Open CPN is crashing with a wxWidgets Debug Alert

[ProDave]

And no help yet googling so I am asking here.

I am trying to get Open CPN working on a new to me phone, Android version 9 (I currently have it working on an older phone Android version 8)

I started trying to load the old version of Open CPN. It starts up initially. then you go and point it to the chart files (CM93 in this case) and it thinks about it for a bit when you say "apply" then up comes a wxWidgets debug alert and Open CPN exits.

Thinking it was an issue with an older version of Open CPN and the newer version of Android, I have just downloaded the current version of Open CPN from the play store. Exactly the same behaviour

Anyone solved this before pelase?

 

[ryanroberts]

From a brief dig around, wxwidgets on android looks like it was a proof of concept port around a decade ago that's probably quite poorly maintained. Android's NDK is ..very odd in earlier versions of Android as it was almost entirely designed to support Java. Maintaining a dependency that is possibly an experimental port for a moving target like Android is quite a task for any open source project

wxAndroid FTW · Issue #22162 · wxWidgets/wxWidgets

 

[ryanroberts]

This ..isn't promising.

OpenCPN/buildandroid/assetbridge/obj/local/armeabi/objs/assetbridge at b120ab6e9e842bca84a03c42c6934f1a6d05a6ae · OpenCPN/OpenCPN

The android version of opencpn hasn't been touched since 2015, which was android 6/7 sort of days. It's NDK 10 / android 3, which was out of support by 2017. I'd source a v8 tablet..

 

[ProDave]

What surprises me is there are not lots of reports of this problem. If there was someone sufficiently techy reading this I I could type verbatim exactly what the error message says, or screenshot it and post it, that might give some insights?

I am tempted to sport a few ££ to get a more up to date set of charts, in case it is just an issue with CM93? they are a bit old now. any suggestion for a cheap set of reasonably up to date UK charts for not much ££ to try?

Anyone reading this with Android 9 or newer running OPEN CPN please tell us what charts you are using?

 

[Stingo]

The free OpenCPN version for Android is known to be full of bugs, not so for the paid version. Which version are you using?

 

[jlavery]

What surprises me is there are not lots of reports of this problem. If there was someone sufficiently techy reading this I I could type verbatim exactly what the error message says, or screenshot it and post it, that might give some insights?

I am tempted to sport a few ££ to get a more up to date set of charts, in case it is just an issue with CM93? they are a bit old now. any suggestion for a cheap set of reasonably up to date UK charts for not much ££ to try?

Anyone reading this with Android 9 or newer running OPEN CPN please tell us what charts you are using?

A screenshot might help, although it may just confirm it's an NDK compatibility problem.

 

[ProDave]

The free OpenCPN version for Android is known to be full of bugs, not so for the paid version. Which version are you using?

I searched Play Store for "Open CPN" and was only offered 1 version which was free. It's version 4.1.102B Nov 3rd 2015
Where do you find the more up to date paid for version?

 

[ProDave]

It first puts up this error



If you answer no to "do you want to stop the program" you then get this



Then Open CPN closes.

 

[Stingo]

I searched Play Store for "Open CPN" and was only offered 1 version which was free. It's version 4.1.102B Nov 3rd 2015
Where do you find the more up to date paid for version?

OpenCPN - Apps on Google Play

 

[ProDave]

OpenCPN - Apps on Google Play

I don't know why searching the play store did not find that? but reading the reviews lots of people are having trouble with it crashing. I am not minded to pay for it only to find it is still full of bugs.

The only tip I got from the reviews though is to seek out the facebook page and ask there.

 

[Stingo]

There was a recent change in the way Android stores and references files which made loading charts in OpenCPN challenging and of course OpenCPN got the blame for this. The trick is to copy your charts to the "internal storage" on your device (not an additional SD card) and then from within opencpn select your chart folder, then select "migrate".

 

[ProDave]

There was a recent change in the way Android stores and references files which made loading charts in OpenCPN challenging and of course OpenCPN got the blame for this. The trick is to copy your charts to the "internal storage" on your device (not an additional SD card) and then from within opencpn select your chart folder, then select "migrate".

Even on my old phone, and the older version of Android, OpenCPN would not find the charts if I put them on the SD card, so they had to occupy precious space in the main phone memory. One reason why I am trying to set up this boat phone for all the boat apps is so they don't have to be on my main phone.

On the new phone, I just copied the charts from my PC to the phone using a USB cable and put them in exactly the same named folder in exactly the same place as they were (and working) on my old phone, so I don't think the problem is "migration"

 

[ryanroberts]

If you answer no to "do you want to stop the program" you then get this

In my professional opinion that looks proper knackered, but without a full call stack it's hard to tell exactly why. That method will be deep in the bowels of the software.

 

[ProDave]

Okay 2 steps forward, 1 step backwards.

I have obtained a newer version of Open CPN. This now "works" and loads the charts without crashing.

BUT it seems to be stuck in 2 colour chart mode, not 4. So instead of displaying the sea as green round the shore, blue in medium depth and white for deep water as it does on my other phone, it is all green.

Now I could live with that, but it is not right. I had a similar problem trying to get it to work on a Linux computer a while back and gave up without finding a resolution.

So unless anyone has a solution to stuck in 2 colour mode, I think my next line of attack is abandon Open CPN and ask the forum for a suggestion for an alternative (i.e works properly) Chart plotter for use on an android phone. I don't mind a modest purchase price and a modest price for the charts to go with it, but I don't want anything with an ongoing payment. Any suggestions?

 

[Stingo]

Did you try: the cog thing, Charts tab, then Vector Chart Display tab, then look for the colors option

 

[ProDave]

Did you try: the cog thing, Charts tab, then Vector Chart Display tab, then look for the colors option

It is very confusing because the 2 colour ./ 4 colour option appears in multiple places, but every one I have found so far is set to 4 colour. I have exited and re started since making the colour selection to make sure

 

[Stingo]

Hmm, no idea. Just curious, which charts are you using?

 

[ProDave]

Hmm, no idea. Just curious, which charts are you using?

An old set of CM93 charts that work on my windows PC and my old phone.

I am tempted to try another set of charts just to rule that out, I might just seek out some free charts from another part of the world to see if they work? I don;t know of any free UK charts available at the moment?

 

[BoatBouy]

Personally I find that openCPN is best used on a desktop OS. The android version is old, flakey and not really geared to touchscreen interface on a phone. If that is your preferred choice of software better to pick up a cheap (maybe 2nd hand) laptop for chart-table use. For a mobile OS something like Navionics, C-MAP app, or Savvey Navvy would provide a less frustrating experience. All IMHO of course.

 

[Little Dorrit]

Have you checked that all old files of previous Open CPN versions have been deleted and that there are no old directories?