[ gpsdrive ] bluetooth gps

[Guenther Meyer]

Am Mittwoch 21 Oktober 2009 21:26:02 schrieb Roger Lees:
> I am a long time (since windows 3.1) Windows user but for the last year
> I have been using Ubuntu as a dual boot.  I am impressed with Ubuntu.  I
> have tried various Linux flavours over the years, and Ubuntu is the
> first system which I find easy to use.  I recently bought a Bluetooth
> GPS receiver and used it with Navigator 8 on Windows.  It worked
> straight away.  I downloaded GPSdrive, and it doesn't recognise my GPS
> receiver.  I think I know why after checking around the forums.  The
> program uses gpsd, and is looking for a receiver via USB, which it
> cannot see.  The answer I discover is to modify files in the Bluetooth
> directory.  Now, I can probably do that, but in order to do so I am
> going to have to learn a bit about how Linux works because not only
> don't I know how to find the relevant files, I don't know how to get at
> the command line.  I know all the Linux buffs will be sucking their
> teeth and dredging up their most sarcastic remarks, but it has been a
> long time since I had to alter a Windows program to get it to work.
> They just do, and if they don't there is always another one that will.
> I am too old (61) to learn how to tweak Ubuntu programs.  GPSdrive looks
> like a good program.  There is another Linux program on Ubuntu,
> TangoGPS, which also looks like a lot of fun to use with exactly the
> same problem.  I realise that all of these programs are free and
> therefore it is pointless complaining and/or moaning about the efforts
> of people who are giving their skills and time for nothing, but if Linux
> and Open Source programs are going to eventually replace Microsoft (and
> I hope they do) they need to work for people like me who don't want to
> indulge in programming at however simple a level to get them started.
> After all, you don't expect to have to fiddle with your car's engine
> before you can drive it away.  Or should you?  Which is a very long way
> round asking if GPSdrive (or gpsd) could be amended to include Bluetooth
> GPS receivers.  Please.
> 
all devices supported by gpsd should be usable with GpsDrive.

gpsd is using a serial connection to talk to the devices; usb receivers 
usually create such a virtual serial port automatically when they are 
connected, so most should work right out of the box.
bluetooth devices use the same system, but they have to be "connected" with 
your system first to provide this serial port.
I don't know the current state of ubuntu regarding bluetooth gpsd receivers, 
but in the past there had to be done some simple manual work to get it 
working.
ubuntu has some nice sources for howtos, recipes and asking questions like 
that (like ubuntuforums.org or wiki.ubuntu.com).
 just use your favourite search engine and you may find what you need.


> Incidentally, it occurs to me that since GPS receivers know where they
> are, then if Navigation programs were 'turned around' people could use
> their GPS to draw maps rather than the other way around.  And if we all
> did that, maps wouldn't go out of date.  But perhaps that has already
> been thought of, and it's how maps get drawn.  Sorry I mentioned it.
> 
Do you know http://www.openstreetmap.org ?
There are some programs for drawing maps, but the focus of GpsDrive is USING 
maps rather than creating them; although it CAN be used to gather data for map 
creation...
We try to keep GpsDrive as simple as possible but still providing some useful 
features - adding mapping functions would make it way more complex.