CHIRP

# Running CHIRP on Linux

This page describes how to get the newer python3-based CHIRP-next running on Linux.

## Debian, Ubuntu, Mint, Raspbian, etc

Install prerequisite packages:

```

$ sudo apt install git python3-wxgtk4.0 python3-serial python3-six python3-future python3-requests python3-pip

```

You should be able to install either the wheel or the tarball using `pip`:

```

$ pip3 install chirp-next-20230114.tar.gz

```

> **_NOTE:_**  Your system may install `pip` as `pip3` like above, or just `pip`

If you run the above command as a regular user, the `chirp` executable will be installed into `~/.local/bin/chirp`. If you run it as root, then it will be in `/usr/local/bin/chirp` as you might normally expect.

### Create a desktop (menu) entry

A desktop entry can be placed in `/usr/share/applications/chirp.desktop` to have a menu entry added. Or it can be placed on the desktop itself to add an icon.

See the template desktop entry distributed with chirp: https://github.com/kk7ds/chirp/blob/master/chirp/share/chirp.desktop

If you have installed chirp for your user only, then update the paths for your home directory: `~/.local/share/applications/chirp.desktop`

```

[Desktop Entry]

Name=CHiRP-next (user install)

Comment=Program radios using CHiRP

Keywords=ham radio

Exec=.local/bin/chirp

Icon=.local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/chirp/share/chirp.ico

Terminal=false

StartupNotify=true

Type=Application

Categories=HamRadio

```

### (Optional) Newer `wxPython`

You may want to install a newer wxPython, depending on what your distro ships. For Debian-derived distros (including Ubuntu and Mint) you can do that with a command like:

```

pip3 install -U -f https://extras.wxpython.org/wxPython4/extras/linux/gtk3/ubuntu-20.04 wxPython

```

Check the [directory listing](https://extras.wxpython.org/wxPython4/extras/linux/gtk3/) for other distro versions and use the closest match to what you're on. **NOTE** that this will not work for non-x86_64 machines (like the Raspberry Pi) as there are no binary builds for those platforms.

## Python 3.11 issues

Right now (as of 9-March-2023), testing and released builds are based on <=3.10. If you want to run chirp on a distro with 3.11 you'll likely have to do some work on your own.

For issues with `attrdict` see [this github issue](https://github.com/wxWidgets/Phoenix/issues/2296).

## Serial port permissions

Note that you may need to add your users who want to use CHIRP to the group that owns the serial ports. This issue is often indicated by an "access denied" error when accessing serial port. Determine the group ownership of your serial port like this (assuming `ttyUSB0`):

```

$ stat -c %G /dev/ttyUSB0

dialout

```

Now you need to add your user to that group. On most Linux distros this is accomplished with:

```

sudo usermod -a -G dialout $USER

```

Be sure to use whatever group the above `stat` command reported.

You will then need to log out and back in for it to take effect.