rigctl(1)

NAME

   rigctl - control radio transceivers and receivers

SYNOPSIS

   rigctl [OPTION]... [COMMAND]...

DESCRIPTION

   Control radio transceivers and receivers.  rigctl accepts commands from
   the command line as well as in interactive mode if none are provided on
   the command line.

   Keep  in  mind  that  Hamlib  is  BETA  level software.  While a lot of
   backend libraries lack complete rig support, the  basic  functions  are
   usually  well supported.  The API may change without publicized notice,
   while an advancement of the major version (e.g. 1.x to  3.x)  indicates
   such a change.

   Please  report bugs and provide feedback at the e-mail address given in
   the REPORTING BUGS section.  Patches and  code  enhancements  are  also
   welcome.

OPTIONS

   This  program  follows  the  usual  GNU  command line syntax, with long
   options starting with two dashes ('-').

   Here is a summary of the supported options:

   -m, --model=id
          Select radio model number. See model list (use 'rigctl -l').

          NB: rigctl (or third party software) will use rig  model  2  for
          NET rigctl (rigctld).

   -r, --rig-file=device
          Use  device as the file name of the port the radio is connected.
          Often a serial port, but could  be  a  USB  to  serial  adapter.
          Typically /dev/ttyS0, /dev/ttyS1, /dev/ttyUSB0, etc. on Linux or
          COM1, COM2, etc.  on Win32.

   -p, --ptt-file=device
          Use device as the file name of the Push-To-Talk device  using  a
          device file as described above.

   -d, --dcd-file=device
          Use  device  as  the file name of the Data Carrier Detect device
          using a device file as described above.

   -P, --ptt-type=type
          Use type of Push-To-Talk device.  Supported types are RIG,  DTR,
          RTS,  PARALLEL,  NONE,  overriding PTT type defined in the rig's
          backend.

          Some side effects of this command are that when type is  set  to
          DTR,  read  PTT  state comes from Hamlib frontend, not read from
          the radio.  When set to NONE, PTT state cannot be  read  or  set
          even if rig backend supports reading/setting PTT status from the
          rig.

   -D, --dcd-type=type
          Use type of Data Carrier Detect  device.   Supported  types  are
          RIG, DSR, CTS, CD, PARALLEL, NONE.

   -s, --serial-speed=baud
          Set  serial  speed  to baud rate. Uses maximum serial speed from
          rig backend capabilities as the default.

   -c, --civaddr=id
          Use id as the CI-V address to communicate  with  the  rig.  Only
          useful for Icom rigs.

          NB:  the  id  is  in decimal notation, unless prefixed by 0x, in
          which case it is hexadecimal.

   -t, --send-cmd-term=char
          Change the termination char for text  protocol  when  using  the
          send_cmd  command.   The default value is <CR> (0x0d). Non ASCII
          printable characters can be specified as  an  ASCII  number,  in
          hexadecimal  format,  prepended  with  0x. You may pass an empty
          string for no termination char. The string '-1' tells rigctl  to
          switch  to binary protocol. See the send_cmd command for further
          explanation.

          For example, to specify a command terminator for  Kenwood  style
          text commands pass "-t ';'" to rigctl.  See EXAMPLES below.

   -L, --show-conf
          List all config parameters for the radio defined with -m above.

   -C, --set-conf=parm=val[,parm=val]*
          Set config parameter.  e.g. stop_bits=2

          Use -L option for a list.

   -l, --list
          List  all  model  numbers  defined  in  Hamlib  and exit.  As of
          1.2.15.1 the list is sorted by model number.

          N.B. In Linux the list can be scrolled back using  Shift-PageUp/
          Shift-PageDown, or using the scrollbars of a virtual terminal in
          X or the cmd window in Windows.  The  output  can  be  piped  to
          'more' or 'less', e.g. 'rigctl -l | more'.

   -u, --dump-caps
          Dump capabilities for the radio defined with -m above and exit.

