[arm-allstar] Hamvoip on RPi zero

[ssedgwick]

Hi David,

I really appreciate all the work you guys have put into making Allstar work better and I like the idea and I totally agree with a native application like Android IAXRPT if it had a real PTT, push to talk and release to listen button.  But then most cellphone don’t have a button to use as a PTT button.  All the buttons on my phone are way to small for my thumb, hihi...  

Thanks again,
Steve

Hi Guys,
 
I thought I would chime in here, since I'm primarily working on the
Asterisk/AllStar code.  The HamVoIP and AllStar related projects are a
"labor of love" for us; this is all a hobby, non-paid effort. There are 
only so many hobby hours in the day. Our focus is simple: software that 
"just works," with minimal maintenance or installation hassle.

I agree, the RPi Zero W is a nifty looking little board. With the
currently available versions of AllStar, it just doesn't seem have enough
processor power to get the job done--and I have tried it, BTW. I've got
some ZeroW boards on my workbench.

I'm guessing that those who compiled the experimented with the stock code
found that the performance was mediocre, at best. The reports I've seen
over the last year ultimately all reported various problems.

At some point, I plan to seriously optimize some of the remaining app_rpt
hot-spots (aka: splitting apart the RPT thread).  My main reason for this
is to allow bigger AllStar hubs to function, but another side effect would
likely be improved performance on low-end platforms. At that time, it
might be worth taking another look at the ZeroW, if it hasn't gone
obsolete.

For users who really want a highly portable AllStar system, the BEST
solution IMO is a top-notch native application for their smart phone! The
current smart phone IAXRPT application would be a place to start, but it
appears to have very little forward development effort. I know the Android
IAXRPT version is based on the original web transceiver java software, not
the same code as the PC version, which is written in C/C++.  None of this
updated source code has be released, as far as I know--probably due to
various *legitimate* concerns.

So, again, IMO, since for truly portable use you've got to have some type
of hot-spot anyway, the software direction should be native development
for the smart phone device....Maybe I can help accomplish this, by helping
to coordinate the effort, if there are any developers who would be
interested in participating??  ...I've got a pretty solid understanding of
what needs to happen "under the covers."



73, David KB4FXC