CHIRP Project

This is a fork of the official CHIRP project (kk7ds/chirp). Cross-platform Linux/macOS/ Windows community packages and the fork-specific features below are built and maintained here, in ddavis83864/chirp — they are not part of, endorsed by, or supported through the upstream project. Please report packaging or fork-specific feature issues here, not upstream.

When submitting PRs, please see this file for rules and guidelines.

CHIRP's memory editor — this fork adds column customization, word-wrap, duplicate detection, and configurable color coding on top of upstream CHIRP (see Features added in this fork below):

Download CHIRP

Platform	Download	Architecture	Package	Notes
Linux	AppImage releases (current: appimage-v1.13.1)	x86_64	Single-file .AppImage	No installation needed — chmod +x and run. Instructions ↓
Windows	Community Edition v1.13.1	x86_64	Portable .zip or .exe installer	Unsigned — SmartScreen warning expected on first run. Instructions ↓
macOS (Apple Silicon)	Community Edition v1.13.1	arm64	.dmg or .app.zip	Unsigned — one-time Gatekeeper bypass required. Instructions ↓
macOS (Intel)	Community Edition v1.13.1	x86_64	.dmg or .app.zip	Unsigned — one-time Gatekeeper bypass required. Instructions ↓

Linux, macOS, and Windows releases each live in their own tag namespace (appimage-v<version>, macos-community-v<version>, windows-community-v<version>), so this table links each platform straight to its own release rather than to a single "latest" link that could point you at the wrong platform's build. All three v1.13.1 Community Edition builds — Linux, macOS, and Windows — were independently verified to be built from the exact same source commit (3ef86b7cb); see each release's attached provenance file for details. v1.13.1 is a coordinated corrective release: v1.13.0 published for Linux and macOS, but Windows CI caught test defects that blocked a Windows release entirely (see CHANGELOG.md); with those fixed, v1.13.1 republishes all three platforms from the same, corrected source. The macOS and Windows Community Edition releases are marked as GitHub pre-releases, reflecting that these packaging channels are newer than the Linux AppImage — every artifact still goes through full structural, resource, and (for Windows) driver-registry and installer-lifecycle validation before publishing (see the provenance manifest attached to each release).

Linux

Download: grab the latest CHIRP-appimage-*-x86_64.AppImage from the AppImage releases page — currently appimage-v1.13.1 (CHIRP-appimage-v1.13.1-x86_64.AppImage). x86_64 only.

chmod +x CHIRP-appimage-v1.13.1-x86_64.AppImage
./CHIRP-appimage-v1.13.1-x86_64.AppImage

Desktop launcher (optional): once CHIRP is running, Help > Install Linux Launcher... adds it to your application menu and/or Desktop — see Installing a launcher below for exact details.

Serial port access: on most distros your user needs to be in the dialout group (or equivalent) to access /dev/ttyUSB*//dev/ttyACM* devices:

sudo usermod -aG dialout "$USER"

Sign out and back in (or reboot) for the group change to take effect. Don't run CHIRP as root to work around a permissions issue instead.

Troubleshooting:

• AppImage won't start / "Permission denied" — you likely skipped chmod +x; re-run the command above.
• Radio/serial device not listed — confirm you're in the dialout group (groups should list it) and that you've signed out/in since adding yourself.
• "Install Linux Launcher..." doesn't appear in the Help menu — that item only shows when CHIRP detects it's running as an AppImage; it isn't available when running from a source checkout (see Running from source).
• Launcher icon won't open on double-click — some desktop environments (notably GNOME/Nautilus) require a newly created desktop icon to be marked "Allow Launching" first (right-click it).

Prefer to run from a source checkout instead of the AppImage? See Running from source. Full packaging details, config isolation, and build-your-own instructions are under AppImage builds below.

Windows

CHIRP for Windows is distributed from this fork as a free, unsigned Community Edition — a PyInstaller one-directory bundle, offered as either a portable ZIP or an Inno Setup installer. It is not signed with an Authenticode certificate. See docs/windows-community-installation.md for the full walkthrough and packaging/windows/README.md for how it's built and validated.

