Install rbfeeder AMD64 x86_64 on PC / Laptop with Debian and Ubuntu OS

[abcd567]

Radarbox24 do NOT (yet) provide their feeder sofware for amd64 / x86_64 computers.

I have forked source-code of airnavsystem/rbfeeder at Github. The last update to airnavsystem source code was made 4 years ago when Bullseys was the latest OS. Now this code fails to compile on Bookworm, Trixie, Jammy & Noble.

I made necessary modifications to my forked copy of airnavsystem/rbfeeder code, and now it compiles successfully on Bookworm, Trixie, Jammy, and Noble.

https://github.com/abcd567a/rbfeeder

Using source-code of my updated fork, I have compiled rbfeeder packages + mlat-client packages on PC running following AMD64 / x86_64 OS

(1) Debian 13 Trixie
(2) Debian 12 Bookworm
(3) Ubuntu 24 Noble
(4) Ubuntu 22 Jammy

I have uploaded these packages to my GitHub repository.

These packages are located here:

https://github.com/abcd567a/rbfeeder/releases

Using following method, anyone can download & install these pre-built packages on their PC / Laptop running amd64 / x86_64 version of Debian 13 (Trixie) or Ubuntu 24 (Noble) :

(1) DEBIAN 13 TRIXIE

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## Command below is very long, and it's right-most part may be hidden.
## Please scroll right to see and copy it in full

wget https://github.com/abcd567a/rbfeeder/releases/download/v1.0/rbfeeder_1.0.20_trixie_amd64.deb

sudo dpkg -i rbfeeder_1.0.20_trixie_amd64.deb

## The above command will give error message (Missing dependencies), and halt.
## Issue command below to fix the issue of missing dependencies.
## It will start installing missing dependencies and complete the installation of rbfeeder.

sudo apt --fix-broken install



After above command completes installation, issue followin 3 VERY IMPORTANT command:

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## Command below is very long, and it's right-most part may be hidden.
## Please scroll right to see and copy it in full

sudo wget -O /etc/udev/rules.d/rtl-sdr.rules https://github.com/abcd567a/temp/raw/main/rtl-sdr.rules 

sudo usermod -aG plugdev rbfeeder

sudo reboot

## After reboot check status. Signup for a new key, or enter your existing key in file /etc/rbfeeder.ini

sudo systemctl status rbfeeder





Install mlat-client pre-built package on Debian 13 (Trixie):

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sudo apt install python3-pyasyncore

wget https://github.com/abcd567a/rbfeeder/releases/download/v1.0/mlat-client_0.2.13_trixie_amd64.deb

sudo dpkg -i mlat-client_0.2.13_trixie_amd64.deb

sudo systemctl restart rbfeeder






(2) UBUNTU 24 NOBLE

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## The command below is very long, and it's right-most part may be hidden.
## Please scroll right to see and copy it in full

wget https://github.com/abcd567a/rbfeeder/releases/download/v1.0/rbfeeder_1.0.20_noble_amd64.deb

sudo dpkg -i rbfeeder_1.0.20_noble_amd64.deb

## The above command will give error message (Missing dependencies), and halt.
## Issue command below to fix the issue of missing dependencies.
## It will start installing missing dependencies and complete the installation of rbfeeder.

sudo apt --fix-broken install



After above command completes installation, issue followin 3 VERY IMPORTANT command:

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## The command below is very long, and it's right-most part may be hidden.
## Please scroll right to see and copy it in full

sudo wget -O /etc/udev/rules.d/rtl-sdr.rules https://github.com/abcd567a/temp/raw/main/rtl-sdr.rules 

sudo usermod -aG plugdev rbfeeder

sudo reboot

## After reboot check status. Signup for a new key, or enter your existing key in file /etc/rbfeeder.ini

sudo systemctl status rbfeeder




Install mlat-client pre-built package on Ubuntu 24 (Noble):

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sudo apt install python3-pyasyncore

wget https://github.com/abcd567a/rbfeeder/releases/download/v1.0/mlat-client_0.2.13_noble_amd64.deb 

sudo dpkg -i mlat-client_0.2.13_noble_amd64.deb 

sudo systemctl restart rbfeeder




(3) CONFIGURATION - SHARING KEY:

OPTION-1: If you already have a rbfeeder key
Open config file for editing by following command:

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sudo nano /etc/rbfeeder.ini


In above file, you may find yhere is already a key and station number. These were suppled by AirNav Server when rbfeeder runs for the first time.

