Software

Client Software:

Paclink

Paclink is WL2K software developed by Victor Poor, W5SMM, and Rick Muething, KN6KB, of the Winlink Development Team (WDT). Paclink is a new implementation of a streamlined radio e-mail client that interfaces with most popular e-mail client programs, like Microsoft Outlook Express and Mozilla Thunderbird. It is exceptionally easy to install and use. Paclink supports telnet, VHF/UHF packet radio, and HF Pactor radio connections to WL2K servers and the user interface is through any common e-mail client program.

Paclink is intended for use with the Winlink 2000 system and uses the B2F protocol that supports attachments, multiple addresses and tactical addresses. Paclink is licensed for amateur use only by the Amateur Radio Safety Foundation. Commercial application of Paclink is not licensed and not permitted. For commercial use contact the authors. It is supported by the WDT and by the Winlink community.

Paclink is released for free distribution to amateurs. To download the program, you must have a site user account. Go to 'Site Login > Create new account', to create one if you have not done it already. The program is located in the 'Downloads' area.


Airmail

Airmail is independently developed, distributed, and supported by Jim Corenman, KE6RK. It is the oldest and most widely used program for sending and receiving messages using the WL2K system. Airmail may be used for HF Pactor, VHF/UHF Packet, and for telnet connections over any TCP/IP medium including the internet and high-speed radio media like D-Star and HSMM. Once connected to a WL2K station, message transfer is completely automatic. On the ham bands, Airmail can transfer messages automatically with any station supporting the BBS or F6FBB protocols, such as Winlink 2000, F6FBB, MSYS and other Airmail stations. When used with WL2K, Airmail also contains position reporting capabilities, and a propagation prediction program to determine which of the participating Winlink stations will work from anywhere on Earth.

To obtain a copy of Airmail, including the installation and operating instructions, download the program from the Airmail WEB page.

Airmail support is available from ke6rk@airmail2000.com or from the Airmail email group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/airmail2000/.



Network Gateway Software for Sysops:

RMS Packet

RMS (Radio Mail Server) Packet is software intended for WL2K sysops. This software supports a VHF/UHF packet radio gateway station to the WL2K system. RMS Packet stations are part of the network of participating stations, and they provide full automated messaging capability to the wireless amateur user using AX.25 packet radio in combination with the WL2K Common Message Servers.

RMS Packet is simple to install and run, and requires a minimum of computer and radio equipment. It runs on virtually any WinXP and later computer with .NET extensions that has a permanent connection to the internet. It supports the most popular TNCs directly, and almost all others through the AGW Packet Engine or Packet Engine Pro software.

RMS Packet is ideal to provide a temporary emergency portal for radio e-mail users, or for fixed installation at unattended remote locations where it can provide wireless e-mail communications to the "last mile".

Computer and Internet Requirements:
All RMS Programs require a full-time Internet connection. The speed of this connection is not critical. RMS Packet is designed to sense loss of connectivity and recover or reconfigure automatically. The computer should be a fairly modern 500 MHz or greater Pentium/Celeron running one of the following OS with .NET 2.0 installed:

  • Windows 2000 or 2000 Pro
  • Windows XP or XP Pro
  • Windows Vista (32 bit or 64 bit versions) any Vista configuration

Specifically, Win 95, Win 98 and Win ME are not supported and will not run the required .NET 2.0.

The computer and TNCs should be powered from a smart uninterruptable power supply (UPS) that has a reserve battery and signals Windows to begin an orderly shutdown via an interface when battery power is low.

A shortcut to the RMS Packet executable should be installed in the "startup" directory and the computer configured to auto-boot on power applied. Check the RMS Packet help for references on how to do this. The objective is to set the computer and RMS program to operate unattended and to start automatically when power is applied.

Authorization:
Before you inquire to become a WL2K sysop and run an RMS station, we prefer you to be an active user of radio email in the system. If you are not a current user with a valid @winlink.org address, please see this page. All RMS programs require your call sign to be in the WL2K user database, with an administrator-assigned Keycode and password unique to your call sign. You will not be able to complete installation and operate the programs unless this is first set up by a WL2K administrator.

