WPSD M17 Community Fork

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WPSD-M17 Community Fork

What is This?

This is a community-maintained fork of the WPSD digital voice hotspot/repeater distribution, based on the June 2025 image of WPSD and the last version of WPSD Git repositories before M17 support was removed.

This fork was created in response to the decision by the original WPSD maintainers to remove M17 digital voice mode support from the official distribution.

Our goal is to ensure continued support for the M17 protocol, enabling both hotspot users and repeater operators to keep using WPSD as a base for multi-mode digital voice communication, including M17.

Known Issues

  • After initial flashing, a reboot is required to make the hotspot functional.
  • The "update available' notification on the top right of the dashboard has been deactivated for now.

Acknowledgements

We would like to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to the original WPSD development team for their excellent work on this project and their historical support for M17. Without their dedication, flexibility, and hard work, WPSD would not have become the widely-adopted and powerful platform it is today.

We are standing on their shoulders and maintaining this fork with great respect for the effort they have invested over the years.

What Has Changed

This image is a direct continuation of the WPSD system with M17 support restored and preserved.

Key Changes:

  • Base Image: June 2025 WPSD image (pre-M17 removal).
  • Git Repositories: All official WPSD repositories have been cloned and mirrored to ensure stability and future-proofing.
  • Codebase: Repositories are pinned to the latest commits before M17 support was removed.
  • Replaced Sources: All internal package references and update sources have been modified to point to the forked repositories.
  • Full M17 Functionality retained: Hotspot and repeater support, MMDVMHost, M17 reflector connections, dashboard integration, and more.

Download

The new WPSD image with M17 functionality can be downloaded here: https://m17project.org/wpsd/.

How to Install

  1. Download the image from the provided link or flashable image file (verify the checksum if available)
  2. Flash the image onto your SD card using Raspberry Pi Imager or balenaEtcher
  3. Insert the SD card into your Raspberry Pi (or compatible hardware)
  4. Boot the device into WiFi AP mode by waiting a few minutes
  5. Connect to the WiFi "WPSD-Setup"
  6. Configure WPSD with your local WiFi SSID and password
  7. Perform an update
  8. Reboot the System
  9. Proceed with the regular WPSD setup. We recommend starting with a fresh configuration and not to restore and old WPSD config as this might break things!

System Compatibility

  • Hardware: Raspberry Pi 3, 4, 5, Zero 2 W, and compatible boards
  • Devices: MMDVM hotspots, repeaters, and multi-mode digital voice interfaces
  • Modes Supported: M17, DMR, D-STAR, YSF, P25, NXDN, POCSAG (as supported by WPSD)

Development Philosophy

This fork is intended to preserve the full-featured, multi-mode functionality of WPSD, including the open-source M17 protocol, which many operators rely on for experimentation and everyday use.

We commit to:

  • Keeping M17 fully supported.
  • Maintaining compatibility with future M17 developments.
  • Ensuring regular syncing with upstream (where possible and appropriate).
  • Respecting the original licensing and intellectual property of WPSD.

Feedback & Contribution

We welcome all feedback, bug reports, and contributions. If you're an M17 user or repeater operator who depends on this image, your voice matters.

If you need help, please contact us: https://m17project.org/contact/

PLEASE DO NOT ASK THE WPSD TEAM FOR HELP FOR THIS VERSION OF WPSD!

Licensing

This project continues to follow the original open-source licensing terms used by WPSD. Any modifications specific to the M17 fork are licensed under the same compatible terms. Please refer to individual repositories for more details.

Disclaimer

This is an unofficial fork not maintained or endorsed by the original WPSD team. Use at your own risk. We recommend using this image only if M17 support is critical to your operations.

About M17

M17 is a modern, open-source digital voice protocol for amateur radio, developed entirely by the ham radio community. Learn more at: https://m17project.org

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