OpenWebRX Installation Guide for Raspberry Pi

This guide outlines the steps to install OpenWebRX on a Raspberry Pi to create a web-based SDR receiver with a waterfall display using an RTL-SDR dongle.

Prerequisites

• Hardware:
  • Raspberry Pi (3B, 3B+, 4, or 400 recommended for performance; Pi Zero may be too slow).
  • RTL-SDR dongle (e.g., NooElec NESDR Smart V5 or RTL-SDR Blog V3).
  • Antenna suitable for your frequency range.
  • MicroSD card (16GB or larger) with Raspberry Pi OS (Desktop or Lite).
• Software:
  • Raspberry Pi OS (bullseye or later, 32-bit or 64-bit).
  • Internet connection for installation.
  • Basic familiarity with the terminal.

Step-by-Step Installation

1. Prepare the Raspberry Pi

Ensure your Raspberry Pi is running the latest Raspberry Pi OS:

sudo apt update
sudo apt full-upgrade

Verify your RTL-SDR dongle is recognized:

lsusb

Look for a device like Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTL2838 DVB-T or similar.

2. Blacklist DVB-T Drivers

Prevent the RTL-SDR dongle from being used as a DVB-T device by blacklisting the kernel module:

sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-rtl-sdr.conf

Add the following lines:

blacklist dvb_usb_rtl28xxu
blacklist rtl2832
blacklist rtl2830

Save (Ctrl+O, Enter, Ctrl+X) and reboot:

sudo reboot

3. Install RTL-SDR Drivers