IP (VoIP) technology. Two programs are currently in the family, "theBridge" and echoLinux. Thebridge is a iLink/EchoLink compatable conference bridge that runs under various versions of Unix as well as Windows. EchoLinux is a EchoLink client program for the Linux operating system. -
CQRLOG is an advanced Linux-based logging software utilizing a Firebird database, featuring _Hamlib_ radio control and DX cluster integration. -
Most morse code (CW) training requires you to learn everything at once without a training process. This application changes that and separates training into phases. -
Easy to use CW Trainer for Linux. Adaptable for both the Koch and Farnsworth method of learning CW. Makes random tests or can read text from a file -
DarkIce is a live audio streamer. It records audio from an audio interface (e.g. sound card), encodes it and sends it to a streaming server. Works on Linux and MacOSX -
PA is a JAVA software package containing several programs, SW/VHF/UHF Logbook (imports format from RADIOMAN, VMT), Log conversion to HTML format, Import and export functions for RADIOMAN, CT RES files, BV QSL Labels, CSV etc. Internet DX-Cluster support, Keeps track of your worked Callsigns, Checks your worked Grid Squares per band, Databases for worked Grids and Callsigns Uses K1EA CQWW.CTY country file, Easy command line version for terminal operation Moontracking as clock, Pathloss calculation -
Dire Wolf is a software soundcard modem and APRS encoder/decoder. It can be used stand-alone to receive APRS messages, as a digipeater, APRStt gateway, or Internet Gateway (IGate). It can also be used as a virtual TNC for other applications such as APRSIS32, UI-View32, Xastir, APRS-TW, YAAC, UISS, Linux AX25, and many others. -
DXSpider is a clone of PacketCluster software that runs under several operating systems including Linux and Windows compatible with the AK1A program -
Java based interface to dxWorld.com for Linux by K0EMT -
ebook2cw is a command line program (optional GUI available) which converts a plain text ebook to morse code MP3 files. It works on several platforms, including Windows and Linux. -
FBB is a freeware bulletin board software for amateur packet-radio run on DOS Windows and Linux -
The FCC Lookup System software uses the standard FCC data files in an advanced lookup system for matching a call sign to a user. The software creates index files to allow rapid searches without modifying the FCC data file. Available for both Windows and Linux. -
A free (GPL) Linux (Xwindows GUI-based) utility that performs spectral analysis on real-time data from a sound card or other source, and can analyze the spectra of various sound file types. It can also accept data from many kinds of applications in plain-text form by way of the "named pipe" feature of Linux -
Great Circle Map for Linux, available for Debian, freeware by SM3GSJ -
GDX is a free Linux DX Cluster client for Radio amateurs. It allows hamradio operators to connect to the Packet Radio DX Clusters network via telnet. Connection via radio frequency modem, or TNC, not available at the moment. -
glfer is a program for reception and transmission of QRSS/DFCW signals. It is composed of two main parts: the spectrogram window, where you can see the spectrum of the received signal vs. time the transmission functions, to emit cw characters at a slow but precisely controlled speed, using the QRSS (slow CW) or DFCW (Dual Frequency CW) modes -
gMFSK is a Linux-based multimode HF terminal program supporting MFSK, RTTY, THROB, PSK31, PSK63, and MT63 for digital amateur radio communication. -
Gpredict is a satellite tracking program for Unix-like operating systems. In the begining (v. 0.1.x) Gpredict was just a GUI client to John Magliacane's excellent satellite tracking program, Predict, but due to performance problems it has been decided to include the tracking code directly into Gnome Predict (v. 0.2.0 and later). -
Grig is a simple Ham Radio control (CAT) program based on the Ham Radio Control Libraries (Hamlib). It is intended to be highly generic presenting the user to the same graphical user interface regardless of which radio is being controlled. -
Grig is a freeware simple Ham Radio control (CAT) program based on the Ham Radio Control Libraries (Hamlib). It is intended to be highly generic presenting the user to the same graphical user interface regardless of which radio is being controlled. Grig supports the most commonly used CAT commands that are implemented by Hamlib, and integrates well with other ham radio programs like Xlog and gMFSK. Grig has been developed on Linux, but has been ported on Mac and Windows OS. -
HamFax is an application for sending and receiving facsimiles in amateur radio and for receiving public facsimile broadcasts like weather maps. Supported interfaces are sound cards and the SCS-PTCII from Special Communication Systems. -
Take the audio output of one piece of software and send it to another. JackAudio is a virtual audio software cable that run on Windows Linux and MacOS and if Free to download and to use. -
