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18 <address><a href="mailto:djk@tobit.co.uk"></a>Dirk Koopman G1TLH</address>
20 <!-- Created: Wed Dec 2 18:22:33 GMT 1998 -->
22 Last modified: Fri Jul 20 21:21:00 GMT 2007
27 The DXSpider DX cluster system is written in <a
28 href="http://www.perl.com">perl 5.004</a> running under <a
29 href="http://www.linuxhq.com">Linux</a> as an exercise in
30 self-training for both protocol research and teaching myself <a
31 href="http://www.perl.com">perl</a>. It also runs perfectly
32 happily under Microsoft Windows from Win98 upwards using either
33 <a href="http://www.activestate.com/Products/Download/Download.plex?id=ActivePerl">Activestate</a> perl or one
34 of the unix subsystem/environments for windows such as
35 <a href="http://www.cygwin.com">Cygwin</a>.
37 <h4>What is a DX Cluster?</h4>
39 A DX Cluster is a means for Amateur (Ham) Radio operators to tell each
40 other, in realtime, about DX stations (other interesting or rare
41 Amateur Radio stations all over the world).
43 <p>To quote what is probably the most comprehensive source of DX Cluster related
44 information, the <a href="http://www.cestro.com/pcluster/">DX PacketCluster WebNet</a>,
47 <p><em>One station is set up with PacketCluster and is linked to one or
48 more other stations who have installed the software. These nodes
49 when connected are called a cluster. Clusters are connected to
50 clusters, expanding the network. Individual users connect to the
51 nodes on a frequency different from what the node stations are
52 linked on. Users are capable of announcing DX spots and related
53 announcements, send personal talk messages, send and receive
54 mail messages, search and retrive archived data, and access data
55 from information databases among its many features.</em>
57 <p>It's a rather specialised (and not as robust) form of IRC really.
59 <p>The original package runs under DOS and was created by Dick Newell AK1A
60 but is no longer under active development. Most replacements also run under
61 DOS and/or are closed source. I wanted something in open source (so I don't
62 have to do <em>all</em> the work) and for Linux. A side benefit of writing
63 the program in perl is that it works perfectly well on other versions of
64 unix as well as all flavours of Windows from Win98 upwards.
66 <p>This document will contain all the instructions for its
67 installation and use - eventually...
71 <li> <a href="http://www.dxcluster.org/download/">Download</a> the software and any patches.
72 <li> DXSpider <a href="installation_en.html">Installation</a> manual.
73 <li> DXSpider <a href="adminmanual_en.html">Administration</a> manual.
74 <li> DXSpider <a href="usermanual_en.html">User</a> manual.
75 <li> DXSpider <a href="filtering_en.html">Filter</a> manual.
76 <li> We have a new <a href="http://wiki.dxcluster.org">Wiki</a> where, hopefully, more up to date versions of the documentation can be found (this is work in progress).
77 <li> Peruse the <a href="spiderFAQ_en.html">FAQ</a>
78 <li> If you are on the bleeding edge, see the <a href="spiderCVS_en.html">CVS Addendum</a>.
79 <li> <a href="/cgi-bin/gitweb.cgi?p=spider.git">Browse</a> the <a href="http://git.or.cz">Git</a> Repository.
80 <li> Explaining the <a href="client.html">client</a> programs.
81 <li> <a href="cron.html">Periodic</a> jobs, e.g. starting connection to other clusters.
82 <li> <a href="program.html">Programming</a> new commands or altering existing ones.
83 <li> <a href="local.html">Local</a> customisation of the cluster daemon.
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91 Copyright © 1998-2004 by Dirk Koopman G1TLH. All Rights Reserved<br>
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