Re: Pi GNURadion challenge.

[Glen Langston]

Hi

Thanks for your summary of experience with installing Gnuradio 3.8.1 for 
Raspberry Pi.

I’ve started the install on a fresh version on the latest Raspberry Pi OS,
but ran into a few issues I’m still working on.

One question/request for this group:

The folks at SDRPlay have done a very nice job of porting a good working 
version of
gnuradio into a working image of the Raspberry OS and compressed it.
(https://www.sdrplay.com/downloads/)

After downloading (about 2GB) and writing to the SD card, this version just 
works fine.
The simple-minded user can then just start enjoying Gnuradio.

However they don’t yet have Gnuradio 3.8.1 on the SD card.

Question/Request:

If anyone gets 3.8.1 working for Raspberry pi, please remove all personal info
and then compress whole OS on SD card to a ???.img.xz file and distribute it 
for download.

Thanks!

Glen

PS I’ve shared the Raspberry pi OS for our radio astronomy code, but this for 
3.7
Now I’d recommend starting with the SDRPlay OS, as it is more up to date.

PS I’ve had to download/install some code for other SDR devices, but that is 
not too hard
compared to getting gnu radio running in the first place.

Our project is converting to 3.8, but this is not yet complete.
git clone http://www.github.com/WVURAIL/gr-radio_astro
Any assistance is welcome.

> On Mar 8, 2020, at 3:24 PM, Robert Heerekop <address@hidden> wrote:
> 
> Dear GNURadio-friends!
> 
> Thank you so much for your replies on my previous post! It feels good to get 
> feedback and I did read every single line 4 times and did numerous 
> attempts/installations this weekend on the Pi4 and Pi3B1.2 which I have 
> available here. Yes, I'm making progress first steps-by-steps, but...
> ...the speaker is still silent...no WBFM music yet... 
> 
> Marcus M. his clarification on sw building process was very interesting. 
> Thanks for explaining this process! At this (Hello World) beginners on 
> GNURadio I prefer to use a low risk easy to install version and get my 
> RTL-SDR and ADALM-PLUTO sounding WBFM in the first place. Good to know though 
> how development&building works and I will keep an eye on Debian porting to 
> RPi4 and make use of the faster vector optimized processing. interesting to 
> have this insight. Thanks!
> Manolis S. his suggestion to use an existing build sounded also good. I 
> failed however...
> 
> The SD Cards here were over-and-over refreshed with 'latest' fresh 
> 2020-02-13-raspbian-buster images to ensure I used every time an 
> of-the-raspberry-shelf default configuration.
> 
> Summarized my failing GNURadio weekend results:
> 
> 1. The standard beginners level gnuradion Pi installation process fails with 
> the current raspberry NOOBS raspian image.I presume because due to referral 
> to the version "Pi3B+": 
> https://wiki.gnuradio.org/index.php/InstallingGRFromSource_on_Raspberry_Pi
> Unfortunately I one have Pi3B1.2, Pi4(c03112, 4Gb, 32GB-SD) and PiZero
> I figured out I also had to add the commands:
> sudo apt install gr-osmosdr (otherwise the 'blocks' to input data from the 
> USB connected SDR were missing.)
> sudo apt-get install xterm
> 
> 2. I try to get GNURadio Companion 3.8 running as a GUI because I read that 
> that was more stable. I'm happy though if I can get any version working in 
> the first place...
> The provided sugegstion to simply perform "sudo apt install gnuradio" does 
> not install 3.8 but 3.7.13.4. The good news however is that GNU Radio 
> Companion can be started from the GUI and after installing the osmocom, 
> RTL-SDR from the RPi-menu and fixing a lxterminal issue, I am able to proces 
> a WBFM receiver grc-example, but seems facing an audio sink issue resulting 
> in silence.... I will continue to look to search for a solution but failed so 
> far.
> 
> 3. After "sudo dpkg -i" installing the pre-build repo Manolis suggested, 
> GNURadio did not appear on the GUi so I failed here as well. I guess this is 
> because I am using not the same RPi hardware version...
> 
> 4. the only way to get some WBFM-audio working(yes!) is installing 
> Gqrx2.11.5(which is qt5.11.3 based). The Gqrx is working fine, but the 
> GNURadio which comes with it, gives interrupted audio as I recorded and show 
> here: https://youtu.be/WNpgtsG8Bls
> 
> Yes, this is struggling on rookie level.  I will continue my attemps and am 
> aware that...
> The more a Hello world GNURadio struggle takes, the better the first music in 
> the end sounds ;-)
> If you have a working 'beginers level' instruction, SD-image or build (of any 
> GNURadio) that works on Pi4/Pi3B1.2 I will reserve a place in the Radio Hall 
> of Fame!
> 
> Thanks for sharing any suggestions!
> rrrRbert
> ps. I happy to provide any logs is that helps in finding the rootcause.