HOWTO get your Psion Wavefinder USB DAB radio working on your ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron) linux PC

sick of keeping a win2k pc just so you can use your trusty old Psion Wavefinder USB DAB radio? (or simply stopped using it, as it wouldnt work with XPsp2+)
get it up and running on a linux box…. as I am running ubuntu on both my home pc and my work pc, it just made sense instead of having an old pc stuck under my desk getting in the way. the software is still in its very early stages, but it is working quite nicely from a command prompt. heres how I did it….

(if you dont already have them)

install GCC (compiler)
sudo apt-get install gcc

install linux-kernel-headers
sudo apt-get install linux-kernel-headers

download and install FFTW
go to: http://www.fftw.org/download.html  – i used 3.1.2 – http://www.fftw.org/fftw-3.1.2.tar.gz
extract the files somewhere, then using a terminal window (cd to the extracted files folder) and type “./configure”
this will configure FFTW. once done type “make” which will compile the code. Then finally, “make install” to install FFTW on your system.

next up, grab mpg123.
sudo apt-get install mpg123

Now you need to get the opendab code and compile it.
go to:
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/dabusb (at some point, this project will be available to download form sourceforge)- http://sourceforge.net/projects/opendab/
and join the group. once joined, you will have access to the files area – http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/dabusb/files/OpenDAB/
download and extract the files to a folder somewhere.

cd into the extracted files folder and compile the executable

cd ~/Desktop/OpenDAB
make clean
make

cd to the “driver” directory, and type “sudo /sbin/insmod wavefinder.ko”

sudo cp wavefinder.ko /lib/modules/2.6.24-19-generic/kernel/drivers/usb/misc <–2.6.24-19 changes depending on what kernel you are on
sudo cp driver/60-wavefinder.rules /etc/udev/wavefinder.rules
sudo ln -s /etc/udev/wavefinder.rules /etc/udev/rules.d/60-wavefinder.rules
sudo depmod

Copy “rsDSPa.bin” and “rsDSPb.bin” from the windows software for the WaveFinder (c:program filespsionwavefinder) to the src directory

./wf | mpg123 -q –

this should list the channels found. if you just get one option “0” from it, you will probably need to recompile using the following:

pico Makefile
edit the following line from
CFLAGS= -ansi -g -Wall -O3
to:
CFLAGS= -ansi -g -Wall -O
(ie remove the 3 from the end)

save and “make” again
./wf | mpg123 -q –

It should now list the channels. select one, and a couple of seconds later you should have a fully functioning wavefinder!

As I said, it is still in early stages, but the hard work is done… it WORKS! now it just needs features adding and a shiny GUI