jLog is a modern Freeware Ham Log program that can run on all major platforms, e.g. Mac OS X, Mac OS, Linux/Unix, Windows, etc. It offers a nice, clean interface and allows efficient entry of QSOs. Import or Export of data using the standardized ADIF 2 format is possible to easily exchange data with any other decent Log program. Built-in CW Keyer, CAT control for many popular, rigs, DX Cluster tracking, call lookups -
Yaesu FT-100 radio control software for linux -
tkD7 is an expectk script for controlling the Kenwood TH-D7 HT on Linux or FreeBSD -
Linpac is an extensible Linux packet terminal that supports easy access to concurrent connections (streams), PBBS/FBB forwarding, and support for adding external commands -
Psk31 program for Linux, supports up to four simultaneous receive windows. -
An open source software defined receiver for Linux, Free DSP and Windows -
Multiplatoform freeware DSP software. Linrad has its origin in software that was developed for 144 MHz EME CW but it is quite general and should be seen more like a kit for designing a receiver that a receiver for some particular usage. It can be used as a CW receiver with a small time delay and a fast waterfall graph. A dsp for conventional receiver to imporve signals readability, a spectrum analyzer. -
A Smith charting program. You can enter either discrete components or transmission lines, see the results on screen and/or generate Postscript output. Component values can be changed numerically or using scrollbars. -
Moon tracking for Mac Windows and Linux for EME by GM4JJJ -
A graphical add-on package to monitor seti@home activity that may be running on multiple computers over a network or multiple instances on the same computer. Runs on Windows or Linux. -
The BayCom-Mailbox is an amateur radio/citizen band AX.25 Bulletin Board System with AX.25 store and forward capabilities. The software is available for Linux, DOS and Win-NT. OpenBCM is opensource and freeware. -
pythonProp is a collection of Python scripts designed to plot files produced by VOACAP. The package currently contains two scripts, both of which make use of the matplotlib library -
Freeware antenna analyzer for linux -
QRadioLink is a Linux analog/digital SDR transceiver application with Codec2 digital voice mode support. -
Qucs, briefly for Quite Universal Circuit Simulator, is an integrated circuit simulator which means you are able to setup a circuit with a graphical user interface (GUI) and simulate the large-signal, small-signal and noise behaviour of the circuit. After that simulation has finished you can view the simulation results on a presentation page or window. Run on Linux. -
Graphic viewer for shortwave broadcasting and programming schedules. Supports viewing schedules in an expanding table and on a 24-hour Gantt chart using the local time and the UTC time display modes. Runs on multiple platforms. -
Free VHF/UHF/Microwave contest logging software for rovers and non-rovers - Runs under Linux, Windows, etc. -
RSCW is a Linux/Unix command-line program designed for decoding machine-sent Morse code signals from a sound card, optimized for weak signal reception. -
This program is used for the ICOM IC-746PRO, IC-7400.You can edit all the setting and write it to file for later use. Runs on Windows Linux and MacOSx -
Satscape is a freeware program for the PC Macintosh and Linux. It produces real-time displays of where any Satellite is, and predicts passes for your locale. There are about 8000+ satellites in orbit, a lot of these are just junk and debris such as discarded rocket bodies, but quite a few are working Satellites. -
SignalGen is a free (GPL) Linux (Xwindows GUI-based) utility that generates relatively low frequency signals with the use of a PC sound card. It is an entirely suitable replacement for a hardware signal generator if one doesn't require signals of a frequency higher than about 50 KHz. SignalGen creates any frequency between a fraction of one Hertz and an upper limit determined by your sound card's capabilities. -
Spek helps to analyse your audio files by showing their spectrogram. Spek supports all popular lossy and lossless audio file formats. Spek is free software available for Unix, Windows and Mac OS X. -
Echo Link client for Linux and general purpose voice services system for ham radio use. The svxlink server consists of a core that handles the connection to the tranceiver. The core can be configured to act as a repeater controller or to operate on a simplex channel -
Perl module providing control to a Kenwood TH-D7 radio via serial port -
Open source software designed for the ICOM IC-R5 receiver. Linux, MacOS X and Windows -
This program intended for electronic circuit analysis (mainly for Linux). ViPEC is a powerful tool for the analysis of high frequency, linear electrical networks. -
Java moon tracking software runs on LINUX, Win 98, Win NT, UNIX, OSF, MacOSX -