   -o, --vfo
          Set  vfo  mode, requiring an extra VFO argument in front of each
          appropriate command. Otherwise, 'currVFO' is assumed  when  this
          option is not set.

   -i, --read-history
          Read  previously  saved command and argument history from a file
          (default   '~/.rigctl_history')   for   the   current   session.
          Available  when  rigctl  is  built  with  Readline  support (see
          READLINE below).

          N.B. To read a history file stored in another directory, set the
          RIGCTL_HIST_DIR         environment        variable,        e.g.
          'RIGCTL_HIST_DIR=~/tmp rigctl -i'.  When RIGCTL_HIST_DIR is  not
          set, the value of HOME is used.

   -I, --save-history
          Write  current  session and previous session(s), if -i option is
          given,  command  and  argument  history  to  a   file   (default
          '~/.rigctl_history')   at   the  end  of  the  current  session.
          Complete commands with arguments are saved as a single  line  to
          be  recalled and used or edited.  Available when rigctl is built
          with Readline support (see READLINE below).

          N.B. To write a history  file  in  another  directory,  set  the
          RIGCTL_HIST_DIR         environment        variable,        e.g.
          'RIGCTL_HIST_DIR=~/tmp rigctl -I'.  When RIGCTL_HIST_DIR is  not
          set, the value of HOME is used.

   -v, --verbose
          Set verbose mode, cumulative (see DIAGNOSTICS below).

   -h, --help
          Show summary of these options and exit.

   -V, --version
          Show version of rigctl and exit.

   N.B.  Some  options  may not be implemented by a given backend and will
   return an error.  This is most likely to occur with the --set-conf  and
   --show-conf options.

   Please  note  that  the  backend for the radio to be controlled, or the
   radio itself may not support some commands. In that case, the operation
   will fail with a Hamlib error code.

COMMANDS

   Commands  can  be entered either as a single char, or as a long command
   name.  Basically, the commands do not take a dash in front of  them  on
   the  command  line,  as  the  options  do. They may be typed in when in
   interactive mode or provided as argument(s) in command  line  interface
   mode.   In interactive mode commands and their arguments may be entered
   on a single line:

   Rig command: M LSB 2400

   Since most of the Hamlib operations have a set and  a  get  method,  an
   upper case letter will be used for set method whereas the corresponding
   lower case letter refers to the get method.  Each operation also has  a
   long  name;  in  interactive  mode, prepend a backslash to enter a long
   command name.

   Example: Use '\dump_caps' to see what this radio and backend support.

   Please note that the backend for the radio to  be  controlled,  or  the
   radio itself may not support some commands. In that case, the operation
   will fail with a Hamlib error message.

   As an alternative to the READLINE command history  features  a  special
   command  of  a  single  dash  ('-')  may  be used to read commands from
   standard input.  Commands must be separated by  whitespace  similar  to
   the  commands  given  on the command line.  Comments may be added using
   the '#' character, all text up  until  the  end  of  the  current  line
   including the '#' character is ignored.

   Example:
    $ cat <<.EOF. >cmds.txt
    > # File of commands
    > v f m  # query rig
    > V VFOB F 14200000 M CW 500 # set rig
    > v f m  # query rig
    > .EOF.

    $ rigctl -m1 - <cmds.txt

    v VFOA

    f 145000000

    m FM
    15000

    V VFOB
    F 14200000
    M CW 500
    v VFOB

    f 14200000

    m CW
    500

    $

   Here  is  a  summary  of  the  supported commands (In the case of "set"
   commands the quoted string is replaced by the value in the description.
   In  the case of "get" commands the quoted string is the key name of the
   value returned.):

   Q|q, exit rigctl
          Exit rigctl in interactive mode.

          When rigctl is controlling the rig directly, will close the  rig
          backend  and  port.   When  rigctl  is connected to rigctld (rig
          model 2), the TCP/IP connection to rigctld is closed and rigctld
          remains   running,   available   for   another   TCP/IP  network
          connection.

