Difference between revisions of "How to setup Virtual Radar Server and pingStation for offline use"

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In my case I needed to be able to run the entire thing offline and had access to a pretty expensive [https://uavionix.com/products/pingstation/ uAvionix pingStation].  So in this article, we'll be using Virtual Radar Server, a pingStation, a Debian 9 server, and a local [https://www.openstreetmap.org Open Street Map] tile server.
 
In my case I needed to be able to run the entire thing offline and had access to a pretty expensive [https://uavionix.com/products/pingstation/ uAvionix pingStation].  So in this article, we'll be using Virtual Radar Server, a pingStation, a Debian 9 server, and a local [https://www.openstreetmap.org Open Street Map] tile server.
 +
 +
=Prereqs=
 +
#Log in to your Debian 9 server as a user capable of running the "sudo" command
 +
#Run "sudo adduser virtradar"
 +
#Run "sudo apt update"
 +
#Run "sudo apt upgrade"
 +
#Run "sudo apt install apache2 mono-complete"
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#*Note: If you're setting this up on an [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LXC LXC] container you'll get an error with ''avahi-daemon'' and ''libnss-mdns:amd64''. This is OK.  For our uses, this won't cause any problems.
 +
 +
=Setup Apache2 HTML Forwards=
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The following actions will allow your users to visit ''http://MYSERVER'' and ''http://MYSERVER/admin'' to visit the main site and the admin site (respectivley).
 +
#Run "sudo rm /var/www/html/index.html"
 +
#Run "sudo nano /var/www/html/index.html" and enter the following
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<nowiki><head>
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    <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0; url=http://MYSERVER:8080/VirtualRadar" />
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</head></nowiki>
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#Run "sudo mkdir /var/www/html/admin"
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#Run "sudo nano /var/www/html/admin/index.html" and enter the following
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<nowiki><head>
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    <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0; url=http://MYSERVER:8080/VirtualRadar/WebAdmin" />
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</head></nowiki>
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 +
=Setup pingStation=
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These steps are specific to the uAvionix pingStation.  Other ADS-B receivers will setup slightly differently.
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#visit ''http://pingstation-abcd'' (where ''abcd'' are the last 4 digits of your pingStation's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAC_address MAC Address]
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#set '''Output Formats:''' to ''TCP Compressed VR''
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#set '''TCP Push IP Address or Hostname:''' to ''MYSERVER''
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#set '''TCP Port:''' to ''30003''
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#click '''Update'''
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=Install Virtual Radar Server=
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#Run "su virtradar"
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#Run "cd ~"
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#Run "mkdir VirtualRadar"
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#Run "cd VirtualRadar"
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#Run "wget http://www.virtualradarserver.co.uk/Files/Preview/V3/VirtualRadar.tar.gz"
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#Run "tar -xvzf VirtualRadar.tar.gz"
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#Run "rm VirtualRadar.tar.gz"
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#Run "wget http://www.virtualradarserver.co.uk/Files/Preview/V3/VirtualRadar.WebAdminPlugin.tar.gz"
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#Run "tar -xvzf VirtualRadar.WebAdminPlugin.tar.gz"
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#Run "rm VirtualRadar.WebAdminPlugin.tar.gz"
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#Run "wget http://www.virtualradarserver.co.uk/Files/Preview/V3/VirtualRadar.TileServerCachePlugin.tar.gz"
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#Run "tar -xvzf VirtualRadar.TileServerCachePlugin.tar.gz"
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#Run "rm VirtualRadar.TileServerCachePlugin.tar.gz"
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#Run "mono /home/virtradar/VirtualRadar/VirtualRadar.exe -nogui -createAdmin:admin -password:PASSWORD"
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#*for subsequent runs use "mono VirtualRadar.exe -nogui"
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 +
=Configure Virtual Radar Server=
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#Visit ''http://MYSERVER:8080/VirtualRadar/WebAdmin/Settings.html'' and login as ''admin/PASSWORD''
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#Click '''Receivers'''
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#Click the green '''Edit''' icon for ''Receiver''
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#Change '''Name:''' to ''pingStation''
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#Change '''Format:''' to ''Compressed VRS''
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#Change '''Connection type:''' to ''Network''
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#Check '''Push receiver'''
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#Set '''Port:''' to ''30003''
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#Click the '''X''' to exit the Edit screen
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#Scroll to the top of the ''Options'' page and click '''Save'''
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=Setup Debian 9 to start VirtualRadar on Boot=
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#Get back to your ''sudo'' user by running "exit"
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#Run "sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/virtualradar.service" and fill with
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<nowiki>Description=Virtual Radar Server ADS-B Plotter
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 +
Wants=network.target
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After=syslog.target network-online.target
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 +
[Service]
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Type=simple
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ExecStart=/usr/bin/mono /home/virtradar/VirtualRadar/VirtualRadar.exe -nogui
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Restart=on-failure
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RestartSec=10
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KillMode=process
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User=virtradar
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Group=virtradar
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[Install]
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WantedBy=multi-user.target</nowiki>
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#Run "sudo systemctl daemon-reload"
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#Run "sudo systemctl enable virtualradar"
 +
#Run "sudo systemctl start virtualradar"
 +
#Run "sudo systemctl status virtualradar" to check status

Revision as of 19:45, 27 June 2019

Virtual Radar Server allows you to host your own, web based, ADS-B plotter. It will provide a webpage showing the location of, and information on, aircraft that are transmitting ADS-B messages. These messages, of course, have to be received. Luckily this can be accomplished cheaply and easily. Check out some of the following links.

