HL2 with Linux?

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Jerry Kaidor

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Dec 6, 2025, 8:12:50 PM (8 days ago) Dec 6
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Hello!

    I am less than pleased with Windows 11, and am trying to get out of it.   I note that Thetis only runs on Windows.  Is there any viable Linux-based software for the HL2?   I downloaded piHPSDR, but the compile failed;  it seems that piHPSDR wants to use physical
knobs and buttons, and my Ubuntu desktop doesn't have those.
                   ???

                  - Jerry, KF6VB

Boudewijn (Bob) Tenty

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Dec 6, 2025, 8:27:15 PM (8 days ago) Dec 6
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There is SparkSDR  https://www.sparksdr.com/

Boudewijn, VE3TOK

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Clifford Heath

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Dec 6, 2025, 8:32:24 PM (8 days ago) Dec 6
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Jonathan Hopper

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Dec 6, 2025, 11:40:50 PM (8 days ago) Dec 6
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Personally I prefer Quisk. It works on linux and BSD's.

Doug Lung

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Dec 7, 2025, 12:44:18 AM (8 days ago) Dec 7
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I used to boot Windows just to run Thetis to operate SSB with PureSignal and audio processing/compression on my HL2. 

Since I didn't do anything else in Windows, I switched to DL1YCF's fork of piHPSDR (https://github.com/dl1ycf/pihpsdr) and have been very happy with it under Linux, with PureSignal, NR2, and similar processing options as Thetis. While it can be configured to work with dials and such with a Raspberry Pi, I've been using it on my laptop with a trackball that has a scroll wheel. I suspect a mouse with a scroll wheel would work equally well. DL1YCF's version makes it easy to change the window size and documentation is excellent. DL1YCF is active on this forum and has helped me with some issues I had originally. I use it for SSB and digital modes. 

I prefer SparkSDR for CW and it is handy for monitoring FT8. I've also used Quisk, primarily for SW listening and used it for digital modes before installing piHPSDR. Quisk's built in audio source/sink for digital makes it one of the easiest ones to interface with other software. Lots of choices! 

I'll look into DeskHPSDR to see what extra features it offers. Might be worth adding another option! Thanks for the suggestion Clifford. 

73,
         AH6DL


Lukasz Olszewski

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Dec 7, 2025, 5:20:45 AM (7 days ago) Dec 7
to Jerry Kaidor, Hermes-Lite
Hi,

With pihpsdr by DL1YCF there is a file where you set which components (kind of features) you would like to include in your build. You can disable the physical buttons. I believe it's on the top of the Make file. I believe you're looking for MIDI=off. However I always left it on and I had no problems . Have you read the manual (by DL1YCF)? It is very good. There is a section on building it.

I've used pihpsdr (DL1YCF version ) for a long time with no controller. It is my favourite software for HL2.

If you fail to build it and still want it post the errors. Perhaps there is some component you're missing.

Regards
L - SP4IT & SP4KW


"Christoph v. Wüllen"

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Dec 7, 2025, 7:27:06 AM (7 days ago) Dec 7
to Lukasz Olszewski, herme...@googlegroups.com
Note the build options should be inserted in a file with name make.config.pihpsdr.

There is no reason to disable MIDI unless your machine does not have MIDI
software (which is part of ALSA on Linux). But if you change the makefile
you get a "dirty" version which makes bug tracking more difficult.

For desktop/laptop Linux computers, it is often necessary to have the line

GPIO=OFF

in make.config.pihpsdr because these machines do not have a GPIO.
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Dalton Williams

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Dec 7, 2025, 11:22:56 AM (7 days ago) Dec 7
to Clifford Heath, herme...@googlegroups.com
Jerry I am with you!  Windows has become a menace tracking its users and more. Requiring you to give up privacy and requiring you to automatically store your private information on their servers.


Dalton Williams
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ron.ni...@gmail.com

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Dec 7, 2025, 2:03:24 PM (7 days ago) Dec 7
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It should be possible to configure piHPSDR to build on versions of linux, as Raspberry Pi's run Debian Linux.  A few years ago, I managed to build piHPSDR for macOS.  No knobs and buttons were required to run it, just a mouse or trackpad with the Mac GUI.  73, Ron, N6YWU.

Luca De Biase

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Dec 7, 2025, 2:45:38 PM (7 days ago) Dec 7
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Tested Deskhpsdr in a Pi4 8gb using trixie on a 64gb microsd . Works well and has nr4 and ps. Compiled at first attempt , just take your time to read well the documentation for linux compiling and changes in  make.config.deskhpsdr.
73 Luca

Doug Lung

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Dec 7, 2025, 4:17:35 PM (7 days ago) Dec 7
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I just tried to install Deskhpsdr and found it won't compile with Fedora Linux (webkit packages don't match Debian naming). This isn't a criticism, I know how difficult it can be to support the various Linuxes out there, but thought it may save others some trouble. If I get a chance I'll try again on a Debian based machine with Xorg instead of Wayland. Overall, I like the way it has additional controls available on the screen. 

Luis Pacheco

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Dec 7, 2025, 8:33:38 PM (7 days ago) Dec 7
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Hi all

as Lukasz said,

There is a file you should create after the gitclone, named "make.config.pihpsdr" where are indicated the components to include. An example of the content:

GPIO=OFF

MIDI=OFF

SATURN=OFF

USBOZY=OFF

SOAPYSDR=ON

STEMLAB=OFF

AUDIO=PULSE

EXTENDED_NR=OFF


Best 73

Luis

CU2IJ

Sid Boyce

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Dec 7, 2025, 8:33:43 PM (7 days ago) Dec 7
to Doug Lung, Hermes-Lite
Same problem with openSUSE Tumbleweed. However, the built binary works.
73 ... Sid.
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Heath Petty

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Dec 7, 2025, 8:38:51 PM (7 days ago) Dec 7
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I maintain the part of the prep_linux.sh script that sets up Fedora Linux. I just upgraded to Fedora 43, and yes, that script needs some updating. You can install everything in that script, but you also just need to install webkit2gtk4.1-devel and latest checkout of deskhpsdr should work ( I was able to build it on my F43 system) . I'll get a pull request setup here in the next day or two. 

-Heath
NQ7T

Doug Lung

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Dec 7, 2025, 9:56:38 PM (7 days ago) Dec 7
to Heath Petty, Hermes-Lite
Thank Heath! 

I hadn't installed webkit2gtk4.1-devel, just the binary file. It compiled fine, no errors, no problem, on Fedora 42! Looking forward to testing it. 

Deskhpsdr-Fedora-42.png

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