   F, set_freq 'Frequency'
          Set 'Frequency', in Hz.

   f, get_freq
          Get 'Frequency', in Hz.

   M, set_mode 'Mode' 'Passband'
          Set 'Mode': USB, LSB, CW, CWR, RTTY, RTTYR, AM,  FM,  WFM,  AMS,
          PKTLSB,  PKTUSB,  PKTFM,  ECSSUSB,  ECSSLSB, FAX, SAM, SAL, SAH,
          DSB.

          Set 'Passband' in Hz, or '0' for the Hamlib backend default.

          N.B. Passing a '?' (query) as  the  first  argument  instead  of
          'Mode'  will  return  a  space  separated  list of radio backend
          supported Modes.  Use this to determine the supported Modes of a
          given radio backend.

   m, get_mode
          Get 'Mode' 'Passband'.

          Returns Mode as a string from set_mode above and Passband in Hz.

   V, set_vfo 'VFO'
          Set  'VFO':  VFOA, VFOB, VFOC, currVFO, VFO, MEM, Main, Sub, TX,
          RX.

          In VFO mode only a single VFO parameter is required.

   v, get_vfo
          Get current 'VFO'.

          Returns VFO as a string from set_vfo above.

   J, set_rit 'RIT'
          Set 'RIT', in Hz, can be + or -.

          A value of '0' resets RIT and *should* turn RIT  off.   If  not,
          file a bug report against the Hamlib backend.

          N.B  This  functionality  is  under transition and in the future
          will need to be activated with the set_func command.

   j, get_rit
          Get 'RIT', in Hz.

   Z, set_xit 'XIT'
          Set 'XIT', in Hz can be + or -.

          A value of '0' resets XIT and *should* turn XIT  off.   If  not,
          file a bug report against the Hamlib backend.

          N.B  This  functionality  is  under transition and in the future
          will need to be activated with the set_func command.

   z, get_xit
          Get 'XIT', in Hz.

   T, set_ptt 'PTT'
          Set 'PTT', 0 (RX), 1 (TX), 2 (TX mic), 3 (TX data).

   t, get_ptt
          Get 'PTT' status.

   0x8b, get_dcd
          Get 'DCD' (squelch) status, 0 (Closed) or 1 (Open)

   R, set_rptr_shift 'Rptr Shift'
          Set 'Rptr Shift': "+", "-" or something else for none.

   r, get_rptr_shift
          Get 'Rptr Shift'.  Returns "+", "-" or "None".

   O, set_rptr_offs 'Rptr Offset'
          Set 'Rptr Offset', in Hz.

   o, get_rptr_offs
          Get 'Rptr Offset', in Hz.

   C, set_ctcss_tone 'CTCSS Tone'
          Set 'CTCSS Tone', in tenths of Hz.

   c, get_ctcss_tone
          Get 'CTCSS Tone', in tenths of Hz.

   D, set_dcs_code 'DCS Code'
          Set 'DCS Code'.

   d, get_dcs_code
          Get 'DCS Code'.

   0x90, set_ctcss_sql 'CTCSS Sql'
          Set 'CTCSS Sql' tone, in tenths of Hz.

   0x91, get_ctcss_sql
          Get 'CTCSS Sql' tone, in tenths of Hz.

   0x92, set_dcs_sql 'DCS Sql'
          Set 'DCS Sql' code.

   0x93, get_dcs_sql
          Get 'DCS Sql' code.

   I, set_split_freq 'Tx Frequency'
          Set 'TX Frequency', in Hz.

   i, get_split_freq
          Get 'TX Frequency', in Hz.

   X, set_split_mode 'TX Mode' 'TX Passband'
          Set 'TX Mode': AM, FM, CW, CWR, USB, LSB, RTTY, RTTYR, WFM, AMS,
          PKTLSB,  PKTUSB,  PKTFM,  ECSSUSB,  ECSSLSB, FAX, SAM, SAL, SAH,
          DSB.

