System requirements

To host a KOB server, you'll need the following:

• a computer that's available 24/7

Performance requirements for the server platform are very modest. For years the production server for the MorseKOB system ran on an old desktop computer with a 1 GHz Pentium III CPU and only 512 MB of RAM. I have since "upgraded" the server to a Raspberry Pi to save space and use less power. The KOBServer software runs on Windows (XP or later) and Linux.

• a broadband Internet connection

Bandwidth requirements are not very demanding. Any DSL or cable modem should do fine. It's best not to rely on a wireless connection between the server and your modem/router, however, as there may be problems with dropped packets.

• Python

The KOBServer software requires Python 2.7 or Python 3. If you're running Linux, you probably already have Python preinstalled. To install Python 3 for Windows, download the installer from https://www.python.org/downloads/. You can accept all the default options that are offered by the installer, and it's normal to see some security warnings along the way.

• the KOBServer program

See KOBServer software for installation instructions.

• a web server running on your computer

See the Web server page for information on how to install and configure a web server.

Next we'll install and test the KOB server components.