Dire Wolf installation

Install Dire Wolf on Linux

See the the upstream Dire Wolf README for the main installation instructions: Dire Wolf Installation. This page keeps a Linux-focused quick path and adds a few operator notes and tips.

Quick decision guide

Goal	Recommended method	Why
Fastest install from distro packages	Package manager install	Simple and reliable, but versions may lag behind upstream.
Latest stable or development build	Build from git clone	Matches upstream recommendation and gives the newest features/fixes.

Important RHEL-family note: use dnf on modern systems

Some upstream examples still show yum. On modern Red Hat family systems (Fedora, RHEL 8+, Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, CentOS Stream), use dnf. On older systems such as RHEL/CentOS 7, yum may still be required.

Operational rule: if dnf --version works, use dnf commands below.

Method 1: Install from distro packages

Debian / Ubuntu / Raspberry Pi OS

sudo apt-get update
apt-cache showpkg direwolf
sudo apt-get install direwolf

Fedora / RHEL 8+ / Rocky / Alma / CentOS Stream

sudo dnf check-update
sudo dnf list direwolf
sudo dnf install direwolf

Older RHEL/CentOS (legacy)

sudo yum check-update
sudo yum list direwolf
sudo yum install direwolf

Package repositories are maintained by distro maintainers, so versions can be older than current upstream.

Method 2: Build from source (upstream recommended)

This follows the Linux git-clone flow from upstream and is the best path when you want current releases.

Install build dependencies (Debian/Ubuntu family)

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y git gcc g++ make cmake \
  libasound2-dev libudev-dev libavahi-client-dev
# Optional: GPIO PTT support
sudo apt-get install -y libgpiod-dev

Install build dependencies (Fedora/RHEL 8+ family)

sudo dnf install -y git gcc gcc-c++ make cmake \
  alsa-lib-devel libudev-devel avahi-devel
# Optional: GPIO PTT support
sudo dnf install -y libgpiod-devel

Clone and build

cd ~
git clone https://www.github.com/wb2osz/direwolf
cd direwolf
# Optional: use development branch instead of latest stable
# git checkout dev
mkdir -p build && cd build
cmake ..
make -j"$(nproc)"
sudo make install
make install-conf

If you do not run git checkout dev, you build from the default branch (stable path). If you do run it, you get the latest development code.

Basic validation after install

direwolf -h
which direwolf

Confirm your config file is present (usually ~/direwolf.conf or /usr/local/etc/direwolf.conf, depending on how you installed).

Related WG0A notes

After installation, use this for service management: How to run Dire Wolf with systemd

If startup or audio/port issues appear, use: Dire Wolf debugging notes and common fixes