GPS for Linux - Page 2

unsavory · 01-09-2004, 07:36 PM

Here it is! Just scroll down until you see "InfoMap Navigator" Looks like France is one of the countries listed too so you're in luck. And the nice thing is it's only 49.99 Euro, and comes complete with the entire European map pack.

I got the review for this software from Linux Format. It's a UK based Linux magazine. They rated it fairly high.

An excerpt:

"There are two reasons, arguably, why it has taken so long for Linux to get a route planner. Firstly, pulling together so much information is labour-intensive; and secondly, sourcing the data is extremely expensive."

Looks like it doesn't span maps. In other words if you are crossing borders it will not auto-load the next map.

Hope this helps. Let us know if you get it or not and how it works.

sxpert · 01-10-2004, 12:06 AM

Unsavory: would you care to add the proper link ?

Ok. it seems people don't use the search function of this board too much

There are several reasons why there are no open source implementations of navigation.

the tiger database may be nice, but
- it doesn't allow for autorouting, as it doesn't have the information on one way streets
- tons of info are missing such as the speed limits on roads (to calculate travel time
- it only covers the US, which makes the point moot
Navtech distributes the documentation for their format but
- the documentation states that you are not allowed to use it as a base for an implementation
- the thing is covered by zillions of patents
- the bare data is not readily available to developers

Now, there's a solution to this :
The whole concept of a carpc is to

play music while driving
do other things at the same time

the one thing that it could do is to automatically log and process the information from the GPS/Gallileo receiver and generate a map of the area being driven. some intelligent algorithms could be used to automatically detect streets crossing (and thus generating crossroads information), automatically detecting one way streets (when a street is only travelled in one direction, it must somehow be a one way street)...
one other trick would be to use a wifi link when available (this would eventually become readily available) or cell phone link (GPRS/UMTS or whatever) to upload the data to a central system that would further consolidate it.
furthermore, similarly to MusicBrainz and the like, people on the web could add street names and the like so as to grow the database with useful information.

tell me what you think

mpattonm · 01-25-2004, 06:12 AM

Hey, check this link:

http://www.mapfactor.cz/navigator_eng.htm

vector maps and voice guidance almoust all European countries. It exists for both Win and Linux.

adamis · 01-26-2004, 06:53 AM

I've been wanting to switch my car over to linux myself but have had the very same holdup with the GPS. I'm toying around with trying to use Wine to run Streets and Trips 2004. I really don't need voice navigation myself, Streets and Trips overlays the route on the map and it is sufficient. So if I can get it to run then I might just go with that...

I think the idea of a database type map that uses the GPS data to create maps would be an awesome concept. Once enough critical mass was reached and you had a few million users (you'd probably need that many...) you would have some really accurate maps.

GingerPrince · 01-26-2004, 07:59 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by adamis

you would have some really accurate maps.

Except the people in their 4x4's making imaginary roads 'cross fields

adamis · 01-26-2004, 03:00 PM

Yeah that could be a problem but if I understood the person who suggested this idea it would work similiar how some spam blocking software works. Several people would have to send essentially the same data to the server before the information is considered viable and trustworthy. That would eliminate the problem of having 4x4 people contributing where they shouldn't.

Now that I think about it this system could be quite powerful if enough people actually used it. If you built an intelligent enough software you should be able to glean not only the roads themselves but also oneway streets and even speedlimits without needing people to manually insert that information just by using the speed the vehicle was traveling at while on that road. Of course you would have to average this as quite a few people would probably be shifting the speedlimits off by quite a bit because they continually speed.

The important thing to this whole bit though is enough users that would make this solution viable in the first place. It would take millions of people in order to develop a map that would be considered usable and you won't get those users with a map that starts out blank...

zerocover · 01-26-2004, 06:14 PM

Hey guys I got an idea instead of trying to make new maps why not just make a program that leeches off mapquests or something like's existing maps.

Have the comp connect to the web and enter your destination and location when ever you enter where you want to go. It could just say how far the next turn is and count it down, just using the cars speed to figure out how far you've gone. And for decoration it could give you a normal map with where you should be on it.

