<p>An resolution of 1200px by 720px is recommended</p>
<p>KST4Contest is distributed as a ready-to-run application package for Windows, Linux and macOS. The official release packages do not require a separate Java installation: the required Java runtime is already included.</p>
<p>To use the chat, a registered account with the ON4KST chat service is required:</p>
<p>KST4Contest is distributed as a ready-to-run application package for Windows, Linux and macOS. The official release packages do not require a separate Java installation: the required Java runtime is already included.</p>
<p>In practical terms, you need a supported operating system, an internet connection and an ON4KST account. That sounds manageable—and usually it is.</p>
<p>The official language in the ON4KST Chat is <strong>English</strong>. Please use English even when communicating with stations from your own country. Common HAM abbreviations (agn, dir, pse, rrr, tnx, 73 …) are widely used and understood.</p>
<p>To send a private message to another station, always use the following format:</p>
<pre><code>/CQ CALLSIGN message text
</code></pre>
<p>Example: <code>/CQ DL5ASG pse sked 144.205?</code></p>
<p>During heavy chat traffic (5–6 messages per second in a contest), public messages directed at a specific callsign are easily missed. However, KST4Contest also catches such messages if they are accidentally posted publicly (see <ahref="Features#catching-personal-messages">Features – PM Catching</a>).</p>
<p>ON4KST specifies English as the common language for the chat. This also applies when both stations happen to share another language. During contests, the usual amateur radio abbreviations such as <code>pse</code>, <code>agn</code>, <code>qrg</code>, <code>dir</code>, <code>rrr</code>, <code>tnx</code> and <code>73</code> are widely used.</p>
<p>Using the chat and sending personal messages are covered in the user interface chapter. For the installation, the only thing that matters at this point is that the account works.</p>
<p>A usable screen area of approximately <strong>1200 × 720 pixels</strong> or more is recommended.</p>
<p>KST4Contest automatically adapts the main window to the available area of the primary screen. The application can therefore also be started on smaller displays. Less space is still less space, however: not all tables, filters and additional information can then be displayed at a useful size at the same time.</p>
<p>The ready-made packages from the <ahref="https://github.com/praktimarc/kst4contest/releases/latest">GitHub Releases</a> do not require a separate Java installation. The required runtime is distributed with KST4Contest.</p>
<p>A Java development environment is only required if you want to build KST4Contest from source. For the AUR packages <code>kst4contest</code> and <code>kst4contest-git</code>, Java 21 and Maven are handled as build dependencies by the package manager.</p>
<p><strong>Recommended for Linux:</strong> The Flatpak installation is the easiest way to stay up to date — <code>flatpak update</code> handles all future updates automatically. The repository is GPG-signed for security.</p>
<p>⚠️ <strong>Best-Effort Support:</strong> macOS builds are provided as a convenience but are <strong>not fully tested</strong>. We build and release macOS binaries with every release, but we cannot test every scenario on macOS. If you encounter issues, please report them – we will do our best to address them, but cannot guarantee the same level of support as for Windows and Linux.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The latest version can be downloaded as a DMG disk image (available for both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs):</p>
<p>The filename has the format <code>KST4Contest-v<version_number>-macos-<arch>.dmg</code>, where <code><arch></code> is <code>arm64</code> (Apple Silicon) or <code>x86_64</code> (Intel).</p>
yay -S kst4contest-git # always latest git HEAD (1.42+)
</code></pre>
<p>Any AUR helper works (<code>paru</code>, <code>trizen</code>, etc.). <code>kst4contest-bin</code> is the easiest option since it installs the same pre-built binary as the release download.</p>
<p>Download <code>de.x08.KST4Contest.flatpakref</code> from the <ahref="https://github.com/praktimarc/kst4contest/releases/latest">latest release</a> and open it, or run:</p>
<p>The <strong>Stable version</strong> is recommended for normal operation.</p>
<p>Beta and Nightly builds may contain features that are not yet available in the Stable release. They may also contain unfinished workflows, changed settings or new defects. That is not an unusual failure of the release process; it is the purpose of a development channel.</p>