          The 'TX Passband' is the exact passband in Hz, or  '0'  for  the
          Hamlib backend default.

          N.B.  Passing a '?' (query) as the first argument instead of 'TX
          Mode' will return  a  space  separated  list  of  radio  backend
          supported  TX  Modes.   Use  this  to determine the supported TX
          Modes of a given radio backend.

   x, get_split_mode
          Get 'TX Mode' and 'TX Passband'.

          Returns TX mode as a string from  set_split_mode  above  and  TX
          passband in Hz.

   S, set_split_vfo 'Split' 'TX VFO'
          Set 'Split' mode, '0' or '1', and 'TX VFO' from set_vfo above.

   s, get_split_vfo
          Get 'Split' mode, '0' or '1', and 'TX VFO'.

   N, set_ts 'Tuning Step'
          Set 'Tuning Step', in Hz.

   n, get_ts
          Get 'Tuning Step', in Hz.

   U, set_func 'Func' 'Func Status'
          Set 'Func' 'Func Status'.

          Func  is  one of: FAGC, NB, COMP, VOX, TONE, TSQL, SBKIN, FBKIN,
          ANF, NR, AIP, APF, MON, MN, RF, ARO, LOCK, MUTE, VSC, REV,  SQL,
          ABM,  BC,  MBC, RIT, AFC, SATMODE, SCOPE, RESUME, TBURST, TUNER,
          XIT.

          Func Status argument is a non null value  for  "activate",  "de-
          activate"   otherwise,  much  as  TRUE/FALSE  definitions  in  C
          language (true is non-zero and false is zero).

          N.B. Passing a '?' (query) as  the  first  argument  instead  of
          'Func'  will  return  a  space  separated  list of radio backend
          supported Set functions.  Use this to  determine  the  supported
          functions of a given radio backend.

   u, get_func 'Func'
          Get 'Func Status'.

          Returns 'Func Status' as a non null value for the 'Func' passed.

          N.B.  Passing  a  '?'  (query)  as the first argument instead of
          'Func' will return a  space  separated  list  of  radio  backend
          supported  Get  functions.   Use this to determine the supported
          functions of a given radio backend.

   L, set_level 'Level' 'Level Value'
          Set 'Level' 'Level Value'.

          Level is one of: PREAMP, ATT, VOX, AF, RF,  SQL,  IF,  APF,  NR,
          PBT_IN,  PBT_OUT,  CWPITCH,  RFPOWER,  MICGAIN,  KEYSPD, NOTCHF,
          COMP, AGC (0:OFF, 1:SUPERFAST, 2:FAST, 3:SLOW, 4:USER, 5:MEDIUM,
          6:AUTO),   BKINDL,  BAL,  METER,  VOXGAIN,  ANTIVOX,  SLOPE_LOW,
          SLOPE_HIGH, RAWSTR, SWR, ALC, STRENGTH.

          The Level Value can be a float or an integer.

          N.B. Passing a '?' (query) as  the  first  argument  instead  of
          'Level'  will  return  a  space  separated list of radio backend
          supported Set levels.   Use  this  to  determine  the  supported
          levels of a given radio backend.

   l, get_level 'Level'
          Get 'Level Value'.

          Returns  'Level  Value'  as  a  float or integer for the 'Level'
          passed.

          N.B. Passing a '?' (query) as  the  first  argument  instead  of
          'Level'  will  return  a  space  separated list of radio backend
          supported Get levels.   Use  this  to  determine  the  supported
          levels of a given radio backend.

   P, set_parm 'Parm' 'Parm Value'
          Set 'Parm' 'Parm Value'

          Parm is one of: ANN, APO, BACKLIGHT, BEEP, TIME, BAT, KEYLIGHT.

          N.B.  Passing  a  '?'  (query)  as the first argument instead of
          'Parm' will return a  space  separated  list  of  radio  backend
          supported  Set  parameters.  Use this to determine the supported
          parameters of a given radio backend.

   p, get_parm 'Parm'
          Get 'Parm Value'.

