Before you start to install all the components and libraries, make sure all pre-conditions are fulfilled. https://github.com/He3556/SDR-Detector/wiki/Hardware-OS

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Installation

Tested on Ubuntu 14.04 and KaliLinux 2.0

1. Installation before running the Detector

1.1. Install nodejs and npm

curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_4.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs     // Install node + npm

You can confirm that installation worked if npm -v returns a valid version number. Otherwise, Ubuntu may have tried to install from the wrong source. Open Software & Updates from the launcher, click Other Software, and unselect any references to chrislea/nodejs. Then run sudo apt-get update and repeat the steps above.

Once you have confirmed nodejs and npm are installed, install Meteor.

1.2. Install Meteor JS

curl https://install.meteor.com/ | sh

Credit: https://www.meteor.com/install

2. Installation of all libraries and tools, necessary to gather information from the hardware usb-device.

Preperation: Installation of Hardware USB-TV Dongle (RTL-SDR)

Some Linux Kernels already have a DVB driver. Check if driver is loaded already: $ lsmod DVB* if true = we need to delete: $ sudo rmmod dvb_usb_rtl28xxu

don't load this driver in the future: $ sudo su $ echo blacklist dvb_usb_rtl28xxu > /etc/modprobe.d/rtlsdr.conf $ exit (or sudo gedit /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf)

2.1. Installation of libraries:

$ sudo apt-get install python python-wxgtk2.8 python-matplotlib python-numpy python-imaging $ sudo apt-get install python-serial

compile 2 libraries: $ sudo apt-get install libusb-1.0.0-dev $ sudo apt-get install git cmake

library for rtlsdr (compile)

$ mkdir build
$ cd build
$ git clone git://git.osmocom.org/rtl-sdr.git
$ cd rtl-sdr
$ mkdir build
$ cd build
$ cmake ../ -DINSTALL_UDEV_RULES=ON
$ make
$ sudo make install
cd ../..

Install Python pyrtlsdr library:

$ git clone git://github.com/roger-/pyrtlsdr.git
$ cd pyrtlsdr
$ sudo python setup.py install
$ cd ..\..

3. Install different USB SDR Hardware

There are 2 possible libraries for the RTL-SDR and process 1 (scanning for base stations). a. EarToEarOak/RTLSDR-Scanner (https://eartoearoak.com/software/rtlsdr-scanner) b. steve-m/kalibrate-rtl You need at least one proper working installation. Than the Detector is able to do the first process, of scanning the frequency bands for base stations (BTS). c. If you are using a HACK-RF you can install Kalibrate-HackRF, see 3.1c

3.1a RTL-SDR-Scanner (EarToEarOak)

(for process 1 rtl-sdr, scanning the frequency bands for base stations) EarToEarOak/RTLSDR-Scanner

$ sudo apt-get install python python-wxgtk2.8 rtl-sdr
$ sudo pip install -U rtlsdr_scanner

Test it with:

$ python -m rtlsdr_scanner

Start the programm

$ cd RTLSDR-Scanner/src
$ ./rtlsdr_scan.py

( GUI Start has to save a RTLSDR-Scanner.desktop - worked without in my case) Possible error messege: usb_open error -3 Please fix the device permissions, e.g. by installing the udev rules file rtl-sdr.rules

$ lsusb
$ rtl_test -t
$ rtl_test -s 3.2e6

todo: source ot the rtl-sdr.rules /usr/local/src/rtl-sdr/rtl-sdr.rules to /etc/udev/rules.d/ howto: as root (enter in console: sudo su) cp /usr/local/src/rtl-sdr/rtl-sdr.rules /etc/udev/rules.d/

Add permission of a device that is missing in the rtl-sdr.rules: sudo gedit /etc/udev/rules.d/rtl-sdr.rules

RTL-SDR RTL2838 vid/pid (NooElec, for example) SUBSYSTEMS=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="0bda", ATTRS{idProduct}=="2838", MODE:="0666"

