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GPS On Unix?

Posted by Cliff on from the does-this-exist? dept.

/dev/trash asks: "I have been debating wiping the windows partiton on my laptop. The only thing that is keeping me from fdisk'ing the whole thing is my Garmin handheld GPS. I've searched on Freshmeat for GPS/X interfaces but most seem to be alpha 1998 projects. Are there any companies, individuals, etc. that are porting the functionality right now?"

13 comments

  1. Links... by CEHT · · Score: 2
    Have you try Mayko - mapp. I found that from here.
    Also try GPS page from topology.org. It may help.

    Good luck.

    --

    ============
    Mathematics will always come back to hunt you down, in so many ways

  2. QtGPS by SEWilco · · Score: 1

    QtGPS is a simple moving-map display.

  3. Freshmeat GPS by SEWilco · · Score: 1

    Freshmeat GPS search finds a few possibilities on the first page (although one of them is Mayco's GPSd which was already mentioned).

  4. X APRS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1
    Feature set will always be towards Amateur Radio

    and it is still an early port, from Mac & WinAPRS

    But... X APRS

    n2kra

  5. Aviation how-to by klitty · · Score: 1
    I remember reading something about GPS in the aviation howto awhile ago. I only skimmed it since I don't have a gps, but it might be of some help to you. I think that the GPS page lists about 8 different gps projects so you'll find something at least.

    http://metalab.un c.edu/fplan/Aviation-HOWTO/Aviation-HOWTO-8.html

  6. Also Xastir (Re:X APRS) by brassrat77 · · Score: 1

    Currently further along than XAPRS.

    You can also run numerous DOS APRS programs under DOSEMU; maybe WINE will support the windows-based stuff (haven't tried it myself).

    More APRS info at TAPR

    ka1lm

  7. Easy to write by McBeth · · Score: 2

    I hate to say this, but

    write one.

    for work we had to write code that interpreted the stream (you can get the garmins to do NMEA), and it is pretty easy. I had actually started one for Linux, but then my hard drive decided to go on vacation, and has yet to return (I am too cocky to make back-ups of personal stuff)

    If you need pointers you can write me, and I can probably get you sample code for windows or at least the docs on how to do it.

    1. Re:Easy to write by M-G · · Score: 2

      See:

      http://www.garmin.com/support/commProtocol.html

      This is the communications protocol, in case you want to do things like set waypoints. If you're simply looking for a moving map or something, NMEA is the simplest way to go.

      NMEA simply spews out a simple ASCII stream, which is easily handled. And if you do write your own software, it will work with pretty much every other GPS out there, since NMEA is an industry standard. Trying to implement anyone's proprietary protocol becomes a PITA really quick, as you're relying on what is frequently poor documentation.

  8. FlightGear by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1
    Have you had a look at the FlightGear project?

    FlightGear is a OS flight simulator that's understanding as well as creating GPS coordinates. So you can use it as a real 3D 'moving map'.
    BTW: Real is as reals as it gets as FlightGear has the correct elevations of the earth as it uses DEMs.

  9. Wine by Jimithing+DMB · · Score: 1

    You could always try running the windows program under Wine. Get the latest 20000716 release if you feel like trying it. Also, check the newsgroup about a patch to fix compiling with OpenGL and XFree86 4.0 (4.0.1 will work fine though). Or just "./configure --disable-opengl" if you have XFree86 4.0 and don't care about OpenGL anyway.

  10. The Garmin Protocol hasn't changed much by thogard · · Score: 2

    Go to Peter's GPS Archive's Garmin Protocol Page

    Any program from 1998 will work fine with the newer units. The NEMA protocol is quite old and the documented parts of the Garmin protocol is the same as it several years ago.

    There is some old (1995) sample source on my webpage at
    http://web.abnormal.com/~thogard/gps/

  11. GRASS by MrEfficient · · Score: 2

    If your interested in GPS, you may also be interested in GRASS Geographic Information System (GIS) Software. It won't help you interface your Garmin with your PC but it will let you put all that data you collect with your GPS to good use.

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  12. Get a Palm... by Bazman · · Score: 1

    I've interfaced my Garmin to my Palm Vx. There's a few GPS programs for the Palm, and you can map and download data from the Garmin (or other NMEA-protocol GPS machines too).

    Slight problem is that a lot of the support programs are written for windows - but luckily the developers of 'PlaceTrace' have let me know the DB format so I can develop conversion routines in Perl. Sadly probably not in time for my adventure in Morocco this summer!! Prob have to resort to paper maps instead.

    Baz