Gpredict SAT Tracking for Raspberry Pi

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This guide covers the manual compilation of Gpredict on a Raspberry Pi. We use a conservative build strategy to ensure system stability and avoid any interference with existing Ham Radio software like Wine, Vara, or Hamlib.

Before you dive into this blog post, I recommend reading the following blog post first: https://dl1gkk.com/raspberry-pi-ham-radio-best-practice-2026

1. Install Build Dependencies

Before we start, we need to install the necessary development libraries and tools. This includes intltool for internationalization and the GTK+ 3 headers for the user interface.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y build-essential libtool autoconf automake intltool \
libglib2.0-dev libgtk-3-dev libcurl4-openssl-dev libgoocanvas-2.0-dev gettext

2. Clone the Repository

We fetch the latest source code directly from the official Gpredict GitHub repository to ensure we have the most up-to-date version.

mkdir -p ~/src
cd ~/src
git clone https://github.com/csete/gpredict.git
cd gpredict

3. Build and Compile (The “Safety-First” Approach)

To keep the system load and thermal profile steady on the Pi 5, we will compile using 2 cores (-j2). This ensures a smooth build process while leaving resources for other background tasks and maintaining the stability of your power supply.

  1. Generate build scripts:
    ./autogen.sh
  2. Configure the build:
    ./configure
  3. Compile (using 2 cores):
    make -j2
  4. Install to the system:
    sudo make install
  5. Update shared library links:
    sudo ldconfig

4. Integration with Hamlib

Gpredict works best as a “team player.” To control your radio without messing up your existing configuration, Gpredict communicates via the Hamlib network protocol:

  • Start your Hamlib daemon (rigctld) in the background.
  • In Gpredict, navigate to Edit -> Preferences -> Interfaces -> Radios.
  • Add a new radio using localhost and port 4532.
Pro-Tip: Compiling from source ensures that you are running the most stable version with the latest TLE handling. By using the -j2 flag, you protect your delicate Ham Radio environment from voltage drops or thermal throttling.

Disclaimer: This setup was developed in collaboration with Gemini AI. While we’ve worked hard to make this guide as “bulletproof” as possible, tech is always evolving—errors may occur, or specific functions might need a bit of extra tweaking.

The solution? Don’t hesitate to ask Gemini yourself if you get stuck. Good luck with your build!