intercept/docs/HARDWARE.md

# Hardware & Installation

## Supported SDR Hardware

| Hardware | Frequency Range | Gain Range | TX | Price | Notes |
|----------|-----------------|------------|-----|-------|-------|
| **RTL-SDR** | 24 - 1766 MHz | 0 - 50 dB | No | ~$25 | Most common, budget-friendly |
| **LimeSDR** | 0.1 - 3800 MHz | 0 - 73 dB | Yes | ~$300 | Wide range, requires SoapySDR |
| **HackRF** | 1 - 6000 MHz | 0 - 62 dB | Yes | ~$300 | Ultra-wide range, requires SoapySDR |

INTERCEPT automatically detects connected devices and shows hardware-specific capabilities in the UI.

## Requirements

### Hardware
- **SDR Device** - RTL-SDR, LimeSDR, or HackRF
- **WiFi adapter** capable of monitor mode (for WiFi features)
- **Bluetooth adapter** (for Bluetooth features)
- **GPS dongle** (optional, for precise location)

### Software
- **Python 3.9+** required
- External tools (see installation below)

## Tool Installation

### Core SDR Tools

| Tool | macOS | Ubuntu/Debian | Purpose |
|------|-------|---------------|---------|
| rtl-sdr | `brew install librtlsdr` | `sudo apt install rtl-sdr` | RTL-SDR support |
| multimon-ng | `brew install multimon-ng` | `sudo apt install multimon-ng` | Pager decoding |
| rtl_433 | `brew install rtl_433` | `sudo apt install rtl-433` | 433MHz sensors |
| dump1090 | `brew install dump1090-mutability` | `sudo apt install dump1090-mutability` | ADS-B aircraft |
| aircrack-ng | `brew install aircrack-ng` | `sudo apt install aircrack-ng` | WiFi reconnaissance |
| bluez | Built-in (limited) | `sudo apt install bluez bluetooth` | Bluetooth scanning |

### LimeSDR / HackRF Support (Optional)

| Tool | macOS | Ubuntu/Debian | Purpose |
|------|-------|---------------|---------|
| SoapySDR | `brew install soapysdr` | `sudo apt install soapysdr-tools` | Universal SDR abstraction |
| LimeSDR | `brew install limesuite soapylms7` | `sudo apt install limesuite soapysdr-module-lms7` | LimeSDR support |
| HackRF | `brew install hackrf soapyhackrf` | `sudo apt install hackrf soapysdr-module-hackrf` | HackRF support |
| readsb | Build from source | Build from source | ADS-B with SoapySDR |

> **Note:** RTL-SDR works out of the box. LimeSDR and HackRF require SoapySDR plus the hardware-specific driver.

## Quick Install Commands

### Ubuntu/Debian
> [!NOTE]
> Known Issue: On the latest version of Debian (Trixie) and those distros that use it dump1090 is not available in the repsitories and will need to be built from source until the developers release it.
```bash
# Core tools
sudo apt update
sudo apt install rtl-sdr multimon-ng rtl-433 dump1090-mutability aircrack-ng bluez bluetooth

# LimeSDR (optional)
sudo apt install soapysdr-tools limesuite soapysdr-module-lms7

# HackRF (optional)
sudo apt install hackrf soapysdr-module-hackrf
```

### macOS (Homebrew)
```bash
# Core tools
brew install librtlsdr multimon-ng rtl_433 dump1090-mutability aircrack-ng

# LimeSDR (optional)
brew install soapysdr limesuite soapylms7

# HackRF (optional)
brew install hackrf soapyhackrf
```

### Arch Linux
```bash
# Core tools
sudo pacman -S rtl-sdr multimon-ng
yay -S rtl_433 dump1090

# LimeSDR/HackRF (optional)
sudo pacman -S soapysdr limesuite hackrf
```

## Linux udev Rules

If your SDR isn't detected, add udev rules:

```bash
sudo bash -c 'cat > /etc/udev/rules.d/20-rtlsdr.rules << EOF
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="0bda", ATTRS{idProduct}=="2838", MODE="0666"
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="0bda", ATTRS{idProduct}=="2832", MODE="0666"
EOF'

sudo udevadm control --reload-rules
sudo udevadm trigger
```

Then unplug and replug your device.

## Blacklist DVB-T Driver (Linux)

The default DVB-T driver conflicts with rtl-sdr:

```bash
echo "blacklist dvb_usb_rtl28xxu" | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-rtl.conf
sudo modprobe -r dvb_usb_rtl28xxu
```

## Verify Installation

Check what's installed:
```bash
python3 intercept.py --check-deps
```

Test SDR detection:
```bash
# RTL-SDR
rtl_test

# LimeSDR/HackRF
SoapySDRUtil --find
```

## Python Dependencies

### Option 1: setup.sh (Recommended)
```bash
./setup.sh
```
This creates a virtual environment and installs dependencies automatically.

### Option 2: pip
```bash
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt
```

### Option 3: uv (Fast alternative)
[uv](https://github.com/astral-sh/uv) is a fast Python package installer.

```bash
# Install uv (if not already installed)
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

# Create venv and install deps
uv venv
source .venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate
uv sync

# Or just install deps in existing environment
uv pip install -r requirements.txt
```

### Option 4: pip with pyproject.toml
```bash
pip install .           # Install as package
pip install -e .        # Install in editable mode (for development)
pip install -e ".[dev]" # Include dev dependencies
```