<p>If a function in this manual is explicitly marked as <strong>Nightly</strong>, it is not necessarily part of the current Stable release yet.</p>
<p>Only download application packages from the official GitHub Releases, the KST4Contest Flatpak repository or the linked AUR packages. Files from other sources may have been built differently, may be outdated or may have been modified.</p>
<hr>
<h2id="installing-on-windows"tabindex="-1"><aclass="header-anchor"href="#installing-on-windows">Installing on Windows</a></h2>
<p>KST4Contest is distributed as a ZIP package for Windows. A conventional installer is not required.</p>
<ol>
<li>Download <code>praktiKST-v<version>-windows-x64.zip</code> from the latest release.</li>
<li>Extract the ZIP file completely into a dedicated folder.</li>
<li>Open the extracted folder.</li>
<li>Start <code>praktiKST.exe</code>.</li>
</ol>
<p>Do not start the application directly from the compressed ZIP file. KST4Contest consists of several files and a bundled runtime. Windows can only use this structure reliably after the archive has been extracted completely.</p>
<p>The application settings are not stored in the extracted program directory. They are stored in your user profile:</p>
<p>This allows a new application version to be extracted into a different directory without losing the existing settings.</p>
<hr>
<h2id="installing-on-linux"tabindex="-1"><aclass="header-anchor"href="#installing-on-linux">Installing on Linux</a></h2>
<p>Several Linux package formats are available. The appropriate choice depends less on KST4Contest itself than on your distribution and the way you prefer to manage updates.</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Installation method</th>
<th>Useful when …</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong>Flatpak</strong></td>
<td>updates should be managed centrally and Flatpak is already in use</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>AppImage</strong></td>
<td>KST4Contest should run as a portable file without package installation</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>DEB/RPM</strong></td>
<td>the distribution’s native package manager should be used</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>Arch package/AUR</strong></td>
<td>Arch Linux, Manjaro or EndeavourOS is being used</td>
<p>For most Linux users, Flatpak is the simplest way to keep KST4Contest installed and manageable through the system’s update tools. The KST4Contest repository is GPG-signed and contains the Stable, Beta and Nightly channels.</p>
<h4id="installing-stable-from-the-release-file"tabindex="-1"><aclass="header-anchor"href="#installing-stable-from-the-release-file">Installing Stable from the release file</a></h4>
<p>Download <code>de.x08.KST4Contest.flatpakref</code> from the latest release and open it with the software manager provided by your desktop environment.</p>
<h4id="adding-the-kst4contest-repository"tabindex="-1"><aclass="header-anchor"href="#adding-the-kst4contest-repository">Adding the KST4Contest repository</a></h4>
<p>The repository only needs to be added once:</p>
<p>Depending on the desktop environment, the graphical software manager may also display or automatically install available Flatpak updates. The <code>flatpak update</code> command itself performs an update; it does not promise to turn up and run by itself one day.</p>
<p>Alternatively, open the file with a graphical package manager.</p>
<h3id="fedora-and-compatible-rpm-systems"tabindex="-1"><aclass="header-anchor"href="#fedora-and-compatible-rpm-systems">Fedora and compatible RPM systems</a></h3>
<h3id="arch-linux%3A-installing-from-the-aur"tabindex="-1"><aclass="header-anchor"href="#arch-linux%3A-installing-from-the-aur">Arch Linux: installing from the AUR</a></h3>
<p><strong>Best-effort support:</strong> The macOS packages are built together with the other releases, but they are not tested to the same extent as the Windows and Linux versions. Feedback is welcome; fully tested support for every macOS version and hardware variant cannot currently be guaranteed.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Updates work as usual with <code>flatpak update</code>.</p>
<p>The <code>flatpakref</code> files for beta and stable are attached to their respective <ahref="https://github.com/praktimarc/kst4contest/releases">GitHub Releases</a>. The nightly <code>flatpakref</code> (<code>de.x08.KST4Contest.nightly.flatpakref</code>) is available as an artifact on the <ahref="https://github.com/praktimarc/kst4contest/actions">GitHub Actions</a> tab (kept for 14 days) — for nightly builds, the manual remote approach above is usually more convenient.</p>
