Getting started on Window with PAT

[svtdoug]

I was excited to discover PAT today, with its web GUI and multi-user capability.  However, I am stumped on getting started.  I was looking for a simple program to execute which will take me to the GUI.  My primary goal is to replace the Winlink client with a simplified interface, as IMHO the Winlink client has too steep a learning curve and too many pitfalls for many users. 

Yes, I looked at the Web GUI doc, but so much is assumed.  Where do you run $ pat http command??  

As Winlink comes from a Windows environment, I hope you can work on a simplified Windows version of PAT, as least to get it started.

As often is the case, documentation written by the software developer is likely assuming too much to be of help for the general public.  Might I suggest having someone with a non-technical background sit down and try to follow your documentation to learn about what is not clear. 

Respectfully submitted,

Doug

NN7D

[Jim Weisgram]

You CAN use pat from the command line. Try

> pat help

or visit

https://github-wiki-see.page/m/la5nta/pat/wiki/The-command-line-interface

However, most people want to use the Pat GUI, which operates within a web browser interface.

Getting pat configured and running can be challenging. If you happen to be using a Raspberry Pi you should check out KM4ACK on YouTube, which makes things as easy as possible.

>> Jim Weisgram

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[svtdoug]

Thanks Jim for your reply.  I did indeed try to use PAT from the command line, (entering "$ pat http") but all I get is an error - $ not recognized.  There is so much left out of the documentation.  If I could understand how to get it working, I would be happy to contribute to the documentation to make is crystal clear for first time users, and even write a Windows program as an installer.  This could all be automated.  And no, I am not using a Raspberry Pi.  My intent is to get PAT working on Windows to see if it could replace the Winlink client. 

Thanks,

NN7D

[svtdoug]

Another missing element of the documentation is what do you do with the pat.exe which is downloaded?  Running it does nothing other than a slight screen flicker.  Nothing shows up in Task Manager, Processes.  What am I missing? 

NN7D

[Martin Hebnes Pedersen]

Hi,

pat.exe is the command line executable. You have to interact with it through the command prompt :)

https://superuser.com/questions/494538/how-do-i-open-a-program-via-the-command-prompt-in-windows-8

E.g.:

cd c:\path\to\downloads

pat.exe http

Hope this helps!

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[Jim Weisgram]

I sure felt the same way when I was trying to get pat up and running. And in the past I have been a software developer.

We are talking Windows here, not Mac or Linux?

In any case the first step will be to open a command window or a terminal window, where you can enter text commands and see text responses.

Assuming Windows, pat will be installed in some directory. I'll assume that directory is c:\pat. You can open a command window by pressing the Windows key and the R key together. Key in "cmd". That should open a text mode window. 

Then ensure you are in the directory the pat.exe file is stored. In this example, 

cd\pat

Then key in 

pat http

It should either do what you want, or return some error message. If it works further steps will set up a desktop icon that runs that command for you. 

I suppose in the meantime I could install Pat on a Windows box and see how it goes for me. Then I would actually know what I am talking about. 

>> Jim

[svtdoug]

Thanks for all the suggestions.  I too am a retired software developer - Windows and Delphi mostly.  But my biggest interest was in a intuitive GUI design and documentation. 

Yes, using Windows 10.  I now have PAT running and using the browser GUI.  Now trying to figure out how to connect to the radio (Kenwood TM710G) for Packet.  Not seeing anything appropriate in the config.json file.  I am running PAT v0.12.1.  I also do not see VARA FM option in the json file.  Is there a newer beta version which supports packet and VARA? 

Thanks!

NN7D

[Jim Weisgram]

I looked around and found this from March:

https://groups.google.com/g/pat-users/c/F8qXAtRL1Aw

Which describes a Beta implementation running Vara and Pat together, along with a section for the config file. 

There is a link to a GDrive folders with Pat builds including one for Windows. 

Hopefully there are posts from people running this on Windows, in the groups.google.com/pat-users group. 

>> Jim

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[svtdoug]

Thanks Jim.  That looks like a start for VARA.  Any hints on getting Windows Pat http to work with packet?  

BTW, on that Google drive windows pat.exe download, I got a pretty solid virus hit for the Win32/bearfoos.A!ml trojan virus. 

NN7D

[svtdoug]

I tried to connect with packet and I get a message - "AX.25 support not included in this build".  So what build do I need and how can I get it? 

Thanks,

NN7D

[Corey Minyard]

AX.25 support is not available in the standard PAT on Windows or Mac.  Only on Linux, and it's a pain to set up.

You can try a version I am working on at https://github.com/cminyard/pat/releases/tag/gensio-0.7 that has AX.25 for Windows.  There was an earlier post named "Pat-gensio -.7, Pat with built-in ax25 (and a few other things) is released" to this group that announces it.  The README at https://github.com/cminyard/pat describes how to use it.

-corey - AE5KM