RMS Packet is released for free distribution to amateurs who will maintain their stations on the network 24/7 or who will use it as a portable emergency asset. Go here to request a keycode, which is required to run the software. To download the program, you must have a site account on this web site. Go to 'Site Login > Create new account', to create one if you have not done it already. The program is located in the 'Downloads' area on this site.


RMS Pactor

RMS (Radio Mail Server) Pactor, with it's suite of administration programs, is software intended for WL2K sysops who operate High-Frequency stations. This software supports an HF Pactor radio gateway to the WL2K system. RMS Pactor stations are part of the controlled and frequency-coordinated global network of WL2K participating stations.

RMS Pactor software distribution is currently limited to existing WL2K HF stations. If you have an interest in operating a public or EmComm WL2K HF station, please contact Steve Waterman, K4CJX. All requests for establishing a MARS RMS Pactor station must be sent to the respective Army, Navy-Marine Corps, or Air Force MARS Chief.


Linux RMS Gateway

This is a new and updated Telpac Node/LinuX, now called Linux RMS Gateway as it conforms to the new RMS WL2K system, and has been released for public Beta testing.

The Linux RMS Gateway software is independently developed and maintained by Hans-J. Barthen DL5DI and Brian R. Eckert, W3SG, in cooperation with the Winlink 2000 development and administration team. It is distributed mostly as source code under the GNU General Public License (a small component is distributed as a binary only library).

The new software carries the same requirements as its predecessor, as well as a few new requirements, but also has the same flexibility as before for packet-radio in a Linux environment. To build and run the software, you will need:

  • an installed and running Linux system (of course)

  • the GNU C compiler (GCC) and standard libraries and headers, as well as standard Linux software development utilities (such as GNU Make)
  • an existing ax25 installation on your Linux system with an ax25-enabled kernel, ax25-libs, and ax25-tools
  • a current MySQL client library
  • a current libxml2 library and header (and optionally libxml2-utils for XML document checking)
  • a TNC, soundcard, or other packet-radio modem drivers, axip/axudp, or anything else that is supported by Linux to run packet radio
  • radio equipment (usually a data-ready FM transceiver for VHF/UHF/SHF)
  • a 24/7 Internet connection
  • a Keycode and Password for the gateway's callsign to authorize connections to the Winlink2000 CMS hosts
  • in some countries a special radio license is necessary to run an automatic amateur radio station

Authorization:
All RMS programs require the station's call sign to be in the WL2K system, with a password and an administrator-assigned Keycode unique to your call sign. You will not be able to complete installation and operate the programs unless this is set up by a WL2K administrator.

Authorization is granted to amateurs who will maintain their Linux RMS Gateway stations on the WL2K network 24/7 or who will use it as a portable emergency asset. Go here to request a keycode, which is required to run the software.

The software and support for testing are available from the authors and the community at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LinuxRMS.
 

The Winlink Development Team

The Winlink 2000 system, and Winlink user software is built, maintained and supported by the Winlink Development Team (WDT), your membership in the Amateur Radio Safety Foundation, and your tax-deductible donations.

Victor D. Poor, W5SMM
Rick Muething, KN6KB
Steve Waterman, K4CJX
Tom Lafleur, KA6IQA
Lee Inman, K0QED
Hans A. Kessler, N8PGR
Don Moore, KM0R
Tyler Gaillard, KT4XD
Lor Kutchins, W3QA
Neil Hughes, VE1YZ
Don Trotter, VE1DTR
Phil Sutherland, VK6KPS
Peter Woods, N6PRW

Airmail, the popular user program, is written and supported by Jim Corenman, KE6RK.

Administrators of internet email systems needing to contact the WL2K System Administrator, please use this link.

Site Contributors and Administrators

This Winlink 2000 web site runs efficiently and contains useful information mainly because of the unselfish contributions of the following amateurs:

Don Felgenhauer, K7BFL
Bud Thompson, N0IA

We need a few good volunteer editors who know the WL2K system!

Would you like to join our Web team? We promise it won't take much time, and with this site, it won't take a webmaster's skills. So, let us know your abilities and your interest. Please send a note to Lor Kutchins, W3QA. Thanks!