Linux

[Chris Viningre]

What would be the best suggestion for a Linux distribution to run FreeDV? And what installation instructions? I have tried different ones and have not had the best of luck, so I'm going to start over.

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Chris Viningre

Website: ws5b.com

Email: ch...@ws5b.com

[Peter Marks]

Chris,

There is an AppImage available for Ubuntu 22.04 or newer and Fedora 42. 

An AppImage is a single file that you download, set its properties to executable, and run as program. 

Alternatively there is a script which will build on a wide variety of Linux distributions https://github.com/barjac/freedv-rade-build 

Get both from https://freedv.org under the Download heading.

Best wishes,

Peter

[Mooneer Salem]

What Peter said. I'll also add that the AppImage will likely work on anything with the same or newer vintage than Ubuntu 22.04+ and Fedora 42, just that we don't officially support anything other than those two distros and versions.

-Mooneer K6AQ 

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[Chris Viningre]

Thanks for the help. I figured it out. 

Chris Viningre

Website: ws5b.com

Email: ch...@ws5b.com

On Mon, Aug 11, 2025, 7:07 PM Chris Viningre <ch...@ws5b.com> wrote:

Download and install Fedora. Download FreeDV appimage..Right-click on the icon and open properties. Set to execute. Nothing happens.  

Chris Viningre

Website: ws5b.com

Email: ch...@ws5b.com

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[Chris Viningre]

Download and install Fedora. Download FreeDV appimage..Right-click on the icon and open properties. Set to execute. Nothing happens.  

Chris Viningre

Website: ws5b.com

Email: ch...@ws5b.com

On Mon, Aug 11, 2025, 4:47 PM Peter Marks <peter...@gmail.com> wrote:

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[David Colburn]

I downloaded and installed to MX Linux (Debian derivative). I clicked the Update icon and it executed fine. I clicked the FreeDV icon and it executed correctly. Is it possible you have a permissions conflict?

[Chris Viningre]

It installs fine. Most of the problems I have run into are audio driver issues. One was dropping the audio driver completely, and I would have to reinstall the driver every time I used it. I just installed Fedora, and the audio is so low it's unusable.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/digitalvoice/5df901bc-7424-47e0-af4e-b4736252aa97n%40googlegroups.com.

[David Colburn]

You can't adjust the audio levels in the mixer? I'm unfamiliar with Fedora.

[Rick Kunath]

So just to recap this again for me please...

What distro is this?

The old PortAudio or the current PipeWire? Or were you trying to use the
ALSA API because the correct audio system is not compiled intot he
binary or the Appimage?

Having to reinstall the audio driver does not make sense to me, so can
you help me to understand what was going or what you mean by that? This
should never be necessary in Linux.

With the low audio, how were you setting the audio levels, by using a
sound control and if so which one?

I use openSUSE  Tumbleweed here (KDE Plasma 6 and Wayland) with the
application source built so it is using everything native and zero
issues for me. (Python is atr version 13.)

[Chris Viningre]

Thanks, everyone for your replies and help. This isn't fun anymore. I'm about to give up on FreeDv and return to what I find enjoyable.

[David Colburn]

I have it working fine with my Icom IC-7100.  A friend loaned me a 7600 and I tried to get it working with that - then switched to setting it up on a xiegu g90. (I'll return to the 7600 after I whip the g90 setup. For me there's a challenge to figuring out all of the details that result in it working well. (I'm also testing FreeDATA.) I tell our adult children "They're inanimate objects. They have to do as they're told. You can't let them win, else they'll get ideas."  :-)  It's a very diverse hobby, 
we each enjoy different parts of it. I hope you'll return one day and try FreeDV, again. It's pretty amazing. 73, David KD4E

[Rick, W4XA]

I too am running SuSE Tumbleweed and the appl.image works just fine with an ASRock 970A-G/3.1 motherboard

I also have an Nvidia video card that has HDMI audio capability and had to use it for speaker output because the onboard Realtek audio was somehow missing from the FreeDV selection list

OTOH, 

I have been unable to get the appl.image to work on my old HP Pavilion dv5 running Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS for transmit.  It crashes every time I try. receive works fine.  I might try Mint or Fedora next

Do not give up!  You'll be amazed at how well it works on 75 & 40m!

73/Rick

[Rick Kunath]

It was working great last night on 40 for sure.

I do have Realtek onboard audio and that does work but I still used the
AMD HDMI output for the FreeDSV audio out because the onboard audio
feeds the FreeeDV input via a speaker monitor. Both of my LCD monitors
have built in sound systems, so I have 3 sound systems to work with
here. Ordinarily I use the onboard sound system. But someone could use
headphones for FreeDV out put too.

Rick Kunath, K9AO

[Mooneer Salem]

Hi Rick, 

Does your onboard Realtek show up in other tools/apps (for example, pavucontrol)?

Thanks, 

-Mooneer K6AQ 

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[Rick Kunath]

Mooneer,

FreeDV is using ALSA devices and that is feeding the PulseAudio plugin
though I do have PipeWire as a replacement for PulseAudio on Tumbleweed..

I can't see PipeWire directly from inside FreeDV.

Rick Kunath, K9AO

[Mooneer Salem]

Oh, I was actually asking W4XA that question :)

-Mooneer K6AQ

[Rick, W4XA]

Mooneer, 

Thanks for mentioning pavucontrol!

I installed it on my SuSE Tumblweed desktop and immediately saw all the audio devices to select.  Once I selected the correct one, I started getting audio via the analog onboard audio system.

I can also use the HDMI audio with an external speaker connected to the monitor but still using my el-cheepo mic plugged into the MOBO using the onboard audio!

Now I'll try doing the same thing with the old Mid2012 Macbook Pro running KDE NEON (Ubuntu 24.04 under the hood) 

I'm still have problems getting my even older (2008 vintage Intel Core i3) HP dv5 laptop to work with Ubuntu.  So I installed Tumblweed on it and had the same result.   It hard locks up the IC705 in transmit (even with the power all the way down to zero)  requiring it to be shut off and restarted.  

This laptop actually worked ok using Winblows 10 Pro.

I still cannot get my nearly new ACER laptop running Winblows 11 Home to work with FreeDV.  I still have a problem getting USB audio  to the actual software.  I know audio is coming into the computer via USB Audio codec because I can see the horizontal volume "bar" fluctuating with signals.  I am sure I have some obscure setting check-box unchecked or something!!

73/Rick