<p>KST4Contest includes an <strong>automatic update notification service</strong>: as soon as a new version is available, a window will appear at startup with:</p>
<ul>
<li>information that a new version is available,</li>
<li>Drag the new <code>KST4Contest.app</code> into your <strong>Applications</strong> folder, replacing the old version.</li>
</ol>
<h2id="where-are-the-settings-stored%3F"tabindex="-1"><aclass="header-anchor"href="#where-are-the-settings-stored%3F">Where are the settings stored?</a></h2>
<p>KST4Contest stores its settings and other local working files in the user’s home directory. The application directory and the data directory are separate.</p>
<p>Note the spelling <code>.praktiKST</code> with an uppercase <code>KST</code>. Linux and macOS distinguish between uppercase and lowercase letters. <code>.praktikst</code> would simply be a different directory.</p>
<p>An application update does not remove this directory. Even so, creating a backup before a major version change or extensive configuration work is sensible.</p>
<hr>
<h2id="known-issues-at-startup"tabindex="-1"><aclass="header-anchor"href="#known-issues-at-startup">Known Issues at Startup</a></h2>
<p>The update checker does not install anything. It reports the new version and opens the platform-neutral release page. From there, you must select the appropriate package for Windows, Linux or macOS.</p>
<li>Download the new DMG file for the appropriate architecture.</li>
<li>Close KST4Contest.</li>
<li>Open the DMG file.</li>
<li>Replace <code>KST4Contest.app</code> in the Applications folder.</li>
<li>Start the new version and check the existing settings.</li>
</ol>
<p>The configuration under <code>~/.praktiKST</code> is not affected.</p>
<hr>
<h2id="problems-during-the-first-launch"tabindex="-1"><aclass="header-anchor"href="#problems-during-the-first-launch">Problems during the first launch</a></h2>
<h3id="windows-reports-an-unknown-application"tabindex="-1"><aclass="header-anchor"href="#windows-reports-an-unknown-application">Windows reports an unknown application</a></h3>
<p>KST4Contest is not currently signed with a commercial Windows code-signing certificate. Windows or an additional security product may therefore warn about an unknown or rarely downloaded application.</p>
<p>Check the following first:</p>
<ul>
<li>Did the file come from the <ahref="https://github.com/praktimarc/kst4contest/releases/latest">official KST4Contest release</a>?</li>
<li>Does the filename match the published release?</li>
<li>Was the file downloaded completely?</li>
<li>Does the security product report a specific detection name or only a general reputation warning?</li>
</ul>
<p>A warning alone is neither reliable proof of malware nor automatically a false positive. If the origin of the file is unclear, do not run it or restore it from quarantine.</p>
<p>Some users have reported quarantine messages from Norton 360 in particular. If the warning can be reproduced, please create a <ahref="https://github.com/praktimarc/kst4contest/issues">GitHub issue</a> and include:</p>
<ul>
<li>the KST4Contest version,</li>
<li>the complete filename,</li>
<li>the security product and its version,</li>
<li>the reported detection name,</li>
<li>a screenshot of the warning, if possible.</li>
</ul>
<h3id="the-appimage-does-not-start"tabindex="-1"><aclass="header-anchor"href="#the-appimage-does-not-start">The AppImage does not start</a></h3>
<p>Then start the file from a terminal. Error messages shown there are usually more useful than a double-click that simply produces no visible result.</p>
<h3id="macos-blocks-the-application"tabindex="-1"><aclass="header-anchor"href="#macos-blocks-the-application">macOS blocks the application</a></h3>
<p>Use the <strong>Open</strong> function described under <ahref="#installing-on-macos">Installing on macOS</a>. Before doing so, verify that the DMG file came from the official GitHub Release.</p>
<h3id="the-problem-remains"tabindex="-1"><aclass="header-anchor"href="#the-problem-remains">The problem remains</a></h3>
<p>First check whether the problem has already been reported under <ahref="https://github.com/praktimarc/kst4contest/issues">GitHub Issues</a>. If it has not, create a new issue containing:</p>
<ul>
<li>the operating system and version,</li>
<li>the KST4Contest version,</li>
<li>the installation method,</li>
<li>the exact error message,</li>
<li>the steps required to reproduce the problem.</li>
</ul>
<p>“It does not work” usually describes the situation accurately, but it is of limited value during diagnosis.</p>
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