          Returns 'Parm Value' as  a  float  or  integer  for  the  'Parm'
          passed.

          N.B.  Passing  a  '?'  (query)  as the first argument instead of
          'Parm' will return a  space  separated  list  of  radio  backend
          supported  Get  parameters.  Use this to determine the supported
          parameters of a given radio backend.

   B, set_bank 'Bank'
          Set 'Bank'.  Sets the current memory bank number.

   E, set_mem 'Memory#'
          Set 'Memory#' channel number.

   e, get_mem
          Get 'Memory#' channel number.

   G, vfo_op 'Mem/VFO Op'
          Perform 'Mem/VFO Op'.

          Mem VFO operation is one of: CPY, XCHG, FROM_VFO,  TO_VFO,  MCL,
          UP, DOWN, BAND_UP, BAND_DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT, TUNE, TOGGLE.

          N.B.  Passing  a  '?'  (query)  as the first argument instead of
          'Mem/VFO Op' will return a space separated list of radio backend
          supported  Set Mem/VFO Ops.  Use this to determine the supported
          Mem/VFO Ops of a given radio backend.

   g, scan 'Scan Fct' 'Scan Channel'
          Perform 'Scan Fct' 'Scan Channel'.

          Scan function/channel is one of: STOP, MEM,  SLCT,  PRIO,  PROG,
          DELTA, VFO, PLT.

          N.B.  Passing  a  '?'  (query)  as the first argument instead of
          'Scan Fct' will return a space separated list of  radio  backend
          supported  Scan  Functions.  Use this to determine the supported
          Scan Functions of a given radio backend.

   H, set_channel 'Channel'
          Set memory 'Channel' data. Not implemented yet.

   h, get_channel
          Get memory 'Channel' data. Not implemented yet.

   A, set_trn 'Transceive'
          Set 'Transceive' mode (reporting event): OFF, RIG, POLL.

          N.B. Passing a '?' (query) as  the  first  argument  instead  of
          'Transceive' will return a space separated list of radio backend
          supported Scan Transceive modes.   Use  this  to  determine  the
          supported Transceive modes of a given radio backend.

   a, get_trn
          Get 'Transceive' mode (reporting event) as in set_trn above.

   Y, set_ant 'Antenna'
          Set 'Antenna' number (0, 1, 2, ..).

   y, get_ant
          Get 'Antenna' number (0, 1, 2, ..).

   *, reset 'Reset'
          Perform rig 'Reset'.

          0  =  None,  1 = Software reset, 2 = VFO reset, 4 = Memory Clear
          reset, 8 = Master reset.  Since these values are  defined  as  a
          bitmask  in  rig.h,  it  should  be possible to AND these values
          together to do multiple resets at once, if the backend  supports
          it or supports a reset action via rig control at all.

   b, send_morse 'Morse'
          Send 'Morse' symbols.

   0x87, set_powerstat 'Power Status'
          Set power On/Off/Standby 'Power Status'.

          0  =  Power  Off, 1 = Power On, 2 = Power Standby.  Defined as a
          bitmask in rig.h.

   0x88, get_powerstat
          Get power On/Off/Standby  'Power  Status'  as  in  set_powerstat
          above.

   0x89, send_dtmf 'Digits'
          Set DTMF 'Digits'.

   0x8a, recv_dtmf
          Get DTMF 'Digits'.

   _, get_info
          Get  misc  information  about  the  rig (no VFO in 'VFO mode' or
          value is passed).

   1, dump_caps
          Not a real rig remote command, it just dumps capabilities,  i.e.
          what the backend knows about this model, and what it can do.

          TODO:  Ensure  this  is in a consistent format so it can be read
          into a hash, dictionary, etc.  Bug reports requested.

          N.B.: This command will produce many lines of output so be  very
          careful  if  using  a  fixed length array!  For example, running
          this command against the Dummy backend results in  over  5kB  of
          text output.

