How To Install Chirp On Linux: Debian, Ubuntu, CentOS, RHEL, Arch Linux, etc.

If you own a set of radios and are wondering how to program them, then you can’t go wrong with Chirp. It is a free tool that allows users to program amateur radios for numerous manufacturers. It can also work with two-way radio communication and internet radio broadcasting. The following article shows users how to install Chirp on Linux and its various distributions.

Table Of Contents

What Is Chirp?

As stated earlier, Chirp is a free, open-source tool that allows users to program radios. As a free tool, users can program most radios, irrespective of make or model, and set up them to handle multiple data formats. Chirp provides a user-friendly interface with multiple data sources to make it easier for amateurs to setup their own radio. 

The types of files supported are as follows:

• Icom Data Files (.icf) 
• ARRL TravelPlus (.tpe)
• VX5 Commander Files (.vx5)
• VX7 Commander Files (.vx7)

However, for Chirp to work perfectly on your device, it needs the following dependencies:

• Python3
• Python3-requests
• Python3-serial
• Python3-six
• Python3-yattag
• Wxpython-tools

Install Chirp On Linux:

You can install Chirp on Linux quite easily as long as you visit the official website. However, there are several other methods that also allow users to get Chirp on their Linux machines. These methods are mentioned below:

Method 1. Download From Official Website

The easiest method is to get Chirp from the official website. The package has already been compiled and all you have to do is download it. However, it is only suitable for the newest python3-based Chirp-next.

NOTE: This method is not suitable for Chirp-daily. Also, note that Chirp-daily will no longer work on the latest Linux distros. Similarly, Chirp-next won’t run on anything older than Ubuntu 22.04.

Step 1. Start by installing the necessary Python packages:

For Debian-based Systems

sudo apt install python3-wxgtk4.0 pipx

For Fedora-based Systems

sudo dnf install python3-wxpython4 pipx

Step 2. Now, install Chirp:

pipx install --system-site-packages ./chirp-yyyymmdd-py3-none-any.whl

Step 3. Finally, run Chirp

~/.local/bin/chirp

Method 2. Install Chirp On Linux Via Native Repositories

Chirp is available for most Linux distributions in their native repositories. You can install Chirp using these libraries:

For Debian/Ubuntu

Step 1. First, update the package list:

sudo apt update

Step 2. Then, install Chirp:

sudo apt install chirp

Step 3. Lastly, launch Chirp:

chirpw

On CentOS/RHEL/Fedora

Step 1. Again, start by updating the package list:

sudo dnf check-update

Step 2. Then, install Chirp:

sudo dnf install chirp

For Arch Linux

Step 1. You will need to install an AUR helper like YAY:

sudo pacman -S yay

Step 2. Then install Chirp using YAY:

yay -S chirp

On OpenSUSE

Step 1. Start by updating the package list:

sudo zypper refresh

Step 2. Finally, install Chirp:

sudo zypper install chirp

On Gentoo

Install Chirp using the following command:

sudo emerge --ask net-wireless/chirp

Method 3. Install Chirp On Linux Using Snap

Snap is a popular software container package that can run on most Linux distros. Developed by Canonical, it contains the dependencies and libraries needed for most applications to run. Thus, users can simply install a Snap of an application and run it directly without the hassle of getting the dependencies or other packages. 

Snaps are installed, updated, and managed through the Snap Store where you can get Snaps for most Linux applications, including Chirp. To install Chirp via Snap, follow the steps below:

Step 1. First install Snap if not already installed on your system:

On Ubuntu/Debian

sudo apt install snapd

For CentOS/RHEL/Fedora

sudo dnf install snapd

Step 2. Then, install Chirp using Snap:

sudo snap install chirp-daily

Method 4. Installing Chirp Using Flatpak

Flatpak is a system that lets users build, distribute, and run sandboxed desktop applications on most Linux distributions. It is an open-source framework that provides a sandbox environment for applications on Linux. You can install Chirp via Flatpak by following the steps below:

For Debian/Ubuntu

Step 1.1 – Install Flatpak:

sudo apt install flatpak

On CentOS/RHEL/Fedora

Step 1.2 – Use the following command to install Flatpak:

sudo dnf install flatpak

For Arch Linux

Step 1.3 – Install Flatpak

sudo pacman -S flatpak

On OpenSUSE

Step 1.4 – Again, install Flatpak

sudo zypper install flatpak

Now, move on to the next steps:

Step 2. Add the Flathub repository:

sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

Step 3. Install Chirp via Flatpak:

sudo flatpak install flathub com.danplanet.chirp

Step 4. Finally, launch Chirp:

flatpak run com.danplanet.chirp

Method 5. Building Chirp From Source

You can also compile Chirp from source. It is a more flexible method, however it does require advanced knowledge. Here’s how you build Chirp from source.

Step 1. First, install the required dependencies:

For Debian/Ubuntu

sudo apt install git python3 python3-serial python3-gtk2 python3-libxml2

For CentOS/Fedora/RHEL:

sudo dnf install git python3 python3-serial python3-gtk3 python3-lxml

On Arch Linux:

sudo pacman -S git python python-pyserial python-pygtk python-lxml

Step 2. Then, clone the Chirp repository:

git clone https://github.com/kk7ds/chirp.git

Step 3. Navigate to the CHIRP Directory:

cd chirp

Step 4. Finally, install Chirp system-wide:

sudo python3 setup.py install

Method 6. Install Chirp On Linux Using AppImage

AppImage, also formerly known as Klik or PortableLinuxApps, is an open-source and portable distributor for applications on Linux. It allows users to install binary software independent of dependencies for specific Linux distributions. Here’s how you can use AppImage to install Chirp:

Step 1. Download the Chirp AppImage:

wget https://trac.chirp.danplanet.com/chirp_daily/LATEST/chirp-daily-Linux-x86_64.appimage

Step 2. Then, make the AppImage executable:

chmod +x chirp-daily-Linux-x86_64.appimage

Step 3. Run the AppImage:

./chirp-daily-Linux-x86_64.appimage

Method 7. Use Docker To Install Chirp On Linux

Lastly, we have Docker, which is yet another open-source platform that allows developers to build, run, update, manage, and deploy applications in containers. A container is a lightweight virtual machine.

Step 1. Start by installing Docker:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install ./docker-desktop-<arch>.deb

Step 2. Pull the CHIRP Docker Image:

FROM ubuntu:latest

RUN apt-get update && \
    apt-get install -y python3 python3-gtk2 python3-serial wget && \
    wget https://trac.chirp.danplanet.com/chirp_daily/LATEST/chirp-daily.tar.gz && \
    tar -xvf chirp-daily.tar.gz -C /opt/ && \
    ln -s /opt/chirp-daily/chirpw /usr/bin/chirpw

ENTRYPOINT ["/usr/bin/chirpw"]

Step 3. Build and Run the Docker Image:

docker build -t chirp .
docker run --rm -it chirp