[arm-allstar] MAJOR HamVoIP UPDATE 1.7.0-01 RELEASED

[Mark VE3JMR]

Thanks, Dave! As usual, the update was easy - Menu item #1. Total time
to update and reboot node was less than 2 minutes. While I have yet to
say any differences from the previous version, according to comments
I've heard, I'm expecting to hear great comments about Echolink audio.

73 75 de VE3JMR 
Mark 
Port Colborne, Ontario 
CANADA 
https://www.qrz.com/db/VE3JMR 
Allstar Node# 53132 [1] 
Echolink Node# 736666 

LIFE has an expiry date.
<if trumpet=%true then exit function> 

Date: Sat, 25 Dec 2021 15:17:01 -0500 (EST)
From: David McGough <kb4fxc at inttek.net>
To: arm-allstar at hamvoip.org
Subject: [arm-allstar] MAJOR HamVoIP UPDATE 1.7.0-01 RELEASED

Hi Everyone!

After about 1.5 years worth of development effort, I have just released
a
MAJOR upgrade to the hamvoip-asterisk package.  This package includes
the
Asterisk/app_rpt software, which is the software that drives AllStar.  

This is the biggest upgrade in at least a decade, with about 15,000
lines 
of changed software!!

For hot-spot, repeater and node radio users, the most visible change
will
be improved performance over the older software--meaning fewer crashes
and
fewer audio pops and clicks.

Hub users still running older software will notice major stability
improvements.  This software is currently in use on ALL the worlds
biggest
AllStar hubs.

NOTE that if you're a user of Zoiper, DVSwitch Mobile, IAXRPT or other
IAX
client software, these clients may NO LONGER CONNECT without a minor
configuration change on the HamVoIP node.  As of this software release,
the IAX2 protocol has "call tokens" ENABLED.  This is a VERY IMPORTANT
security mechanism, which classically was always forced off in the
AllStar
software.  This is now changed.  To allow connections from software not 
supporting call tokens, simply modify the iax.conf file incoming stanza.

For example:

; iax.conf
[iaxphone]
requirecalltoken=no

The whole list of changes is HUGE.  Some of the highlights are:

* app_rpt module -- Massive refactoring of code. Complete overhaul of 
    internal data structures and statistical reporting code, including 
    the AMI interface.  Old highly problematic "remote base" code 
    completely removed (a new remote base system is coming). Major 
    changes in process threads and priority, using work queues for 
    low-priority processing.

* Echolink driver -- The longstanding "garbled audio" issue is fixed! 
    Module unload and reload functions now work. Overall stability 
    greatly improved.  Echolink node "can't connect" issues common 
    after the client software was just launched are fixed.

* VOTER channel driver -- Major AMI performance improvements. stability 
    improvements, including resolving some memory corruption bugs 
    and mutex issues.

* Many, many areas of the core asterisk code, including IAX2 and Dahdi
-- 
    Major stability improvements.

*** Please see a partial partial release comments list at the URL,
below.  
    These are many of the changes since the last major 
    hamvoip-asterisk package release on June 01, 2020.  Note that the 
    gaps in revisions are where I left out long/complex descriptions 
    of algorithm changes---these are too detailed to be relevant to 
    the general user.

    https://hamvoip.org/release-notes/hamvoip-asterisk-2021-12-21.html

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

73, David KB4FXC

 

Links:
------
[1] http://stats.allstarlink.org/stats/53132