Remote RF Server Guide (Linux)

Environment and setup

This guide installs Miniconda, installs mamba, creates a conda env named remoterf, installs dependencies, and verifies the install on Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS.

• This guide is done APT-based distro (Ubuntu/Debian/Raspberry Pi OS 64-bit).

1) System Prerequisites

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y curl ca-certificates bzip2 git build-essential
sudo apt install -y libusb-1.0-0 udev

Optional: confirm architecture:

uname -m

• x86_64 → Intel/AMD
• aarch64 → ARM64 (Raspberry Pi 64-bit, some servers)

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2) Install Miniconda

2.1 Download the installer

x86_64

cd /tmp
curl -fsSLO https://repo.anaconda.com/miniconda/Miniconda3-latest-Linux-x86_64.sh

ARM64 (aarch64)

cd /tmp
curl -fsSLO https://repo.anaconda.com/miniconda/Miniconda3-latest-Linux-aarch64.sh

2.2 Install (non-interactive, recommended)

x86_64

bash Miniconda3-latest-Linux-x86_64.sh -b -p "$HOME/miniconda3"

ARM64 (aarch64)

bash Miniconda3-latest-Linux-aarch64.sh -b -p "$HOME/miniconda3"

2.3 Enable conda in your current shell

source "$HOME/miniconda3/etc/profile.d/conda.sh"
conda --version

If you want conda available automatically in new terminals:

"$HOME/miniconda3/bin/conda" init bash
source ~/.bashrc

2.4 Install mamba (default solver)

conda install -n base -c conda-forge -y mamba
mamba --version

Might have to accept anaconda TOS.

conda tos accept --override-channels --channel https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/main

conda tos accept --override-channels --channel https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/r

3) Create the Environment

mamba create -n remoterf -y -c conda-forge -c defaults  python=3.10 pip setuptools wheel grpcio protobuf python-dotenv numpy scipy libiio pylibiio libusb

conda activate remoterf
python -m pip install -U pip
python -m pip install pyadi-iio remoterf-server

Server Config

Depending on your IT/ISP setup, this will vary, but regardless, you will need a static dial name, whether that be a IP address or a DNS.

Generate CA Certificates

If direct IP connection: (force overrides existing)

serverrf --gen-certs 192.168.1.50 --days 3650 --force

If using DNS: (todo: DNS on client side)

serverrf --gen-certs 192.168.1.50 --dns remoterf.local --days 3650 --force

Confirm/View:

serverrf --show-certs

Specify Outward facing Ports

By default, the users expect to adjacent ports. Thus, it is recommended to do the following:

# examples
serverrf --config --main-port 61000 --cert-port 61001
serverrf --config --main-port 20000 --cert-port 20001
serverrf --config --main-port 32000 --cert-port 32001

Confirm/View:

serverrf --config --show

Testing Connection

The server now should be functional in its most basic form. In the same conda env:

serverrf --serve

If you see something along the lines of: self.socket.bind(self.server_address) PermissionError: [Errno 13] Permission Denied, make sure the ports you are using are not OS reserved (<1024)

Confirm it works locally

Start the server:

serverrf -s

Take note of the Local IP and Local Port, for example, if you see:

Local IP: 164.67.195.210
Local Port: 61000

then run the below on a seperate terminal (make sure to keep serverrf -s RUNNING!)

Confirm that its reachable:

nc -vz 164.67.195.210 61000
nc -vz 164.67.195.210 61001

Network Testing

Same test, but on a different computer. Works for UNIX based machines:

Confirm that the Server is reachable:

nc -vz 164.67.195.210 61000
nc -vz 164.67.195.210 61001

You most likely will need to port forward, etc.

Troubleshooting: Some distros come with default firewall settings that block traffic on specific ports. Make sure that your firewall settings permit traffic to and from the server. Depending on the setup, you may also have ISP firewalls.

Server Device Configuration

Currently, only Adalm Plutos are supported.

To connect plutos to the server:

iio_info -s

If the pluto doesn't show up, yet the below works:

sudo iio_info -s

Run the below and reboot after:

sudo groupadd -f plugdev
sudo usermod -aG plugdev "$USER"

sudo tee /etc/udev/rules.d/53-adi-usb.rules >/dev/null <<'EOF'
# Type the below in
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0456", MODE="0660", GROUP="plugdev"
EOF

sudo udevadm control --reload-rules
sudo udevadm trigger
sudo reboot now

The below should work as intended now:

iio_info -s

Look for 'serial='. Take note of this serial.

serverrf --device --add --pluto <device_id:name:serial>

# example
serverrf --device --add --pluto 0:pluto_0:104473f6
serverrf --device --add --pluto "1:Pluto SDR (OTA):58472j"

Run the below to check if this new device exists:

serverrf --device --show

Run the below to edit names of existing devices:

serverrf -d --edit-name 0 "New Name"

Note that all device and server config parameters need a 'restart' to take affect (ctrl + c -> serverrf -s).

Server Runtime Configuration

After running serverrf --serve, you’ll enter the RemoteRF Server Shell. This interactive shell is used for runtime administration: users, devices, reservations, user groups, enrollment codes, and live host-tunnel state.

---

Server

• help / h / ? — Show help
• clear / cls — Clear the screen
• status / server status — Show server status (start time / uptime / bind + cert ports)
• quit / exit / q — Exit the server shell

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Users

• users list — List all accounts
• users manage — Manage a specific user (perms / delete / reservations)
• users purge — Delete all users
• users perms — Show permissions table

---

Devices

• devices list — List all devices
• devices status — Show live device routing/online/last_seen from the Host Tunnel

---

Reservations

• reservations list — List all reservations
• reservations purge — Delete all reservations

---

Groups

• groups list — List user groups
• groups create — Create a user group (interactive)
• groups edit — Edit a user group (interactive)
• groups delete — Delete a user group (interactive)
• groups csv — Export all groups as a CSV

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Enrollment Codes

• codes list — List enrollment codes
• codes create — Create enrollment codes (interactive)
• codes delete — Delete an enrollment code (interactive)
• codes csv — Export all codes as a CSV

---

Host Tunnel

• hosts status — Show live host online/last_seen and associated devices
• hosts wipe — Wipe persisted host directory state and clear in-memory registry (prompts for confirmation)
• hosts wipe -y / hosts wipe --yes — Same as above, no prompt

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Database

• db purge — Remove all database entries

Adding Hosts

You will need, for each host, to run this first on the server CLI:

serverrf --host --token-create host-name --length 8

Which will return the corresponding command to run on the respective host to give that host access to the server. Below are some other related commands (ie: 'whitelists' hosts)

serverrf --host --show
serverrf --host --delete host-name
serverrf --host --wipe

Status (Optional)

If you desire to pull the server information (ie: live updates of reservation, server usage parameters, etc.)

It uses GitHub Gists to push the status updates.

Create public gist on your github. Keep note of the file name: (example) https://gist.github.com/ethange1/2a35e08a90bf88a70dfe7f42a55685ed

The last one is the "GIST_ID" part of the URL, e.g. "2a35e08a90bf88a70dfe7f42a55685ed"

Creating the GitHub PAT Token

• GitHub → Settings
• Developer settings
• Personal access tokens → Fine-grained tokens
• Generate new token
• Set repository access to "Public Respositories"
• Permissions: enable Gists: Read and write
• Generate + copy the token (you only see it once)

serverrf --gist --set --id <gist_id> --file <filename>

Run the server normally, and you should see your gist change every minute!

serverrf -s