Port of the popular VOACAP program, HF propagation prediction tool. It may be compiled using the GCC GFortran compiler -
A small collection of bash scripts for pulling QTH info, grid square info, propagation charts, and monitoring prop logger postings. -
Server allowing operation of the Winkey USB by K1EL with any Linux program with UDP keyer capability. -
FDLog is a freeware logging program for Field Day, designed for wireless networking to synchronize logs across multiple stations. It supports Windows -
APRS for Linux is a multifaceted system for use with packet radio by Hams, it allows the monitoring of real time geographical information such as the position of vehicles, the status of weather, radio direction finding and much much more. It envolves mapping, GPS tracking, packet radio, etc -
Xastir is program for receiving and plotting APRS position packets. Development is a collaborative effort of programmers and amateur radio enthusiasts from around the world. Xastir supports many map formats and is highly customizable. Xastir runs on Windows/MacOSX/Linux/FreeBSD/Solaris/Lindows. It supports 125 map formats, several types of TNC's and weather stations, Festival speech synthesizer, AX.25 networking (Soundmodem/Baycom/SCC!) and seven languages!. -
xoscope (or oscope) is a digital oscilloscope for Linux -
Simple program for ham radio Uses AX25 support built in Linux kernel, works in X11 graphics environment. -
Yagi-logper is a linux GPL program to model a Yagi or Log-periodic antennas with horizontal cylindrical dipoles. -
Ten-Ten International QSO parties logging program multi plaform run with Java under Windowd Linux MacOSX -
HF propagation to your Linux desktop. CQRLOG uses data from HamQSL website provided by Paul, N0NBH. -
GQRX is a free and simple to use SDR receiver which runs on Linux and MacOS X. GQRX comes with a standard FFT spectrum and waterfall display and a number of common filter settings -
How to Operate Ham Radio on a Linux Workstation -
A simple portable ham radio logbook software tailored to portable activies like Parks on the Air, Field Day, and more. Works on Windows macOS, Ubuntu Linux, Raspberry PI. Hamrs is a free software. -
A simple, portable logger tailored for activities like Parks on the Air, Field Day, and more. HAMRS is a fast, user-friendly logging program designed for portable ham radio activities such as POTA, SOTA, and ARRL Field Day. Developed by Jarrett Green, it features an intuitive interface optimized for small screens and multiple platforms, including macOS, Windows, Ubuntu, Raspbian, iOS, and Android. HAMRS provides dedicated logging fields for portable operations, ensuring efficiency in the field. The desktop versions are free, while mobile apps require a small purchase. Its simplicity, cross-platform compatibility, and ease of use make it a valuable tool for amateur radio operators in portable settings. -
LinLogBook is an logbook for hamradio and it is based on an sql database. It can be widely configured by the user. -
A PDF presentation about Amateur Radio and Linux by By: Dave Mamanakis. A beginners guide to Linux for radio amateurs, this presentation cover basic concepts of the open source operative system, from the basic installation to the setup of ham radio programs. -
QLog is a free, cross-platform amateur radio logbook program built with the Qt framework, utilizing SQLite for data storage. It offers essential logging -
qrq is an open source Morse telegraphy trainer which runs on several operating systems (Linux, Unix, OS X and Windows), similar to the classic DOS version of Rufz by DL4MM. -
slowrx is a Linux shortwave listener tool for receiving SSTV using a sound card by OH2EIQ. -
SvxLink is an advanced software suite for the ham radio community, initially launched in 2003 as an EchoLink application for Linux. Now a comprehensive voice services system, the SvxLink Server functions as an advanced repeater controller and can operate on simplex and duplex channels. It acts as an intermediary between transceiver hardware and applications, offering essential system services. The modular architecture of SvxLink supports customization, with modules in C++ or TCL. Key modules include a help system, parrot mode, EchoLink connectivity, DTMF repeater, voice mail, propagation warnings, and selective calling sequences. SvxLink's development and source code are available on GitHub, promoting open-source collaboration in the ham radio community. -
Virgo is originally designed to serve for meteorscatter propagation purposes in amateur radio. Maintained by Bastian, DB1BM, and Alexander, DL8AAU. Virgo is a projection of the sky visible at your location. Different to other astronomical sky views, there are no stars displayed, but the radiants of current meteor showers. -
Vsound is a Linux software which allows you to digitally record the output of another program. The recorded output can be saved to a WAV file or can be transferred into another software. It's basically an audio transfer cable software.