CatHub

CatHub lets radio applications that use CAT, Hamlib NET, virtual serial, and WinKeyer interfaces safely share one transceiver and keyer.

The daemon is the single owner of each physical device. It serializes mutations, serves separately permissioned client endpoints, arbitrates PTT, and leaves the station unkeyed after shutdown or a failed client session.

Current support

• First-class Kenwood TS-590 backend
• Broad rig support through an external rigctld backend
• Hamlib NET endpoints with per-endpoint permissions
• TS-590 and TS-2000 compatible virtual serial endpoints
• Single-VFO presentation for applications that cannot model the active VFO correctly
• Multi-client WinKeyer broker with typed gRPC and virtual serial endpoints
• Standalone and embedded [cat_hub] configuration layouts

Install

Install the daemon from crates.io with Rust 1.88 or newer:

cargo install cathub --version 0.1.1

Alternatively, download the Windows or Linux archive and adjacent SHA-256 checksum from the GitHub Releases page. Extract the archive and place cathub or cathub.exe on PATH.

To build the daemon from source:

git clone https://github.com/treitforge/cathub.git
Set-Location cathub
cargo build --release -p cathub

The source-built executable is target\release\cathub.exe on Windows and target/release/cathub on Linux. A daemon operator does not need either protocol-development package described below.

Build and test

The full repository gate requires PowerShell 7, a current stable Rust toolchain, the .NET 10 SDK, and Buf:

.\build.ps1 check

The principal checks can also be run directly:

cargo build --workspace
cargo test --workspace
cargo fmt --all -- --check
cargo clippy --workspace --all-targets -- -D warnings
buf lint
dotnet build CatHub.slnx

The Rust protocol crate vendors protoc, so cargo build does not require a separate Protocol Buffers compiler installation.

Configuration

CatHub's default configuration path is:

• Windows: %APPDATA%\cathub\cathub.toml
• Linux: $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/cathub/cathub.toml, or ~/.config/cathub/cathub.toml

Set CATHUB_CONFIG_PATH or pass --config to use another file. The complete example is config/cathub.toml.

A standalone document uses top-level [radio], [winkeyer], and endpoint tables. CatHub also accepts those settings beneath [cat_hub] in a larger managed document. Use --section cat_hub when a launcher must require the embedded layout.

Validate and inspect configuration without opening hardware:

cathub config validate --config config\cathub.toml
cathub config print-effective --config config\cathub.toml
cathub config print-effective --format json --config config\cathub.toml

Extract an embedded [cat_hub] section without changing the source file:

cathub config migrate `
  --from C:\station\managed-config.toml `
  --output "$env:APPDATA\cathub\cathub.toml"

Migration refuses to overwrite an existing destination unless --force is supplied. Source removal is never automatic. --remove-source-section creates a .bak copy before changing the managed document.

Run

The repository helper builds the daemon when necessary, copies the sample configuration to the platform default on first use, and starts CatHub:

.\scripts\Start-CatHub.ps1

For an installed binary:

cathub config validate
cathub

Client interfaces

• Hamlib-aware clients connect to a configured [[hamlib_net]] TCP listener.
• Serial CAT clients connect to the application side of a dedicated virtual serial pair.
• Legacy WinKeyer clients connect to their own virtual serial pair.
• Typed WinKeyer clients connect to the loopback gRPC address in [winkeyer].api_bind.

Each endpoint has its own permissions. Applications never open the physical radio or keyer port directly.

Protocol packages

The cathub crate builds and installs the daemon. cathub-protocol is the Rust client/server contract crate. CatHub.Protocol is the .NET client package project. The protocol packages are for applications that use the typed WinKeyer API and are not required to run the daemon.

The release workflow packages both protocol artifacts into a GitHub release. Published client packages are available as cathub-protocol for Rust and CatHub.Protocol for .NET. Registry publication remains a separate release-authority operation. See release and compatibility.

Documentation

• Architecture report
• Radio hub design
• WinKeyer broker design
• Operator setup
• Release and compatibility

License

MIT. See LICENSE.