          VFO parameter not used in 'VFO mode'.

   2, power2mW 'Power [0.0..1.0]' 'Frequency' 'Mode'
          Returns 'Power mW'

          Converts  a  Power  value  in a range of 0.0 ... 1.0 to the real
          transmit power in milli-Watts (integer).  The frequency and mode
          also  need  to be provided as output power may vary according to
          these values.

          VFO parameter not used in 'VFO mode'.

   4, mW2power 'Power mW' 'Frequency' 'Mode'
          Returns 'Power [0.0..1.0]'

          Converts the real transmit power in milli-Watts (integer)  to  a
          Power  value  in a range of 0.0 ... 1.0.  The frequency and mode
          also need to be provided as output power may vary  according  to
          these values.

          VFO parameter not used in 'VFO mode'.

   w, send_cmd 'Cmd'
          Send  raw command string to rig.  This is useful for testing and
          troubleshooting rig commands and  responses  when  developing  a
          backend.

          For  binary  protocols  enter  values as \0xAA\0xBB.    Expect a
          'Reply' from the rig which will likely be a binary block  or  an
          ASCII  string  depending on the rig's protocol (see your radio's
          computer control documentation).

          The command terminator, set by the send-cmd-term  option  above,
          will  terminate  each  command  string  sent to the radio.  This
          character should not be a part of the input string.

   pause 'Seconds'
          Pause for the given whole number of seconds before  sending  the
          next command.

EXAMPLES

   Start  rigctl for a Yaesu FT-920 using a USB to serial adapter on Linux
   in interactive mode:

   $ rigctl -m 114 -r /dev/ttyUSB1

   Start rigctl for a Yaesu FT-920 using COM1 on  Win32  while  generating
   TRACE output to stderr:

   $ rigctl -m 114 -r COM1 -vvvvv

   Start  rigctl  for  a  Yaesu FT-920 using a USB to serial adapter while
   setting baud rate and stop bits:

   $ rigctl -m 114 -r /dev/ttyUSB1 -s 4800 -C stop_bits=2

   Start rigctl for an Elecraft K3 using a USB  to  serial  adapter  while
   specifying a command terminator for the 'w' command:

   $ rigctl -m 229 -r /dev/ttyUSB0 -t';'

   Connect  to  a  running  rigctld with rig model 2 ("NET rigctl") on the
   local host and specifying the TCP port, setting frequency and mode:

   $ rigctl -m 2 -r localhost:4532 F 7253500 M LSB 0

READLINE

   If Readline library development files  are  found  at  configure  time,
   rigctl will be conditonally built with Readline support for command and
   argument entry.  Readline command key bindings are at their defaults as
   described           in           the           Readline          manual
   (http://cnswww.cns.cwru.edu/php/chet/readline/rluserman.html)  although
   rigctl  sets  the  name  'rigctl' which can be used in Conditional Init
   Constructs in the Readline Init  File  ('~/.inputrc'  by  default)  for
   custom keybindings unique to rigctl.

   Command  history is available with Readline support as described in the
   Readline                         History                         manual
   (http://cnswww.cns.cwru.edu/php/chet/readline/history.html#SEC1).
   Command and argument strings are  stored  as  single  lines  even  when
   arguments  are prompted for input individually.  Commands and arguments
   are not validated and are stored as typed with values  separated  by  a
   single space.

   Normally  session  history  is not saved, however, use of either of the
   -i/--read-history or -I/--save-history  options  when  starting  rigctl
   will  cause  any  previously  saved  history  to  be read in and/or the
   current and any previous  session  history  (assuming  the  -i  and  -I
   options  are given together) will be written out when rigctl is closed.
   Each option is mutually exclusive, i.e. either may be given  separately
   or  in  combination.  This is useful to save a set of commands and then
   read them later but not write the modified history for a consistent set
   of test commands in interactive mode, for example.