Download: CHIRP 1.13.1 for Windows — Community Edition

Pick portable or installed:

• Portable (CHIRP-windows-v1.13.1-x86_64-portable.zip) — extract anywhere and run CHIRP.exe directly. No installation, no administrator rights.
• Installer (CHIRP-windows-v1.13.1-x86_64-setup.exe) — installs per-user (no administrator rights required) to %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\CHIRP, with a Start Menu shortcut and an optional Desktop shortcut.

Both contain the exact same validated application bundle — pick whichever suits you.

First launch (SmartScreen): because this build is unsigned, Windows SmartScreen may block it the first time you run CHIRP.exe or the installer — this is standard, expected behavior for any unsigned application, not specific to CHIRP. If you see "Windows protected your PC," click More info, then Run anyway. Don't disable Windows Defender or SmartScreen system-wide to work around this — neither is necessary, and both remove protection for your whole PC, not just this one app.

Verify your download (recommended): the release page includes a SHA256SUMS file. In PowerShell:

Get-FileHash CHIRP-windows-v1.13.1-x86_64-portable.zip -Algorithm SHA256

Compare the printed hash against the matching line in SHA256SUMS. A matching checksum confirms file integrity — that you have the exact bytes this project's build produced — not that the software is inherently safe; only download CHIRP from this fork's official GitHub releases page.

USB/serial drivers: most radio programming cables use a USB-to-serial chip (FTDI, Prolific, or Silicon Labs CP210x are common). Windows Update installs many of these automatically; if your cable isn't recognized, get the driver from the cable/radio manufacturer's site or the chipset manufacturer directly — avoid third-party driver download sites. Once installed, the cable appears as a COM port in Device Manager; select that port in CHIRP's Radio > Download from radio / Upload to radio dialog.

Troubleshooting:

• Radio not detected — check Device Manager for the assigned COM port, and make sure no other program (another CHIRP window, a terminal program, etc.) already has it open.
• SmartScreen keeps reappearing — see First launch above; this is expected for every unsigned build, not just the first one you download.
• Uninstalling (installer only) — Windows Settings > Apps > CHIRP > Uninstall. This removes only the installed application files; your saved radio images, CSV exports, and CHIRP settings are untouched.

Prefer to run from a source checkout instead? See Running from source below — useful for development, or if you'd rather not run a downloaded binary at all.

macOS

CHIRP for macOS is distributed from this fork as a free, unsigned Community Edition. It is not signed with an Apple Developer ID and has not been notarized by Apple. See docs/macos-community-installation.md for the full explanation and docs/macos-packaging.md for how it's built.

Download: CHIRP 1.13.1 for macOS — Community Edition

Pick your architecture — Apple menu (top-left) > About This Mac:

• Apple Silicon (a line labeled "Chip", e.g. Apple M1/M2/M3/M4): download CHIRP-1.13.1-macOS-arm64-unsigned.dmg
• Intel (a line labeled "Processor", e.g. Intel Core i5/i7): download CHIRP-1.13.1-macOS-x86_64-unsigned.dmg

A .app.zip of each architecture is also attached to the release as an alternative to the .dmg.

Install:

1. Double-click the downloaded .dmg.
2. Drag CHIRP.app onto the Applications shortcut in the same window.
3. Eject the mounted disk image.

First launch (Gatekeeper): because the build is unsigned, macOS blocks it the first time you try to open it — this is standard macOS behavior for any application without an Apple Developer ID signature, not specific to CHIRP.

• Control-click method: Finder > Applications > Control-click CHIRP

  Open > confirm Open in the dialog that appears.

• Privacy & Security method (if Control-click doesn't offer an Open option): try opening CHIRP once (it will be blocked) > System Settings > Privacy & Security > Open Anyway > authenticate > try opening CHIRP again.

Don't disable Gatekeeper system-wide (sudo spctl --master-disable) or disable System Integrity Protection to install CHIRP — neither is necessary, and both remove security protection for your whole Mac, not just this one app. Full step-by-step instructions, checksum verification, and an advanced manual-quarantine-removal option are in docs/macos-community-installation.md.

