> libax25 ax25-apps ax25-tools-0.0.x and node-0.3.0 are later editions of
> ax25-utils-2.2.42x.
Thanks to Richard PA3GCU and Jean-Jacques F5LXS. I have
abandoned ax25-utils. All other packages mentioned above install
perfectly, with the exception of the node package which I haven't
downloaded yet.
It also turned out the Mandrake 6.0 distibution CD has the ax25
drivers as part of the sources. I recompiled the kernel as per AX25-
HOWTO with the drivers compiled into the kernel, but couldn't get it
to work.
I then noticed the ax25-config script 'ax25-up' tries to the load the
drivers as modules ('modprobe baycom_ser_fdx') so I decided to
recompile the Madrake 6.0 2.2.9 kernel with the ax25 drivers as
modules.
Foolishly I modified the ax25-up script at the same time, to load
baycom_ser_hdx instead of the full duplex 'baycom_ser_fdx' driver
(I have a half duplex packet radio station). I then found that,
although the half duplex baycom module loaded, I couldn't use
sethdlc on it (it consistently crashed with error number 19). The
man pages for the baycom drivers, sethdlc utility, AX25HOWTO
etc etc were checked, but to no avail.
In desperation I looked through the source code of
baycom_ser_fdx, and found a comment saying that it had
superseded baycom_ser_hdx. From this I gathered that it would be
OK after all to use baycom_ser _fdx for half duplex. I changed the
ax25 startup script back, and now the baycom modem port comes
up perfectly!
Coming back to compiling the kernel, I had trouble with the kernel
image being too big (even as a compressed zImage, with as much
as possible put in modules) and found that compiling as a bzImage
worked.
The other catch was that, after recompiling the kernel, at boot time
the modules dependency check would hang the machine.
Suspecting that old modules had been left lying around, I ended up
wiping out all module binaries, and re-making them. After that, no
problems and Linux boots sweetly once again.
Many thanks to PA3GCU, F5LXS and HB9JNX for their feedback. I
will carbon copy Terry Dawson in case this is of any use for a
future AX25-HOWTO update.
Wilbert, ZL2BSJ.