In my case I needed to be able to run the entire thing offline and had access to a pretty expensive uAvionix pingStation. So in this article, we'll be using Virtual Radar Server, a pingStation, a Debian 9 server, and a local Open Street Map tile server.

Prereqs

  1. Log in to your Debian 9 server as a user capable of running the "sudo" command
  2. Run "sudo adduser virtradar"
  3. Run "sudo apt update"
  4. Run "sudo apt upgrade"
  5. Run "sudo apt install apache2 mono-complete"
    • Note: If you're setting this up on an LXC container you'll get an error with avahi-daemon and libnss-mdns:amd64. This is OK. For our uses, this won't cause any problems.

Setup Apache2 HTML Forwards

The following actions will allow your users to visit http://MYSERVER and http://MYSERVER/admin to visit the main site and the admin site (respectivley).

  1. Run "sudo rm /var/www/html/index.html"
  2. Run "sudo nano /var/www/html/index.html" and enter the following
<head>
     <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0; url=http://MYSERVER:8080/VirtualRadar" />
</head>
  1. Run "sudo mkdir /var/www/html/admin"
  2. Run "sudo nano /var/www/html/admin/index.html" and enter the following
<head>
     <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0; url=http://MYSERVER:8080/VirtualRadar/WebAdmin" />
</head>

Setup pingStation

These steps are specific to the uAvionix pingStation. Other ADS-B receivers will setup slightly differently.

  1. visit http://pingstation-abcd (where abcd are the last 4 digits of your pingStation's MAC Address
  2. set Output Formats: to TCP Compressed VR
  3. set TCP Push IP Address or Hostname: to MYSERVER
  4. set TCP Port: to 30003
  5. click Update

Install Virtual Radar Server

  1. Run "su virtradar"
  2. Run "cd ~"
  3. Run "mkdir VirtualRadar"
  4. Run "cd VirtualRadar"
  5. Run "wget http://www.virtualradarserver.co.uk/Files/Preview/V3/VirtualRadar.tar.gz"
  6. Run "tar -xvzf VirtualRadar.tar.gz"
  7. Run "rm VirtualRadar.tar.gz"
  8. Run "wget http://www.virtualradarserver.co.uk/Files/Preview/V3/VirtualRadar.WebAdminPlugin.tar.gz"
  9. Run "tar -xvzf VirtualRadar.WebAdminPlugin.tar.gz"
  10. Run "rm VirtualRadar.WebAdminPlugin.tar.gz"
  11. Run "wget http://www.virtualradarserver.co.uk/Files/Preview/V3/VirtualRadar.TileServerCachePlugin.tar.gz"
  12. Run "tar -xvzf VirtualRadar.TileServerCachePlugin.tar.gz"
  13. Run "rm VirtualRadar.TileServerCachePlugin.tar.gz"
  14. Run "mono /home/virtradar/VirtualRadar/VirtualRadar.exe -nogui -createAdmin:admin -password:PASSWORD"
    • for subsequent runs use "mono VirtualRadar.exe -nogui"

Configure Virtual Radar Server

  1. Visit http://MYSERVER:8080/VirtualRadar/WebAdmin/Settings.html and login as admin/PASSWORD
  2. Click Receivers
  3. Click the green Edit icon for Receiver
  4. Change Name: to pingStation
  5. Change Format: to Compressed VRS
  6. Change Connection type: to Network
  7. Check Push receiver
  8. Set Port: to 30003
  9. Click the X to exit the Edit screen
  10. Scroll to the top of the Options page and click Save

Setup Debian 9 to start VirtualRadar on Boot

  1. Get back to your sudo user by running "exit"
  2. Run "sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/virtualradar.service" and fill with
Description=Virtual Radar Server ADS-B Plotter

Wants=network.target
After=syslog.target network-online.target

[Service]
Type=simple
ExecStart=/usr/bin/mono /home/virtradar/VirtualRadar/VirtualRadar.exe -nogui
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=10
KillMode=process
User=virtradar
Group=virtradar

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
  1. Run "sudo systemctl daemon-reload"
  2. Run "sudo systemctl enable virtualradar"
  3. Run "sudo systemctl start virtualradar"
  4. Run "sudo systemctl status virtualradar" to check status
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