M17 CC1200/MMDVM Hotspot Installation Script

This repository contains a Bash script to convert a Raspberry Pi (with a CC1200 or MMDVM hat) into a fully functional M17 digital voice hotspot. The script automates the entire installation and setup process, including compiling the necessary software, configuring UART, setting up the web dashboard, and flashing the firmware to the HAT (optional).

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Install Script Usage

Execute the following on the Raspberry Pi to download the installer:

wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/M17-Project/m17-hotspot-installer/refs/heads/main/m17-hotspot-installer.sh

Carefully read the script before you execute it with:

chmod u+x m17-hotspot-installer.sh
sudo ./m17-hotspot-installer.sh

Features

• Verifies root and OS requirements
• Ensures it's run on a fresh install of Raspberry Pi OS Lite (Bookworm, 64-bit)
• Configures UART for GPIO access
• Prompts for required reboots after system update and boot option changes
• Installs all necessary packages via APT
• Creates a dedicated m17 user for running services
• Clones and compiles the following M17 Project repositories:
  • CC1200_HAT-fw (firmware flashing optional)
  • MMDVM (firmware flashing optional)
  • MMDVM_HS (firmware flashing optional)
  • rpi-dashboard (web interface)
• Installs m17-gateway
• Configures NGINX and PHP-FPM to serve the dashboard
• Optionally flashes/updates the CC1200 or MMDVM HAT firmware via stm32flash
• Script may be re-run to update software to the latest version

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Tested Hardware and OS

This script was tested on:

• Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W
• Raspberry Pi OS Lite (64-bit), Bookworm (Debian 12-based)

Other Pi models or OS versions may work but are not officially supported.

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Prerequisites

• Fresh install of Raspberry Pi OS Bookworm Lite (64-bit)
• Raspberry Pi with internet access
• CC1200 or MMDVM HAT connected
• Run the script as root

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File Summary

• /opt/m17/ - Main working directory for M17-related repositories
• /opt/m17/rpi-dashboard/ - Web interface root (served by NGINX)
• /opt/m17/m17-gateway/ - m17-gateway installation root
• /etc/rpi-gateway.ini - Gateway configuration file
• /boot/firmware/config.txt - UART settings applied here

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Hotspot Usage

This script builds an M17 hotspot which consists of two software components:

• rpi-gateway
• rpi-dashboard

Please read the manual of both software packages.

To start m17-gateway manually, just execute the following line:

sudo systemctl start m17-gateway.service

This service will connect you to the M17 reflector of your choice and writes all available info to the console.

To access the dashboard, simply navigate your browser to http://<IP_OF_YOUR_RPI>.

MMDVM Configuration

The default configuration after installation works for CC1200 HATs. The following fields in Gateway Config may have to be changed for MMDVM:

• Under Radio:
  • Duplex HATs may need the RXFrequency and TXFrequency to be different.
  • For duplex operation, Duplex must be set to true.
• Under Modem:
  • Type must be set to mmdvm.
  • Baud Rate may need to be changed to the value the HAT supports, often 115200 for hotspots.

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Disclaimer

This script makes system-wide changes and should only be run on a clean install. Do not use on a production system or one with existing services unless you know what you're doing.

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Support

For questions or issues, please contact M17 Project or open a GitHub issue in the relevant repository.

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License

This script is provided as-is, under the GPL License. Contributions welcome.