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Re-enable direwolf APRS customization without breaking Winlink compatibility #9

Description

@AlwaysLearningTech

Problem

Direwolf template customization (iGate, beacon, digipeater settings) has been disabled to preserve Pat/Winlink-packet mode compatibility. When et-direwolf template was modified with our APRS customizations, it broke et-mode when using Pat with Winlink-packet.

Root Cause

ETC's et-mode command uses different direwolf configurations for different modes:

  • APRS mode: direwolf.aprs-digipeater.conf (our customizations broke this)
  • Packet/Winlink mode: Different configuration for Pat

Modifying the shared template affected all modes, breaking packet functionality.

Solution Options

  1. Separate template approach: Create separate customized configs for APRS vs Packet modes that et-mode can switch between
  2. Post-install script: Provide a post-install script that users run to customize direwolf APRS settings after installation
  3. Runtime wrapper: Create a wrapper around et-direwolf that applies customizations at runtime without modifying templates
  4. Work with ETC: Determine if ETC has a better mechanism for mode-specific customization

Related Configuration

Users can configure APRS settings in secrets.env:

  • ENABLE_APRS_IGATE, APRS_SERVER, APRS_PASSCODE
  • ENABLE_APRS_BEACON, APRS_BEACON_INTERVAL
  • APRS_SSID, APRS_SYMBOL, APRS_COMMENT

These are currently unused since template modification is disabled.

Current Workaround

Users must manually configure APRS settings post-install using direwolf config tools or editing templates directly.

Priority

Medium - Pat/Winlink packet mode works correctly with current approach; this is a feature re-enablement, not a critical fix.

Activity

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