   History  is  stored  in  '~/.rigctl_history'  by  default  although the
   destination directory may be changed  by  setting  the  RIGCTL_HIST_DIR
   environment  variable.  When RIGCTL_HIST_DIR is unset, the value of the
   HOME environment  variable  is  used  instead.   Only  the  destination
   directory may be changed at this time.

   If  Readline  support  is  not  found  at  configure  time the original
   internal command handler is used.  Readline  is  not  used  for  rigctl
   commands  entered on the command line regardless if Readline support is
   built in or not.

   N.B. Readline support is not included in the Windows 32  binary  builds
   supplied  by  the  Hamlib  Project.   Running  rigctl on the Windows 32
   platform in the 'cmd' shell does give  session  command  line  history,
   however, it is not saved to disk between sessions.

DIAGNOSTICS

   The  -v,  --verbose option allows different levels of diagnostics to be
   output to stderr and correspond to -v for BUG, -vv for  ERR,  -vvv  for
   WARN, -vvvv for VERBOSE, or -vvvvv for TRACE.

   A  given  verbose  level  is  useful  for  providing  needed  debugging
   information to the email address  below.   For  example,  TRACE  output
   shows  all  of  the values sent to and received from the radio which is
   very useful for radio backend library development and may be  requested
   by the developers.

EXIT STATUS

   rigctl exits with:
   0 if all operations completed normally;
   1 if there was an invalid command line option or argument;
   2 if an error was returned by Hamlib.

BUGS

   set_chan has no entry method as of yet, hence left unimplemented.

   This almost empty section...

REPORTING BUGS

   Report bugs to <[email protected]>.

   We are already aware of the bugs in the previous section :-)

AUTHORS

   Written by Stephane Fillod, Nate Bargmann, and the Hamlib Group

   <http://www.hamlib.org>.

COPYRIGHT

   Copyright  2000-2011 Stephane Fillod
   Copyright  2010-2013 Nate Bargmann
   Copyright  2000-2010 the Hamlib Group.

   This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is
   NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR  A  PARTICULAR
   PURPOSE.

SEE ALSO

   hamlib(3), rigctld(8)



Opportunity


Personal Opportunity - Free software gives you access to billions of dollars of software at no cost. Use this software for your business, personal use or to develop a profitable skill. Access to source code provides access to a level of capabilities/information that companies protect though copyrights. Open source is a core component of the Internet and it is available to you. Leverage the billions of dollars in resources and capabilities to build a career, establish a business or change the world. The potential is endless for those who understand the opportunity.

Business Opportunity - Goldman Sachs, IBM and countless large corporations are leveraging open source to reduce costs, develop products and increase their bottom lines. Learn what these companies know about open source and how open source can give you the advantage.


Free Software


Free Software provides computer programs and capabilities at no cost but more importantly, it provides the freedom to run, edit, contribute to, and share the software. The importance of free software is a matter of access, not price. Software at no cost is a benefit but ownership rights to the software and source code is far more significant.

Free Office Software - The Libre Office suite provides top desktop productivity tools for free. This includes, a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation engine, drawing and flowcharting, database and math applications. Libre Office is available for Linux or Windows.


Free Books


The Free Books Library is a collection of thousands of the most popular public domain books in an online readable format. The collection includes great classical literature and more recent works where the U.S. copyright has expired. These books are yours to read and use without restrictions.

Source Code - Want to change a program or know how it works? Open Source provides the source code for its programs so that anyone can use, modify or learn how to write those programs themselves. Visit the GNU source code repositories to download the source.


Education


Study at Harvard, Stanford or MIT - Open edX provides free online courses from Harvard, MIT, Columbia, UC Berkeley and other top Universities. Hundreds of courses for almost all major subjects and course levels. Open edx also offers some paid courses and selected certifications.

Linux Manual Pages - A man or manual page is a form of software documentation found on Linux/Unix operating systems. Topics covered include computer programs (including library and system calls), formal standards and conventions, and even abstract concepts.