USB/serial devices: macOS includes built-in drivers for many common USB-to-serial chips; some adapters (Prolific-based cables in particular) may need a driver from the manufacturer. This hasn't been exhaustively verified against every programming cable — please open an issue if a common cable doesn't work out of the box.

Running from source

Both launcher scripts assume you've cloned the repo:

git clone https://github.com/ddavis83864/chirp.git
cd chirp

• run-chirp.sh (Linux): creates a local .venv (with access to system wxPython) on first run and installs CHIRP into it, then launches chirpwx.py.
• run-chirp.ps1 (Windows): creates a .venv using Python 3.11 (the version wxPython 4.2.x ships prebuilt wheels for), installs requirements.txt (wxPython separately, wheel-only, so pip never tries to compile it), then launches chirpwx.py. Supports -Cli to launch chirpc instead, and -Reinstall to rebuild the venv from scratch.

Features added in this fork

On top of upstream CHIRP, this fork adds several memory-editor quality-of-life features, plus a convenience launcher script and Linux AppImage packaging (see below).

Column hiding, reordering, and custom columns

Right-click any memory list column header (or use View > Choose Columns...) to hide columns you don't care about, or show columns that were previously hidden. Columns can also be reordered by dragging their headers. Both the hidden set and the order persist across sessions.

You can also add your own scratch column (View > Add Custom Column..., or the header right-click menu) for personal notes, sorting, or triage — it's session-only: not saved to the radio or the file, not validated, and not part of undo. It disappears when the tab is closed.

Word-wrapped Comment column

The Comment column wraps long text across multiple lines instead of scrolling off as one long line, both when viewing and when editing in place (View > Word-wrap Comment column to toggle). Rows grow individually to fit their own comment.

Insert multiple rows at once

Right-click a memory row and choose Insert Rows Above... to insert more than one blank row in a single action — you're prompted for how many, instead of always getting exactly one. Inserting 5 rows is tracked as a single undo step, same as inserting 1.

Find Duplicate Memories

Edit > Find Duplicate Memories... lets you choose which fields (frequency, tone, offset, etc.) define a "duplicate," then shows the matching groups so you can delete them — defaulting to keeping the lowest-numbered memory in each group.

Option to paste incompatible memories anyway

Pasting or drag-importing memories that don't fit the destination radio (an out-of-band frequency, an unsupported mode/tone/duplex, etc.) used to be silently rejected, with only an after-the-fact notice listing what didn't make it in. You're now asked "N memories failed validation for this radio ... Add them anyway?" — choosing Yes pastes them in as-is despite the validation failure; choosing No preserves the old behavior.

Editable, savable network query results

Memories downloaded from a query source (RepeaterBook, RadioReference, DMR-MARC, przemienniki.net/eu, mapy73.pl, Radio Amateur Satellites, SatNOGS) used to be read-only with no way to save them — the only workaround was exporting to CSV and reopening that file. They're now editable directly in the grid, and saving an unsaved query result prompts for a CSV filename and transparently swaps the tab to the newly-saved file.

RepeaterBook distance in miles

The RepeaterBook query dialog's Distance field is now in miles (matching RepeaterBook.com's own site and most of its US/Canada audience) instead of kilometers; it's converted internally as needed. Other query sources (przemienniki.net/eu) keep their km-based distance field.

Manual "Check for Updates" instead of automatic

CHIRP used to check chirpmyradio.com for a newer version automatically at every startup. This fork removes that automatic check entirely — use Help > Check for Updates... to check on demand instead. Unlike the old automatic check, the manual one always tells you something: a "new version available" prompt, or an explicit "you're running the latest version" message if there's nothing new.

Customize Menus

Help > Customize Menus... opens a tabbed dialog — one tab per top menu (File, Edit, View, Radio, Help) plus a "Memory list (right-click)" tab for the memory grid's context menu. Uncheck anything you never use to hide it; changes take effect immediately, and a "Show All" button resets everything back. Hidden items are remembered across restarts. Undo/Redo and the Customize Menus item itself are always shown, since they're not worth the edge cases of hiding.

