How to install sdrutil in Linux Ubuntu

The term “SDRUtil” can refer to a few different tools depending on context (some are tied to SDRplay, others are part of more general SDR toolchains).

From your past context — using SDRplay RSPduo and GNU Radio — you’re most likely referring to the command-line utility package distributed by SDRplay called SDRplay SDRUtil, used to:

• Check device status
• Control basic parameters (frequency, gain, sample rate)
• Verify driver installation
• Run quick tests without launching full SDR software.

Below are clean step-by-step instructions for installing and running it on Linux (typical for Raspberry Pi or desktop), plus a short note on Windows.

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🧰 1. Prerequisites (Linux)

Ensure the required libraries and drivers are installed first.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install git build-essential cmake libusb-1.0-0-dev

Also make sure the SDRplay API is installed.
Download and install it from the SDRplay downloads page (requires free registration):

👉 https://www.sdrplay.com/downloads/

For example, after downloading the .run installer:

chmod +x SDRplay_RSP_API-<version>-run
sudo ./SDRplay_RSP_API-<version>-run

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💻 2. Clone and Build SDRUtil

git clone https://github.com/SDRplay/sdrutil.git
cd sdrutil
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make
sudo make install

This compiles and places the sdrutil binary in your system path (typically /usr/local/bin).

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🧪 3. Run SDRUtil

To check the tool works:

sdrutil --help

Typical commands:

• List connected devices sdrutil --devinfo
• Set frequency and run a basic test
  (Example: tune to 1420.405 MHz — the hydrogen line) sdrutil --freq 1420.405e6 --dev 0
• Dump raw I/Q samples to a file sdrutil --dev 0 --freq 1420.405e6 --fs 2000000 --file output.iq --samples 2000000
• Check gain settings sdrutil --gain

You can then open the resulting I/Q file in GNU Radio or GNU Octave for further analysis.

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🪟 4. Windows Installation (Optional)

1. Install the SDRplay API from their website.
2. Download the sdrutil.exe binary from the same page or GitHub release.
3. Open a Command Prompt in the folder containing sdrutil.exe.
4. Run: sdrutil.exe --devinfo

(You don’t need to build it on Windows — the binary is provided.)

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📡 5. Useful Tips

• If sdrutil says “no device found”, make sure the API service is running: sudo systemctl status sdrplay
• If running on Raspberry Pi, you may need: sudo ldconfig after installing the API.
• You can combine SDRUtil with named pipes to stream into GNU Radio.

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