3.1b Install Kalibrate RTL-SDR (for process 1 kal with RTL-SDR)

https://github.com/steve-m/kalibrate-rtl /

$ git clone https://github.com/steve-m/kalibrate-rtl 
$ cd kalibrate-rtl 
$ ./bootstrap && CXXFLAGS='-W -Wall -O3' 
$ ./configure make 
$ sudo make install

3.1c Install Kalibrate Hack-RF (for process 1 kal - when you want to use a Hack-RF)

https://z4ziggy.wordpress.com/2015/05/17/sniffing-gsm-traffic-with-hackrf/

$ sudo apt-get install hackrf libhackrf-dev libhackrf0
$ git clone https://github.com/scateu/kalibrate-hackrf.git
$ cd kalibrate-hackrf
$ ./bootstrap
$ ./configure
$ make
$ sudo make install

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4. Download the source code of Detector

git clone https://github.com/He3556/SDR-Detector.git

Unless otherwise noted, all commands should be run from the same directory as this readme, /SDR-Detector.

4.1. Create airprobe script

Use GNU Radio Companion to generate a airprobe file. This only needs to be done once.

gnuradio-companion grcs/airprobe_rtlsdr.grc

Modify the blocks so that detection is guaranteed do happen. For example, in the US, modify the parameter box, fc, to be 893.8MHz. This is the downlink frequency that picks up valid GSM data.

Then press run. This will generate an airprobe_rtlsdr.py file customized to your machine. This file is currently in .gitignore since it is machine specific.

4.2. Modify settings and folders

cd desec
cp example_settings.json settings.json

Modify settings.json to reflect your actual environment.

{ "pythonLocation": "/usr/bin/python2", "airprobeLocation": "/home/user/workspace/SDR-Detector/desec/grcs/airprobe_rtlsdr.py", "rtlsdrscanLocation": "/home/user/workspace/RTLSDR-Scanner/src/rtlsdr_scan.py", "quickScanLogLocation": "/home/user/workspace/quickScan.csv", "tSharkLocation": "/usr/local/bin/tshark", "kalRTLLocation": "/home/user/workspace/kalibrate-rtl/src/kal", "kalHackRFLocation": "/home/user/workspace/kalibrate-hackrf/src/kal", "quickScanTolerance": 43, "quickScanNumSweeps": 1, "quickScanDwell": 0.262, "quickScanFFT": 1024, "deepScanPeriod": 15, "testing": { "testRTLSDRScannerCSV": "/home/user/workspace/SDR-Detector/desec/packages/gsm-scanners/scanners/p1-rtlsdr-scanner-tests.csv", "testPCAPFile": "/home/user/workspace/SDR-Detector/desec/packages/gsm-scanners/scanners/p2-bts-test-file.pcapng" } }

Don't use //comments in JSON. THEY ARE NOT VALID!

Temporary files

The app currently logs temporary quick scan files to /../tmp/ (ie, one level up from the root directory). Make sure you create a folder for it there.

Usage

// Must run as `root` in order to capture data
sudo meteor --settings settings.json      

The terminal will continue to run indefinitely. Use CTRL+C to stop and manually close Airprobe.

Webapp

By default, Meteor runs the webserver on http://localhost:3000

The app currently scans all frequencies in list that are checked. You can add new frequencies but may not remove existing ones.

Other Tools and Libraries

Calculation of signal strength (power) with kalibrate-rtl (p1-kal) https://github.com/steve-m/kalibrate-rtl/blob/master/src/c0_detect.cc#L111

PPM correction https://github.com/steve-m/kalibrate-rtl/blob/master/src/kal.cc

Country Codes Table:

source: github.com/musalbas/mcc-mnc-table real source: mcc-mnc.com

Troubleshooting

RTLSDR-Scanner

Error: No devices found - If you get this error ps aux | grep python. If you see a process with rtlsdr_scan.py then sudo kill -9 PROCESSNUMBER

Testing

Run from project root meteor test-packages

Tip for Wine: If you happen to have a crashed window of a Windows EXE that blocks everything else, run the command "wineserver -k" to kill the Windows emulation process and with it all Windows apps.