This time it’s about installing HackRF One binaries on the macOS Big Sur. In another later tutorial I will dive deeper into macOS, HackRF ONE and GnuRadio (gnuradio-companion), but not yet. The installation takes place via latest MacPorts.

Preparation

• macPorts installed
• Commandline Tools installed (SDK higher 11)
• HackRF One connected and started (via USB cable)

CommandLineTools SDK

My first installation failed with a error (even as MacPorts where completely new installed and Command Line Tools where installed, too). I looked into log file and saw a issue with clang version.

# read log file (optional)
$ cat /opt/local/var/macports/logs/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_macports_release_tarballs_ports_science_hackrf/hackrf/main.log
 …
 clang: error: invalid version number in 'MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET=11.0'
 …
 

# show clang version (optional)
$ clang --version

So looked it up on the Internet and saw that the clang version in the new SDK is higher and will solve this issue. To confirm I had a look installed SDK’s.

# list SDKs (optional)
$ ls /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/SDKs/
MacOSX.sdk MacOSX10.14.sdk MacOSX10.15.sdk

To be really sure. Yes new SDK is installed.

# list SDKs (optional)
$ ls /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/SDKs/
MacOSX.sdk MacOSX10.14.sdk MacOSX10.15.sdk MacOSX11.1.sdk

# show xcrun configs (optional)
$ xcrun --sdk macosx11.1 --show-sdk-path
$ xcrun --sdk macosx11.1 --show-sdk-version

Installation

After the installation and verification (yes the new sdk was getting installed), I tried the macPorts installation again.

# install hackrf via mac ports
$ sudo port install hackrf

Test installation

This time all went fine and I could start testing the device.

# show USB device info (optional)
$ ioreg -p IOUSB -l -w 0 -b

# show hackrf info
$ hackrf_info

# start debug (optional)
$ hackrf_debug --si5351c -n 0 -r

# start record
$ hackrf_transfer -r myRecord.raw -f 433780000

# start transmit record
$ hackrf_transfer -t myRecord.raw -f 433780000 -x 20