Paracon is a packet radio terminal for Linux, Mac and Windows. It is focused on simplicity and ease of use, and incorporates the core functionality that most packet users need without trying to include all of the bells and whistles that few would use.
Key features of Paracon include:
- Multiple simultaneous AX.25 connected mode sessions, allowing for connections to multiple BBS or other remote nodes.
- Unproto (UI, or datagram) AX.25 mode, allowing for keyboard-to-keyboard chat or other non-connected uses.
- Text-based console application looks and behaves the same on all supported platforms (Linux, Mac, Windows).
- Uses the AGWPE protocol to communicate with any server implementing that protocol. Tested and supported with Direwolf, ldsped and AGWPE.
- Self-contained executable requires only a Python installation to run, without the need to install any additional dependencies.
Author: Martin F N Cooper, KD6YAM
License: MIT License
Important: This application requires Python 3.7 or later.
Download the latest release from GitHub.
- Go to the latest release page.
- In the Assets section, click on the Paracon
.pyzfile to download it.
You may download the .pyz file to any directory of your choosing. If you
are running on Linux or Mac, you may wish to place it in a directory that is
on your path.
The source code is available from the GitHub repository:
$ git clone https://github.com/mfncooper/paraconBefore running Paracon, ensure that you have an AGWPE server (e.g. Direwolf, ldsped or AGWPE) installed and running either on the same system or on a remote system to which you have access. If you do not already have such a server set up, see References below for more information.
Note that Paracon will create its configuration and log files in your current
directory when you start it, not the directory in which the .pyz file is
located.
To start Paracon, open a terminal window (Command Prompt or PowerShell on Windows), change directory to a suitable location for your configuration and log files, and type the following:
$ python3 <path-to-pyz-file>/paracon_<version>.pyzDepending upon your particular system, you may need to substitute python
for python3 in the above command line, and of course backslash for slash
if you are running on Windows.
On Linux and Mac, you can make the file directly executable, so that if you have placed it in a directory that is on your path, you can simply type:
$ paracon_<version>.pyzTo enable this, you will need to set the necessary file permission using:
$ chmod u+x paracon_<version>.pyzFull documentation is available online and includes the following:
- User Guide
- The User Guide takes you through all of the functionality of Paracon, from starting it the first time to using connected mode sessions and more.
If you have questions about how to use this application, the documentation should be your first point of reference. If the User Guide doesn't answer your questions, or you'd simply like to share your experiences or generally discuss this application, please join the community on the Paracon Discussions forum.
Note that the GitHub Issues tracker should be used only for reporting bugs or filing feature requests, and should not be used for questions or general discussion.
- Direwolf
- Direwolf is probably the most widely used AGWPE server, and includes its
own performant and robust AX.25 protocol stack. It is available for
Linux, Mac and Windows. Open source.
https://github.com/wb2osz/direwolf - ldsped
- ldsped is an alternative AGWPE server that runs on Linux, and relies on
the Linux native AX.25 protocol stack. Open source.
https://www.on7lds.net/42/node/2 - AGWPE
- AGWPE is the original implementation of the protocol, and runs on
Windows. Both free (AGWPE) and paid (Packet Engine Pro) versions are
available. Proprietary; closed source.
https://www.sv2agw.com/Home/downloads#packetenginePro
The PyHam name was borne of a need for unique names for Python packages that were created for ham radio enthusiasts who are also software developers. Those packages were themselves created out of a desire for a simpler way of building sophisticated ham radio applications without the need to always start from scratch. Paracon is one such application.
See the PyHam home page for more information, and a list of currently available libraries and applications.