Then have that save the trip and the path you took, so its more acurate for next time. This way the map wouldnt start out blank.

Speed limits who pays attention to them anyway, if the normal speed on the road is up high enough then no one will be pulling you over for just going the same speed.

Falken · 01-27-2004, 04:30 AM

Sorry Guys, bit behind the curve on this one.
Infomap Navigator provides 3 flavours on the CD. Windows 95/98/NT/2k/ME/XP, Windows CE and Linux. I'm not into Linux so I've never used or even looked at it.
GB & Ireland is £34.99 and Europe (Includes GB & Ireland) is £49.99 from us, Action Replay

sxpert · 01-27-2004, 05:03 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by zerocover

Hey guys I got an idea instead of trying to make new maps why not just make a program that leeches off mapquests or something like's existing maps.

two reasons

the maps are copyrighted
those maps are bitmaps, hence, unuseable to give you driving directions from point A to point B...

Quote:

Have the comp connect to the web and enter your destination and location when ever you enter where you want to go. It could just say how far the next turn is and count it down, just using the cars speed to figure out how far you've gone. And for decoration it could give you a normal map with where you should be on it.

this has been done already, the app is gpsdrive

Quote:

Then have that save the trip and the path you took, so its more acurate for next time. This way the map wouldnt start out blank.

unfortunately, it cant tell you when to be careful as an intersection comes

Quote:

Speed limits who pays attention to them anyway, if the normal speed on the road is up high enough then no one will be pulling you over for just going the same speed.

it shows there are neither cops nor automatic digital camera radars in your area

adamis · 01-27-2004, 05:35 AM

I'm a little confused on this map stuff. If all of them are just bitmaps then how are they able to locate addresses and such on the maps? There has to be some underlying information built into these maps that will enable the software to be able to pinpoint an address on the maps.

Falken · 01-27-2004, 05:50 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by adamis

I'm a little confused on this map stuff. If all of them are just bitmaps then how are they able to locate addresses and such on the maps? There has to be some underlying information built into these maps that will enable the software to be able to pinpoint an address on the maps.

That's the point. Bitmaps and raster scans are just images and can't easily be used for navigation but your position can be overlaid on them. The best solution are vector maps where every item is individually coded. Not only can you use a program for routing but you can turn off unnecessary details.

adamis · 01-27-2004, 02:40 PM

Is streets and trips bitmap based or vector based? If it's based off of mapquest it must be vector based then. I always thought it was bitmap based. I guess they switched map resources from ST98 to ST04.

sxpert · 01-28-2004, 11:04 AM

they're all using data from either Teleatlas or NavTech

barb3tta · 01-29-2004, 12:48 PM

Hi all!

The idea of an open source map database sounds good...
If all linux user with a gps and a palm/notebook/carputer join this project, we could have maybe one user per area....
if users can edit maps of their town even without running forth and back the streets, things would be easier, 'cause more users could help... stupid example? I got a bitmap map, i got a portable gps, I can walk around my town, stop at every crossroads and write the global position on a sheet. When I go back home, I can scan the map, I can enter the information and add the speed limits or one-way indication of the streets....
It sounds a little complicated to me, don't know if you understand...
Anyway, I think that this proect can be done, 'cause I run the streets of my town/city thousands of times per-year...

sorry 4 da english!
bye

sxpert · 01-29-2004, 12:57 PM

You got the idea

Quote: Originally Posted by barb3tta

if users can edit maps of their town even without running forth and back the streets, things would be easier, 'cause more users could help... stupid example? I got a bitmap map, i got a portable gps, I can walk around my town, stop at every crossroads and write the global position on a sheet. When I go back home, I can scan the map, I can enter the information and add the speed limits or one-way indication of the streets....

yeah, however, that works for cities with straight streets

also, you have to take the width of the street into account... most current gps receivers have a 3 to 5 meters (9 to 15 feet) resolution, which is at most 2 street lanes

Quote:

Anyway, I think that this proect can be done, 'cause I run the streets of my town/city thousands of times per-year...

yes it can. The companies PAY thousand of people to go and get the data. It's no more complicated for the community to go and capture GPS data than it is to write a complete OS from scratch (despite whatever SCO is saying

)