Open Recent cleanup

File > Open Recent now has "Remove from Recent Files..." and "Clear Recent Files" at the bottom of the list. "Remove from Recent Files..." opens a checklist of your current recent files so you can pick specific ones to drop; "Clear Recent Files" empties the whole list in one click. Both are only shown when the list has entries.

Configurable memory color coding

The memory list can color-code rows (or just selected columns) by what a memory is: amateur repeater vs. simplex vs. calling frequency, GMRS, FRS, MURS, marine, aviation, railroad, public safety, business/industrial, NOAA weather, and more, plus operational states like disabled/skipped, receive-only, and (optionally) invalid. It's on by default; everything about it lives under View > Customize Colors... and View > Enable Memory Color Coding / Show Color Legend.

Amateur-radio memories get finer-grained categories than a single "ham" color: repeater, simplex, national/regional calling frequency, satellite, APRS/data, digital voice (DMR/D-STAR/System Fusion/P25), propagation beacon/weak-signal specialty, receive-only, and general/unclassified. Repeater vs. simplex is determined from duplex/offset, not from whether a tone is set, so a repeater with no tone configured still shows as a repeater. Classification follows a fixed precedence — invalid (opt-in) > disabled/skipped > your custom rules > emergency/calling > specialized amateur operation > plain service membership > receive-only > unknown — so a given memory's color is always deterministic and explainable.

Every category's colors (background, text, bold, enabled/disabled) are yours to change, and you can add your own rules matching frequency, service, duplex, mode, tone, name, comment, skip state, and more, each with its own color and priority. Color profiles export/import as JSON for sharing or backup. Nothing about this feature is written into radio memories, image files, CSV exports, or uploaded to a radio — it's CHIRP-local display metadata only.

These categories are a visual convenience aid, not a legal or regulatory determination — frequency allocations vary by country, licensing class, and local band plan, and change over time. You remain responsible for verifying your own frequencies and operating privileges.

(See the color-coded memory list screenshot at the top of this README.)

Programming Assistant (Experimental)

Disabled by default — enable it from Help > Enable Programming Assistant (Experimental) and restart CHIRP, then use Radio > Programming Assistant... Turns a description of what you want programmed — structured fields, or an optional AI-interpreted plain-text description like "I live near Coeur d'Alene, I fly GA, I camp, I have a GMRS license and a Technician license" — into a previewed, editable batch of proposed memories. Every proposed channel is converted and validated through CHIRP's own import/validation logic for the radio you have open, and nothing is written until you review and approve it; applying a plan is one undoable action on the open image only — it never uploads to a radio. AI, when configured, only ever extracts structured fields from your text; it never supplies frequencies, tones, or any other technical data. Aviation, weather, marine, public safety, business, and railroad channels are always receive-only. See docs/programming_assistant.md for full details, data sources, privacy behavior, and known limitations.

AppImage builds

This fork can produce a self-contained Linux AppImage of CHIRP, so people with access to this repo can run it without setting up a Python/wxPython build environment themselves.

Getting a build: every push of an appimage-vX.Y.Z tag (e.g. appimage-v1.13.1) triggers the AppImage workflow, which builds the AppImage and attaches it to a matching GitHub Release on this repo. Download the CHIRP-*-x86_64.AppImage asset from there, chmod +x it, and run it. Releases follow semantic versioning — see CHANGELOG.md for what changed in each one and what the version numbers mean.

Config is isolated from other CHIRP installs: by default CHIRP stores its settings in ~/.chirp, shared by any install on the host (native package, source checkout, another AppImage, etc.) — so a setting like Help > Developer Mode enabled in one carries straight over to the others. This AppImage instead defaults to its own ~/.chirp-appimage, so it always starts from CHIRP's real defaults (developer mode off, no "Browser"/"Info" tabs) regardless of what's already set elsewhere on the host. Pass --config-dir /path yourself if you want it to share state with another install instead.

