Linux at sea
- Thread starter Playtime
- Start date
Strolls
Well-Known Member
The OpenCPN developers are active on www.CruisersForum.com - if you post in the appropriate subforum there, an OpenCPN developer will often reply.
Considering the number of OpenCPN users in the world, I'd have thought it was almost certain that someone has bought vector charts and licence from O-Charts and successfully run it in OpenCPN with Linux as the OS, just not necessarily Admiralty ones (but perhaps Mediterranean or Caribbean ones instead).
TwoHooter
Well-Known Member
Joker
Well-Known Member
'Windows10 is causing problems for so many people.'
I've never met anyone who has a problem with W10.
I've never met anyone who has a problem with W10.
Hurricane
Well-Known Member
Really?
There is a case where W10 updates have screwed up OpenCPN chart registrations.
Imagine if that happened at sea!
And that is just one example.
matthewriches
Well-Known Member
Watching this. I have a 2 screen helm running windows 10 at the moment but unhappy that it decides to shutdown without warning and install a million updates taking 3 hours. It does function quite quickly only because it is running from a posh new Intel CPU, the old PC took a while to get going.
I have a 3rd screen added in the saloon for TV, media, etc that is also run from the ships PC. Normally use kodi or Spotify so would need these on a Linux flavour. I know Kodi works but not yet explored Spotify.
I am currently using the VMH charts although I only really do localish cruising, day or long weekend stuff so an accurate vector chart is acceptable.
The boat has a full N2k network which interfaces though an Actisense. I also have a Garmin chart plotter in the lower helm to finish fitting which interfaces with the N2k network.
To be honest, everything I run apart from the ships PC is Mac so to lose the last Windows link would be a a big bonus.
I have a 3rd screen added in the saloon for TV, media, etc that is also run from the ships PC. Normally use kodi or Spotify so would need these on a Linux flavour. I know Kodi works but not yet explored Spotify.
I am currently using the VMH charts although I only really do localish cruising, day or long weekend stuff so an accurate vector chart is acceptable.
The boat has a full N2k network which interfaces though an Actisense. I also have a Garmin chart plotter in the lower helm to finish fitting which interfaces with the N2k network.
To be honest, everything I run apart from the ships PC is Mac so to lose the last Windows link would be a a big bonus.
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laika
Well-Known Member
kodi, spotify and opencpn all run on mac. Whilst my only experience with the o-charts for the UK is on Linux, they're supposed to work for Mac so if that's your weapon of choice, why bring Linux into the mix? The antisense ngw-1 seems to claim to bundle mac drivers.
Bi111ion
Well-Known Member
I run Navigatrix on board --all my other work and home computers are some flavour of Linux -- but I love the way everything just works on Navigatrix first time with no fiddling. It is a Linux distribution by and for cruisers. Even Windows programs like AirMail are already packaged so they run in Wine neatly (you dont even notice they are windows programs). I dont have the answer to the UK Windows only chart software that will not run under wine. Its a shame but not enough to get me allow Billy "Blue Screen of Death" Gates on my boat. Navgatrix has a great support community. Upgrading tends to be a bit "all or nothing", they put so much work in to getting everything to work well on one release and testing it its hard to just upgrade one package.
GHA
Well-Known Member
Using the experimental hardware driver, Opencpn is plenty fast enough on a Pi 3 IMHO. New raspbian stretch looks like it might be OK without the driver as well, the driver isn't perfect and can occasionally leave a bit of a mess on the screen.
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f134/raspberry-pi-2-some-points-to-know-192216.html#post2503127
Word on the Openplotter street is that they are hoping to get a stretch based image released before xmas. Though I suspect they might be a bit busy getting the new Ais/Gps/Baro,compass add on board "hats" ready for release =>
http://forum.openmarine.net/showthread.php?tid=868
Hurricane
Well-Known Member
Never tried Spotify under Linux but I've just finished a couple of weeks updating my various Kodi boxes.
One was a Linux Mint XFCE build - Kodi does seem to initially work but you get all kinds of errors when installing Addons - the solution fof me was to remove some Python stuff that I think wss added using this command:
sudo apt-get install software-properties-common
This install is suggested in the oficial Kodi install instructions.
It may not have been installed with that command but I removed it using this command
sudo apt-get remove python-openssl python-cryptography python-setuptools python-pkg-resources curl
And now Kodi is working really well under Linux Mint XFCE
Even all the Addons - Covenant - UK Turk and iPlayerwww etc.
These notes might help someone - it took me several hours to find a solution.
matthewriches
Well-Known Member
RobbieW
Well-Known Member
My experience of trying Wine is that it implements a subset of Windows function, there are many things it doesnt do. For me that includes the utility that configures my solar controller; other irritations have been finding it difficult to find drivers that will properly operate multi-function printers (print and scan mostly) as well as some utilities - cant remember if AirMail worked with Wine or not - the net is that this year I've gone the other way, moving from Mint (Cinnamon) to W10. Clearly I need to get on top of updates so that W10 doesnt burn through my data allowance and I'm not sure I've done that; the recent update to 1709 seemed to download automatically despite my best efforts but as I'm not currently onboard it didnt kill the allowance.
Another way to approach the incompatibility problems running Windows programs, and assuming a fast enough machine, is to use virtualisation. The Oracle VM tools run well under Linux and can be set up to run Windows whilst accessing a common file system (though I used to run a dual boot system with a shared drive that W7 didnt always release cleanly). I've not chosen that route primarily because I find 'stuff' is better supported on Windows in general, though mostly drivers.
One gotcha was that I had to replace a couple of Prolific serial/usb adapters as they werent genuine products, the Windows drivers for this are fussier than thier Linux equivalent.
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Playtime
Well-Known Member
Santa has been kind and duly delivered me a Raspberry Pi 3 which I am in the middle of setting up. A number of others on here also expressed interest in setting up a Pi so I'll start a new thread as this may develop into a multiple question and answer thread as we all progress.
Bi111ion
Well-Known Member
Playtime: You might be interested in this facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/489115024595484/?fref=nf by Norwegian sailor Tor Sjøli, it is a about his development of Raspberry Pi for a boat. FB translates the Norwegian most of the time !
RobbieW: The great thing about the Navigatrix Linux distribution is that Windows programs we really need like AirMail are already set up to run under Wine with no fiddling around with mapping of COM ports and such. It is a shame that Visit My Harbour's copy protected charts dont work under Wine.
RobbieW: The great thing about the Navigatrix Linux distribution is that Windows programs we really need like AirMail are already set up to run under Wine with no fiddling around with mapping of COM ports and such. It is a shame that Visit My Harbour's copy protected charts dont work under Wine.
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RobbieW
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the pointer Bi111ion, I'd forgotten about Navigatrix so I'll have a look. However, I'm more inclined to go the route Playtime is going with OpenPlotter on a Pi for navigation stuff.
GHA
Well-Known Member
One big plus for going RPi is how easy it is to add more sensors and get at the data. Having engine temperature displayed in opencpn is really handy!