A Linux-native client for FlexRadio Systems transceivers
AetherSDR brings FlexRadio operation to Linux without Wine or virtual machines. Built from the ground up with Qt6 and C++20, it speaks the SmartSDR protocol natively and aims to replicate the full SmartSDR experience.
Current version: 0.7.18.3 | Download | Discussions | What's New
Cross-platform downloads available: Linux AppImage, macOS universal DMG, Windows installer and portable ZIP. Linux is the primary supported platform. macOS and Windows builds are provided as a courtesy.
Native. Open. Yours.
- Multi-slice operation — color-coded VFO overlays, independent TX assignment, diversity mode with ESC beamforming
- Multi-panadapter — up to 4 pans with 6 layout options, per-pan display controls, native VITA-49 waterfall tiles
- Full RX/TX controls — filter presets, AGC, DSP, EQ, mic/compression gauges, TX profiles, ATU, TUNE/MOX
- Client-side noise reduction — NR2 (spectral), RN2 (RNNoise neural), BNR (NVIDIA GPU AI denoiser)
- CW decoder — real-time Morse decode with auto pitch/speed detection and confidence coloring
- SpotHub — DX Cluster, RBN, WSJT-X, POTA, and FreeDV Reporter spots with density badges and auto-mode switch
- DAX virtual audio — 4 RX + 1 TX channels for WSJT-X, fldigi, VARA, JS8Call (Linux PulseAudio/PipeWire, macOS CoreAudio)
- DAX IQ streaming — raw I/Q to SDR apps at 24/48/96/192 kHz
- SmartLink remote operation — Auth0 login, TLS command channel, WAN UDP streaming with credential persistence
- CAT control — 4-channel rigctld TCP + virtual serial ports, CW macros for contest loggers
- MIDI controller mapping — Learn mode, 50+ parameters, named profiles
- FlexControl USB tuning knob — auto-detect, acceleration, configurable buttons
- Serial PTT/CW keying — USB-serial DTR/RTS for external keyers and foot switches
- FreeDV RADE — AI-based digital voice codec with client-side neural encoder/decoder
- 4o3a Tuner Genius XL — relay control, autotune, 3x1 antenna switch, SWR/power gauges
- Multi-Flex — independent operation alongside SmartSDR/Maestro with clickable dashboard
- Adaptive predistortion (APD) — SmartSignal toggle and status display for FLEX-8000 series
Works with any FlexRadio transceiver running SmartSDR firmware v3.x or v4.x: FLEX-6400, 6400M, 6600, 6600M, 6700, 8400, 8400M, 8600, 8600M, and Aurora (AU-510, AU-520) series.
Pre-built binaries are available from Releases:
| Platform | Download | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Linux x86_64 | AetherSDR-*-x86_64.AppImage |
Single file, no install needed. chmod +x and run. |
| Linux ARM | AetherSDR-*-aarch64.AppImage |
Raspberry Pi, ARM laptops. chmod +x and run. |
| macOS DMG | AetherSDR-*-macOS-universal.dmg |
Intel + Apple Silicon. Drag to Applications. Signed & notarized. |
| macOS Installer | AetherSDR-*-macOS-universal.pkg |
Installer package. Signed & notarized. |
| Windows Installer | AetherSDR-*-Windows-x64-setup.exe |
Setup wizard with Start Menu shortcut and uninstaller. |
| Windows Portable | AetherSDR-*-Windows-x64-portable.zip |
No install needed. Extract and run. |
# Arch / CachyOS / Manjaro
sudo pacman -S qt6-base qt6-multimedia cmake ninja pkgconf autoconf automake libtool
# Ubuntu 24.04+ / Debian / Linux Mint
sudo apt install qt6-base-dev qt6-multimedia-dev cmake ninja-build pkg-config \
autoconf automake libtool gstreamer1.0-pulseaudio gstreamer1.0-plugins-base \
libxkbcommon-dev portaudio19-dev libfftw3-dev
# Fedora
sudo dnf install qt6-qtbase-devel qt6-qtmultimedia-devel cmake ninja-build \
autoconf automake libtool
# macOS (Homebrew)
brew install qt@6 ninja cmake pkgconf autoconf automake libtoolLinux Mint / Ubuntu note: If PC audio devices show as "Dummy Output", install
gstreamer1.0-pulseaudio. For PipeWire systems, also installgstreamer1.0-pipewire.
git clone https://github.com/ten9876/AetherSDR.git
cd AetherSDR
cmake -B build -G Ninja -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=RelWithDebInfo
cmake --build build -j$(nproc)
./build/AetherSDRsudo cmake --install build- GPU-accelerated spectrum/waterfall via QRhi (#391)
- TCI WebSocket server for single-connection integration (#528)
- DAX audio channels on Windows (#87)
- CW ultimatic keyer mode (#416)
- Detachable/pop-out panadapter windows (#246)
See the full issue tracker for all planned features.
PRs, bug reports, and feature requests welcome! See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.
Development environment: AetherSDR is developed using Claude Code as the primary development tool. We encourage contributors to use Claude Code for consistency. PRs must follow project conventions, pass CI, and include GPG-signed commits.
Not a developer? Click the lightbulb button in AetherSDR's title bar to create an AI-assisted bug report or feature request.
Linux and Windows binaries are GPG-signed. macOS artifacts are Apple notarized. Each release includes .asc signatures and SHA256SUMS.txt.
curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ten9876/AetherSDR/main/docs/RELEASE-SIGNING-KEY.pub.asc | gpg --import
gpg --verify AetherSDR-v1.0.0-x86_64.AppImage.asc AetherSDR-v1.0.0-x86_64.AppImageSee docs/VERIFYING-RELEASES.md for full instructions.
AetherSDR is free and open-source software licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.
AetherSDR is an independent project and is not affiliated with or endorsed by FlexRadio Systems.