Getting Started

Getting Started

The following instructions detail how to get started with the sdrtrunk application.

sdrtrunk is released as a stand-alone application bundle that does not have to be installed. Simply download and unzip/untar the application and run the launch script. sdrtrunk releases include a complete Java Runtime Environment (JRE) so that you do NOT have to install Java. The bundled OpenJDK JRE is a lightweight version of the full JRE that has been stripped down to include only the minimum components needed to run the sdrtrunk application.

Download the Application Bundle

• Click the Download link in the sidebar menu to access the GitHub project Releases page.
• Select the latest release version
• Expand the 'Assets' section at the bottom of the Version release page.
• Download the appropriate application bundle as follows:

Linux ARM 64-bit

Select the asset that starts with: sdr-trunk-linux-aarch64

Linux x86 64-bit

Select the asset that starts with: sdr-trunk-linux-x86_64

OS-X M1/M2 (ARM) 64-bit

Select the asset that starts with: sdr-trunk-osx-aarch64

OS-X x86 64-bit

Select the asset that starts with: sdr-trunk-osx-x86_64

Windows x86 64-bit

Select the asset that starts with: sdr-trunk-windows-x86_64

Unzip or Untar the Application Bundle

The application bundle is compressed as a ZIP or TAR.GZ archive. Use any popular zip or tar application to unzip the application bundle.

• 7-zip

Read the User's Manual

The user's manual is documented in this wiki. Use the links in the sidebar to navigate to the various documentation sections. Please read the Playlist Editor documentation so that you understand how to correctly configure sdrtrunk.

Setup Software Defined Radio (SDR) Dongles

See the Tuners documentation for Operating System (OS) specific setup instructions for each supported SDR dongle/tuner type. Carefully read the section on Calibrating SDR Tuners in the Tuners section of the user manual BEFORE you try to decode any signals.

Launch the Application

Linux/OS-X

Open a terminal and navigate to where you unzipped the application bundle and run the following shell script:

(untarred application bundle file location)/bin/sdrtrunk.sh

Note: you can also use File Explorer and double-click on this batch file to start the application. However, if there are any errors in starting the application, the command prompt window will quickly disappear and the application may not start.

Windows

Open a command prompt and navigate to where you unzipped the application bundle and run the following batch file:

(unzipped application bundle file location)/bin/sdrtrunk.bat

Note: you can also use File Explorer and double-click on this batch file to start the application. However, if there are any errors in starting the application, the command prompt window will quickly disappear and the application may not start.

Configure Audio Playback

sdrtrunk attempts to select the correct (ie default) audio playback device from your computer and you may not have to do anything to setup your computer's audio system. However, some computers are configured in a not-so-standard fashion and sdrtrunk may need your help in selecting the correct audio playback devices.

The User Preferences Dialog documentation describes how to select alternate audio playback devices.

Create Channels and Aliases To Start Decoding

The Playlist Editor section describes how to configure channels and aliases for decoding and also details how to setup audio monitoring, recording and streaming.