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From Acarsd
acarsd - Free ACARS decoder for Linux & Windows
Welcome to the new online help and documentation for acarsd. Everyone is requested to expand / edit this documentation. This will be the only existing documentation for the acarsd project.
acarsd has a lot of features which are not included in any other ACARS decoding software. acarsd is also freeware (except for commercial users) but not Free Software or Open Source. The installation of acarsd is easy. Download the current stable release of acarsd, extract this and start the installer or for fast installation use the quickinstaller.
Download of beta versions is no longer supported because of some public complains about bugs within beta versions.
What you need is a working soundcard, an airband scanner and a cable to connect your airband scanner with the line-in of your soundcard. Always use a long cable to get better (clearer) signals.
After the installation process is done, you can start acarsd. Windows user will get a graphical interface (called acarsdgui). Linux users will get the ncurses based text interface. It's also possible to use the acarsdgui under Linux. Start acarsd with the --withgui switch (thats -G in versions before 1.6) or attach acarsdgui to your running instance with the command
acarsdgui --attach
acarsd is a realtime ACARS decoder. There are no hardcoded messages within acarsd. All messages are real messages. acarsd can handle up to 8 airband scanners on 4 soundcards with one running instance since acarsd version 1.65
acarsd will display images of the contacted aircrafts (if acarsdgui is running under Linux). You have a lot of statistics (systemwide or per aircraft, airline). With acarsd the ACARS online network was founded. Everyone (who have an acarsd client installed) can see (if this is enabled) the decoded ACARS messages from your system. Read a short description about the server option and howto install and/or get a free domainname for your acarsd server.
Since version 1.6 acarsd has also an included webserver. Everyone with a modern, javascript enabled browser, can see your traffic (if the webserver is enabled)
Some other features (for your online users) are important contacts, pager functions, database search and many more.
acarsd will write acarsd style logfiles and (if configured) also ANAD style logfiles which can be used for other 3rd party programs.
acarsd can also create daily reports in the popular ANAD style format for your own or for public use.
Your system will send (of cause, if configured) updates of your contacts to the online database at acarsd.org to include this into the worldwide ACARS database and to let the user search for different things within the online ACARS search
Download and test acarsd now. Have fun and join the ACARS Online Network.
