socat¶

A relay between two data channels, sockets, files or programs

Status: retired. Carried only for the first gps-tether, which ran gpspipe -r behind socat. The tether now writes NMEA from gpsd's JSON in the engine, with no socat (D-061, amended 2026-09-29). Nothing else in the catalog uses it. apt install socat still works for anyone who wants it for its own sake. Recorded 2026-09-29. Verdict tested by us.

Version recorded: 1.8.0.3
Categories: navigation-maps
Upstream: http://www.dest-unreach.org/socat/
Not a recommended default — installed only when asked for.

What it does¶

Connects two data channels and copies between them: a TCP listener and a program's output, a serial port and a socket, a file and a pipe.

Why you would want it¶

It is the general tool for joining a program that speaks one channel to another that expects a different one. Hammunition no longer needs it: the gps-tether launcher serves QMapShack its NMEA itself.

Before it will work¶

None of its own.

How it installs¶

apt: socat

Known problems¶

A listener with no bind= option listens on every interface; bind 127.0.0.1 for anything that should stay on this machine.

Keeping it current¶

probe: apt policy
strategy: apt_upgrade

Where to get help with the software itself¶

The documentation on the project site and the socat mailing list it lists.

Source: catalog/packages/socat.yaml