APRSBox

APRSBox is a lightweight APRS operations application for Raspberry Pi and Linux systems with a native deployment model. The repository contains two FastAPI applications:

• app.main: the web GUI
• app.core_main: the APRS runtime process responsible for traffic monitoring, outbound queue processing, and periodic schedulers

The project is no longer "GUI only". It already includes a working SQLite-backed configuration model, authenticated GUI, APRS runtime services, Packet Routing flows, APRS-IS uplink runtime, and native installation scripts for OpenRC and systemd hosts.

Run Docker Container

If you want to install APRSBox container just use this command:

docker run -d \
  --name aprsbox \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  -p 8000:8000 \
  -v aprsbox_data:/opt/aprsbox/data \
  -v aprsbox_logs:/opt/aprsbox/logs \
  sq9mddpl/aprsbox:1.8.25.dev

Open the web interface: http://127.0.0.1:8000

Docker installation detected. In-app system actions are disabled. Update APRSBox by pulling a newer Docker image and recreating the container with the same volumes. Restart or stop APRSBox using Docker commands.

Example update flow:

docker pull sq9mddpl/aprsbox:<new-tag>
docker stop aprsbox
docker rm aprsbox
docker run -d \
  --name aprsbox \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  -p 8000:8000 \
  -v aprsbox_data:/opt/aprsbox/data \
  -v aprsbox_logs:/opt/aprsbox/logs \
  sq9mddpl/aprsbox:<new-tag>

Fast Install

If you want to install APRSBox on a target Linux machine, the fastest path is a single installer command.

• run one command
• the script installs packages, creates the Python environment, initializes the database, installs services, and starts the app

Installer-supported targets

• Alpine Linux
• Debian, Raspberry Pi OS / Raspbian, and Debian-like systems exposing ID_LIKE=debian

Alpine Linux (run as root):

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SQ9MDD/APRSBox/main/scripts/install.sh | \
  env APRSBOX_GIT_URL=https://github.com/SQ9MDD/APRSBox.git APRSBOX_GIT_BRANCH=main sh

Raspberry Pi OS / Debian / Debian-like (use sudo):

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SQ9MDD/APRSBox/main/scripts/install.sh | \
  sudo env APRSBOX_GIT_URL=https://github.com/SQ9MDD/APRSBox.git APRSBOX_GIT_BRANCH=main sh

After installation

• web GUI: http://<host>:8000/login
• default login: admin
• default password: aprs

APRS Runtime Scope

Current APRS runtime behavior:

• RX:
  • connects to enabled TCP or serial KISS TNC interfaces
  • reads KISS frames
  • decodes AX.25 UI frames to TNC2 when possible
  • stores frames in SQLite
  • updates heard-station views, band condition processing, and APRS message ingestion
• TX:
  • queues outbound jobs in SQLite
  • processes jobs from the core worker
  • supports beacon, status, object, APRS messages (direct, query, ack), bulletins / announcements, WX, and DIGI TX jobs
  • builds TNC2 lines and wraps them into KISS frames
  • sends them via active monitor connection (with direct transport fallback)
• Packet Routing (DIGI Flows):
  • source is currently receiver_rf
  • supports filters (dupe, path, strict, direct_only, digi, callsign, packet_type, icon, distance)
  • supports targets tx_rf, tx_aprsis, action_log, action_drop
• APRS-IS uplink:
  • managed automatically from enabled Packet Routing flows with tx_aprsis target
  • includes strict guard for blocked path tokens and malformed third-party frames
  • provides runtime diagnostics and counters in GUI
• Scheduling:
  • station beacon scheduler
  • station APRS Status scheduler
  • object scheduler with jitter spacing between object transmissions
  • bulletin / announcement scheduler with jitter spacing between message transmissions
  • WX scheduler

Important current limitation:

• Runtime transport supports TCP modem definitions with host:port and SERIALL modem definitions with device_path plus baud_rate.
• Packet Routing source runtime is currently limited to receiver_rf.

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APRSBox PL

APRSBox to lekka aplikacja APRS dla Raspberry Pi i systemów Linux z natywnym modelem instalacji. Repozytorium zawiera dwie aplikacje FastAPI:

• app.main: web GUI
• app.core_main: proces runtime odpowiedzialny za monitoring ruchu, kolejkę outbound i schedulery okresowe

Projekt nie jest już wyłącznie szkieletem GUI. W repo są działające elementy runtime APRS: RX/TX KISS, kolejka outbound w SQLite, Packet Routing (DIGI Flows), uplink APRS-IS, wiadomości APRS oraz schedulery beacon/status/object/bulletin/WX.

Szybka instalacja

Najprostszy przekaz dla mniej zaawansowanego użytkownika jest taki:

• uruchamiasz jedno polecenie
• skrypt robi resztę sam

To znaczy:

• instaluje wymagane pakiety systemowe
• tworzy virtualenv Pythona
• kopiuje aplikację do /opt/aprsbox/app
• inicjalizuje bazę SQLite
• zakłada konto admin
• instaluje serwisy aprsbox-web i aprsbox-core
• uruchamia aplikację i sprawdza health check

Alpine Linux:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SQ9MDD/APRSBox/main/scripts/install.sh | \
  env APRSBOX_GIT_URL=https://github.com/SQ9MDD/APRSBox.git APRSBOX_GIT_BRANCH=main sh

Raspberry Pi OS / Debian:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SQ9MDD/APRSBox/main/scripts/install.sh | \
  sudo env APRSBOX_GIT_URL=https://github.com/SQ9MDD/APRSBox.git APRSBOX_GIT_BRANCH=main sh

Po instalacji:

• panel WWW: http://<host>:8000/login
• domyślny login: admin
• domyślne hasło: aprs