Unfotunately, for non-rpi computers, the key and station number supplied by AirNav Server are invalid :-(

Please delete these invalid ones and add your valid key under [client]  as shown below:

key=xxxxxxxxxxxx

(NOTTE: replace xxxxxxxxx by your actual key)

Restart rbfeeder

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sudo systemctl restart rbfeeder


The rbfeeder will make several attempts to get your key accepted by AirNav server, and finally succeed, and your station number will be pulled from AirNav servers and added to file /etc/rbfeeder.ini.


OPTION-2: If you dont already have a key
On first run, the rbfeeder gets a key and station number from AirNav Server., and saves these in file /etc/rbfeeder.ini .

Unfortunately the AirNav Server provides an invalid key for a non-rpi computer :-(

As a result, the rbfeeder on amd64 x86_64 computer fails to connect to AirNav Server and keeps on giving message "invalid Sharing-Key". If you try to claim on claim-site using this key, you get warning "invalid key".

The solution to this problem is:

SOLUTION (1): If you have a RPi, install rbfeeder on it, then copy its key from file /etc/rbfeeder.ini, and paste & save on notepad. Once you save the key, uninstall rbfeeder from RPi  Now open file /etc/rbfeeder.ini on your amd64 x86_64 computer, delete the invalid key, and station number, and copy-paste the key you generated on RPi, save file, and restart the rbfeeder. After several attempts, the rbfeeder will succed to connect to AirNav server. You can now claim this station on claims page using key generated on RPi.

https://www.airnavradar.com/sharing-data/claim

SOLUTION (2): Install rbfeeder in docker on your amd64 x86_64 computer. The docker runs rpi verson of rbfeeder, and the docker install is able to get a valid key from AirNav Server.

You can either continue using dockered rbfeeder, or of you dont like/want dockered rbfeeder, then you can copy-paste on notepad, the key generated by dockered rbfeeder, save notepad, then uninstall dockered rbfeeder from your amd64 x86_64 computer, and use this key with non-dockered rbfeeder installed by above method.



.

[Runway 31]

Great work abcd

Alan

[abcd567]

Thank you Alan.

The rbfeeder for architecture amd64 / x86_64 was in demans for a long time, but for unknown reason Radarbox24 Developers were not releasing it. Few days ago I decided to try to built these from airnavsystem rbfeeder source code available on Github. My attempt failed as that code is outdated and was last updated 4 years ago when the latest OS was Bullseye. I then tried to update / modify source code to work on current Debian & Ubuntu OS, and succeeded.

Please see attached screenshot showing status. If you look at green boxes, then you will note that following 3 are running:

(1) rbfeeder
(2) mlat-client
(3) dump1090-rb

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     CGroup: /system.slice/rbfeeder.service
             ├─680 /usr/bin/rbfeeder
             ├─726 /usr/bin/python3 /usr/bin/mlat-client --input-type dump1090 --input-connect 127.0.0.1:32457 --server mlat1.rb24.com:40900 --lat 43.5xxxx --lon -79.6xxxx --alt 155 --user EXTRPI007295 --results beast,connect,127.0.0.1:32004
             └─752 /usr/bin/dump1090-rb --write-json /dev/shm/ --net --quiet --mlat --forward-mlat --net-bo-port 30105 --lat 43.580000 --lon -79.620000 --modeac --fix --adaptive-burst --adaptive-range --gnss



[abcd567]

The Radarbox24 feeder on first run sends information to Radarbox Server which identifies the computer / OS architecture, MAC address, and the CPU Serial from file  /proc/cpuinfo.

The Radarbox24 server sends back the sharing key and station number which is saved in file /etc/rbfeeder.ini

For unknown and unfortunate reason, the key and station number supplied by Radarbox24 Server are INVALID if the it is a non-RPi machine.

This problem is overcome by installing rbfeeder package for RPi (64-bit  arm64) on amd64 / x86_64 machines on which QEMU support has been installed.

Pleasesee post linked below for method of automated installation by bash script:

https://forum.airnavradar.com/index.php?topic=109811.0


Please note that the QEMU install is NOT a Docker install.


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