Get WinLink Acct

[last updated: 2024-10-19]
WinLink home
new install 2024-10-02
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WinLink Blog of installation process

See Links at the bottom of the page...
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      This is for installation on a Linux system.

• To proceed here, you should Already Have Pat Winlink Installed and Configured.
  If you do not, do this step first:
  Install Pat Winlink:
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  Get a WinLink account using a Telnet connection:

• Create a WinLink account:
  • For my installation of Pat Winlink, here are the steps I followed:
    • Once Pat Winlink is installed and configured, launch pat:
      with SignaLink disconnected,
      in Linux terminal:
      $ pat http ... this starts the client service
      $ pidof pat
      will return some number if pat is successfully running.
    • When the client starts, it prints some status lines:
      2022/05/04 20:59:52 Listening for incoming traffic on ax25...
      2022/05/04 20:59:52 Starting HTTP service (http://localhost:8080)...
      2022/05/04 20:59:52 Listener ax25 failed: No AX.25 ports configured
      2022/05/04 20:59:52 Will try to re-establish listener in the background...
      • The error: "No AX.25 ports configured" can be ignored for now, since the first step in creating a WinLink account uses a telnet connection, so the ax25 error is irrelevant for now.
      • Especially note and record the localhost address listed, as this is what you'll enter into your browser to log in to WinLink.
    • When the pat client launches successfully, pat will continue to run in the background and you will not have a new terminal prompt, you'll just have a blinking white square.

    • Connect to WinLink via Telnet:
      • open a browser to the address you set in your pat config file (under: http_addr, localhost:8080 at this time in my case)
        The pat UI will open
      • Connect with the system via telnet:
      • click Action > Connect > select alias = telnet
        click Connect (at the bottom of the Action box)
      • A connection will be opened and immediately closed.
        Connecting to WinLink like this, that is, without having a WinLink account in advance,
        will trigger WinLink to create a new account for you.
        Winlink will send a message to your Winlink inbox.
      • Retrieve the message Winlink sent you:
        Action > Connect

        In your pat UI, click Inbox. The new message should be there.
        (single-)click the message with subject 'Your New WinLink Account'
        A box will open showing the text of the message, which will include your new password (record this).
        It will further tell you to go to https://www.winlink.org to:

        change your password
        designate a password recovery email
        finally it will recommend that you join the support forum at:
            https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/winlink-programs-group
      • Your WinLink Account is now Active!

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• Finish setting up your WinLink account
  Edit WinLink profile:
  • open browser and go to: winlink.org
    Note: I found it necessary to refresh the screen on almost every Winlink.org page change, else it just hung there with a blank screen.
  • log in:
    My Account (top left menu bar)
    enter username ([your callsign])
    enter WinLink password sent to you when your account was created
          (or whatever your current password is, if you've changed it since original)
  • click edit
    enter any name/address changes, email address, password recovery email address, etc.
    click Save
  • on left sidebar menu, click password change
    appears to have max length of 8 chars for password
    deceiving because message at the time was that change was not accepted,
    but in fact it did accept the change, just truncated my 10-char entered-password to 8 chars

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  • Edit kpat config file:
    • Open a terminal:
      $ pat configure
    • Enter your password between quotes in the line:
      ... "secure_login_password": "[put your password here]",

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• Test your account by sending an email via telnet:
  • Launch pat client
  • Open browser to http_addr URL (localhost:8080 on my system)
    This should open your pat client UI.
  • Click Action -> Compose
  • Enter destination/addressee email, subject, and message
    Click Post
  • Click Outbox
    Your new message should be there.
  • Click Action -> Connect
    Click drop-down at 'select alias'. Click telnet, Click Connect
  • New message will disappear from Outbox
    and will be listed in Sent page
  • If you've sent the email to your personal email account,
    be sure to check the junk folder, if it doesn't show up in your Inbox right away.

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• Your WinLink account is now installed and tested.
  Now: WinLink - Get on the Air

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