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System Requirements
DroidStar 9M2PJU runs on modern Linux distributions. No root access required for AppImage or Flatpak.
Linux x86_64 / ARM64
Qt 6.5+
No root needed (AppImage)
7 package formats
Package Formats
Choose the format that matches your distribution. All packages contain the same application.
| Format | Best for | Install method |
|---|---|---|
| .deb | Debian, Ubuntu, Mint, Pop!_OS | sudo dpkg -i |
| .rpm | Fedora, RHEL, openSUSE | sudo rpm -i |
| .pkg.tar.zst | Arch Linux, CachyOS, EndeavourOS | sudo pacman -U |
| .AppImage | Any distro (portable) | Make executable & run |
| .flatpak | Any distro (sandboxed) | flatpak install |
| .snap | Ubuntu & snap-enabled | sudo snap install |
| .tar.gz | Manual / custom install | Extract & run |
What's New
This build includes the redesigned UI and crash guards from the experimental branch:
- Keyboard shortcuts — Enter to connect/disconnect, Esc to disconnect, Space for Push to Talk (or toggle TX if enabled in Settings).
- Redesigned UI — bottom navigation bar with custom icons, card-based layout, dark theme with cyan accent (#41cad2).
- Crash-proof error handling — comprehensive null pointer guards across all modes. The app never exits on connection errors — it shows a user-friendly popup instead.
- DMR connection retry & timeout — 3 retry attempts with 10s timeout. Clear error popups for server rejection (MSTNAK), server shutdown (MSTCL), DNS failures, and unreachable hosts.
- In-app update checker — checks GitHub releases on startup and notifies you when a new version is available.
- Built-in vocoders — AMBE, Codec 2, and IMBE vocoders compiled directly into the binary. No external vocoder plugin download needed.
- USB vocoder support — connect an external AMBE vocoder or MMDVM modem over USB serial.
- Arch Linux ARM64 — .pkg.tar.zst now available for both x86_64 and aarch64.
- 7 package formats — .deb, .rpm, .pkg.tar.zst, .AppImage, .flatpak, .snap, and .tar.gz for x86_64 and ARM64.
Credits & License
Original DroidStar by Doug McLain AD8DP. Modified and distributed by 9M2PJU.
- Upstream: github.com/nostar/droidstar
- License: GPL v3.0
- Built with Qt 6 + CMake
Features
Multiple Modes
DMR, M17, YSF, P25, NXDN plus DCS / XRF / REF / FCS / IAX reflectors.
Built-in Vocoders
AMBE, Codec 2 & IMBE compiled in — no external plugin download required.
USB Vocoder Support
Connect an external AMBE vocoder or MMDVM modem over USB serial.
Operator Info
Auto-fetches handle & country from DMR ID via the Radioid API.
Modern Dark Theme
Deep navy + cyan accent. Card-based layout with bottom navigation.
SMS & DTMF
M17 SMS messaging and IAX DTMF tone sending built in.
How to Install
AppImage (any distro)
Download the .AppImage file, make it executable, and run:
chmod +x DroidStar-9M2PJU-*.AppImage
./DroidStar-9M2PJU-*.AppImage
Debian / Ubuntu (.deb)
sudo dpkg -i DroidStar-9M2PJU-*.deb
sudo apt-get install -f
Fedora / RHEL (.rpm)
sudo rpm -i DroidStar-9M2PJU-*.rpm
Arch Linux (.pkg.tar.zst)
sudo pacman -U DroidStar-9M2PJU-*.pkg.tar.zst
Flatpak (any distro)
flatpak install DroidStar-9M2PJU-*.flatpak
flatpak run org.dudetronics.droidstar
Snap (Ubuntu & snap-enabled)
sudo snap install DroidStar-9M2PJU-*.snap --dangerous
First run? Configure your callsign, DMR ID, and host in Settings. Vocoders are built in — no extra downloads needed.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Enter | Connect / Disconnect |
| Esc | Disconnect |
| Space | Push to Talk (press and hold) or toggle TX (if TX Toggle is enabled in Settings) |
Keyboard shortcuts work on the Main tab. Click the Main tab to ensure it has keyboard focus.
💕 Support the Project
DroidStar 9M2PJU is free and open source. If you find it useful, consider buying us a coffee. Every contribution helps keep the builds coming.