Installing a launcher: since an AppImage is just a standalone executable file, your desktop environment won't normally know about it — there's no menu entry or icon to launch it from without a terminal or file browser. Help > Install Linux Launcher... (only shown when CHIRP detects it's running as an AppImage, via the APPIMAGE environment variable the AppImage runtime sets) fixes that:

• It first checks that the AppImage file has execute permission, and offers to add it (only the owner-execute bit; nothing else is touched) if it's missing.
• You then choose to add CHIRP to your desktop environment's application menu, create a launcher icon on your Desktop, or both. Both are entirely per-user: the application-menu entry goes to ~/.local/share/applications/chirp-appimage.desktop, and CHIRP's icon is copied to ~/.local/share/icons/hicolor/256x256/apps/chirp.png — no administrator/root access is used, and nothing outside your home directory is touched.
• If you later move the AppImage file, just run Help > Install Linux Launcher... again from the new location to update the existing launcher in place; it recognizes and safely updates its own previously-created files rather than making duplicates, and never overwrites a file it didn't create itself.
• Some desktop environments (notably GNOME/Nautilus) require a newly-created desktop icon to be manually marked as trusted (e.g. right-click it and choose "Allow Launching") before it can be double-clicked; the application-menu entry doesn't need this.
• To remove a launcher created this way, delete ~/.local/share/applications/chirp-appimage.desktop and/or ~/Desktop/chirp-appimage.desktop; the copied icon at ~/.local/share/icons/hicolor/256x256/apps/chirp.png can be removed the same way if no other CHIRP install needs it.

Building one yourself:

./appimage/build.sh

This must run on an x86_64 Ubuntu 22.04 (jammy) host — a real machine, VM, or a ubuntu:22.04 Docker container all work. It installs its own build dependencies (via sudo apt-get) and writes the result to appimage/out/CHIRP-<version>-x86_64.AppImage. You can also trigger a build without tagging anything, via "Run workflow" on the Actions tab (workflow_dispatch).

Why it needs Ubuntu 22.04 specifically, and how it's built: wxPython has no portable Linux wheel on PyPI, so the recipe (appimage/AppImageBuilder.yml, built with appimage-builder) pulls python3-wxgtk4.0 and the GTK3 stack it depends on straight from Ubuntu 22.04's apt repositories, bundling them into the AppImage. CHIRP itself and its pure-Python dependencies (pyserial, requests, yattag, suds, lark) are then pip installed on top into the same bundle, and translations are compiled from chirp/locale/*.po directly into the bundle (a step pip install alone skips, since it normally happens via chirp/locale/Makefile).

This setup was built and verified end-to-end in a disposable Ubuntu 22.04 container: the resulting AppImage was launched under a virtual display (Xvfb) and confirmed to fully initialize CHIRP's wx GUI (wx/4.0.7 gtk3 (phoenix) wxWidgets 3.0.5), open its main window, check for updates, and load a non-English translation correctly. A handful of shared libraries (libwayland-cursor0, libwayland-client0, libwayland-egl1, libxcb-render0) and build-time helper tools (gdk-pixbuf-query-loaders, glib-compile-schemas, gtk-update-icon-cache) had to be added explicitly, since apt's automatic dependency resolution didn't pull them in on its own.

Known limitations: the build is x86_64-only and pinned to Ubuntu 22.04's package versions (wxPython 4.0.7 / wxWidgets 3.0.5, GTK3). It has not been tested on other architectures or against a Wayland compositor without the X11 backend CHIRP forces by default on Linux.

Documentation

• docs/screenshots.md — inventory of every screenshot used in this README and the docs, with the app version, platform, and capture context each one was taken from.
• docs/macos-community-installation.md — full macOS Community Edition install and Gatekeeper walkthrough.
• docs/macos-packaging.md — how the macOS Community Edition and (future) Signed Edition builds are packaged and released.
• docs/windows-community-installation.md — full Windows Community Edition install guide (portable ZIP and installer, SmartScreen guidance, checksum verification).
• packaging/windows/README.md — how the Windows Community Edition build (portable ZIP + installer) is packaged, tested, and validated.
• docs/windows-manual-validation-checklist.md — manual, real-hardware validation checklist used for Windows releases.
• docs/programming_assistant.md — the experimental Programming Assistant feature: data sources, privacy behavior, and known limitations.
• CHANGELOG.md — what changed in each release and what the version numbers mean.