sdrconnect-installer/README.md

# SDRconnect Universal Linux Installer

A community-maintained installer script for [SDRconnect](https://www.sdrplay.com/sdrconnect/) and RigControl that works across major Linux distribution families.

The official SDRPlay installer only supports Debian and Ubuntu. This script extends that support to Arch/Manjaro, Fedora/RHEL, and openSUSE, while preserving full compatibility with Debian-based systems.

## What it does

1. Detects your Linux distribution and maps dependencies to the correct package names
2. Installs required system libraries (libusb, ALSA, hamlib, etc.) via your native package manager
3. Resolves the current SDRconnect and RigControl build hashes *and* the current end-user licence text by parsing SDRPlay's official `install.sh`, falling back to built-in defaults if the upstream lookup fails (a prominent yellow warning is printed if the licence falls back, since the embedded copy may have drifted from upstream)
4. Downloads the SDRconnect and RigControl binaries from SDRPlay's servers
5. Verifies download integrity via SHA256 checksums
6. Installs both applications to `/opt/sdrconnect` and `/opt/rigcontrol`
7. Configures udev rules for SDRPlay USB hardware
8. Creates desktop entries and icons (freedesktop.org standard)
9. Sets up a PATH profile script so the tools are available from the terminal
10. Optionally configures a systemd service for SDRconnect server mode
11. Generates an uninstaller at `/opt/sdrconnect/sdrconnect-uninstall.sh`

## Supported distributions

| Family   | Distros                                    |
|----------|--------------------------------------------|
| Debian   | Debian, Ubuntu, Devuan, and derivatives    |
| Arch     | Arch, Manjaro, EndeavourOS, Garuda, Artix  |
| Fedora   | Fedora, RHEL, CentOS, Rocky, Alma, Nobara  |
| openSUSE | openSUSE (Leap/Tumbleweed), SLES           |
| Mandriva | OpenMandriva, Mageia, and derivatives      |


Other derivatives are detected automatically via the `ID_LIKE` field in `/etc/os-release`.

### Tested successfully on

- Tuxedo OS 3 (i.e. Ubuntu 24.04)
- Debian 13
  - NOTE: The Debian project is no longer using a standard package name for `libasound2`. Not to worry, apt will automatically select the `libasound2t64` packages it needs. For all derivative distributions, therefore, the package name will remain "libasound2". 
- Devuan 6.1 Excalibur 
  - NOTE: the server-mode installation will not work here, because Devuan does not support systemd)
- Manjaro
- Fedora 44
- OpenMandriva 6
- OpenSUSE Tumbleweed 20260430

NOTE ALSO: These tests are *only for the installation process*. If there are hardware sound issues, or USB issues, or other problems with your linux installation, these tests do not cover that. Consult your distro's documentation for more information. Good luck! :)
 
## Usage

```bash
chmod +x install_sdrplay_universal.sh
./install_sdrplay_universal.sh
```

The script will present the SDRPlay license agreement and prompt for acceptance before proceeding.

### Options

- `--dry-run` — Print what would be done without making changes
- `ACCEPTLICENSE=1` — Skip the interactive license prompt
- `DONOTDOWNLOAD=1` — Use local tarballs instead of downloading (place them in the current directory). Also skips the upstream lookup (build hashes and licence text); pin filenames with the override variables below
- `NOTSUPPORTED=1` — Skip dependency checks entirely (install them yourself)
- `SYSTEMD_MODE=install SYSTEMD_TARGET=sdrconnectserver` — Enable the server systemd service
- `SDRCONNECT_GITBUILD=<hash>` — Pin the SDRconnect build hash, bypassing the upstream lookup
- `RIGCONTROL_GITBUILD=<hash>` — Pin the RigControl build hash, bypassing the upstream lookup

By default the installer fetches the current build hashes *and* the current licence text from SDRPlay's official `install.sh` at runtime, so it tracks both new releases and licence updates without needing edits. If the fetch fails — or the licence block can't be parsed out — it falls back to copies baked into the script and prints a prominent yellow warning so you know the displayed licence may not match the current upstream version.

### Adding support for a new distro family

Define three functions and add a detection line:

```bash
# 1. Package names for this family
mydistro_packages(){ echo "curl tar ca-certificates ..."; }

# 2. Check if a single package is installed (return 0/1)
mydistro_check(){ my-pkg-tool query "$1" >/dev/null 2>&1; }

# 3. Install one or more packages
mydistro_install(){
    ensure_sudo
    run_root my-pkg-tool install "$@"
}

# 4. Add detection in detect_distro_family()
#    mydistro)  DISTRO_FAMILY="mydistro" ;;
```

## Disclaimer

**This is not an official SDRPlay product.** This installer is an independent, community effort based on SDRPlay's official installation script. It is not endorsed, supported, or maintained by SDRPlay Limited.

The SDRconnect software itself remains the property of SDRPlay Limited and is subject to their [End User License Agreement](https://www.sdrplay.com). This project only modifies the *installer mechanism* to support additional Linux distributions.

Use at your own risk. While this script has been tested on Manjaro, it has not been exhaustively validated across every supported distribution. Your mileage may vary.

For official support, visit [sdrplay.com](https://www.sdrplay.com).