Free'd GPS?

[Scott Allen]

On Fri Jun 01,2007 01:21:18 PM Matt Price wrote:
> i was wondering if anyone out there knows of a gps that runs on some
> kind of free software, or at least one that interfaces with 
> linux-based
> computers.

What do you want to do with the GPS unit? Since you mentioned a long 
road trip, I'll assume that you want some kind of moving map and 
navigation capability.

You can go somewhere between two approaches:

1. A fully integrated proprietary standalone unit.

2. A GPS receiver that just sends positional information to a 
computer system (e.g. laptop or palm sized). The computer holds the 
maps and displays the position and other information. The GPS 
receiver could be connected to the computer via serial or USB. It 
could also be pluged directly into the computer as a compact flash or 
PCMCIA card. Also, the GPS unit could send via Bluetooth.

I don't know of any integrated units that run free software. There's 
a rumor that Garmin units run Linux under the covers, but it's just a 
rumor.

Most GPS devices with a serial or USB interface with send capability 
can be interfaced to Linux. The serial protocol is normally NMEA, 
which is a standard. Garmin uses a proprietary USB protocol but there 
is a Linux interface to this.

There is some moving map software for Linux available. I used to use 
a program called GpsDrive with my laptop and old Magellan handheld 
(non-mapping) unit
<http://www.gpsdrive.de/>
There hasn't been any development of it recently but it works quite 
well. It can download maps from Expedia.

I came across the development of a Java application called Gpsylon, 
intended to work similar to GpsDrive. I haven't tried it.
<http://www.tegmento.org/gpsylon/>

Don't expect any free software to be able to do the automatic and 
dynamic route calculations that commercial hardware and software can 
do. You may be able to plug in a pre-planned route and have the 
program guide you.

There are also projects out there to create free maps for commercial 
GPS devices. There seems to quite a bit of effort to support Garmin 
units for this. For example:
<http://mapcenter.cgpsmapper.com/>
However, free maps with embedded auto routing information are quite 
rare. I currently have a Garmin Venture Cx handheld unit that can do 
road navigation. I have to use their software under Windows to load 
their maps into it. I could use the unit with GpsDrive but since it 
has its own colour display, I don't bother. I do interface it to 
Linux to save waypoints a routes, and have played with some of the 
free maps mentioned above.

Search for "gps" on FreshMeat to get you started with available free 
software
<http://freshmeat.net/>


-- 
** Scott Allen   scotta-cpI+UMyWUv9BDgjK7y7TUQ at public.gmane.org **
**     Toronto, Ontario, Canada     **
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