Installation Script for the M17 CC1200 Hotspot

UPDATE: The script was now updated to include Jim N1ADJ’s m17-gateway

One of the ways to get QRV in the M17 digital voice mode is to use a hotspot. Many are already familiar with Pi-Star based MMDVM hotspots from other digital modes, but there is a relatively new M17 dedicated variant, the CC1200 M17 hotspot hat. Unfortunately, until now there was no easy way to install the software components required to run the hotspot on the Raspberry Pi needed for it.

I have therefore written a bash installation script that performs all the necessary steps automatically. These are in detail:

• 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:
  • libm17
  • rpi-interface
  • CC1200_HAT-fw (firmware flashing optional)
  • rpi-dashboard (web interface)
• Configures NGINX and PHP-FPM to serve the dashboard
• Adds a systemd service for rpi-interface
• Optionally flashes/updates the CC1200 firmware via stm32flash

After the installation is finished, the result is a ready-to-use M17 hotspot including a basic web dashboard that will be improved in the near future.

If you have ideas how to improve the script or have found a bug, please contact me and/or send a pull request.

More information and the script can be found in the project’s GitHub repository.