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Hi, I just switched over to Linux from Windows XP and was wondering if there are any Linux users out there who could point me in the direction that I must go in order to obtain some handy Mapping/waypoint software for Ubuntu. I've already got Google Earth installed, and it works great. I also have Wine installed, but I have not attempted running any windows software with it yet.

 

Any help would be appreciated! Thanks, Chad F. of K&F Enterprises

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Hi,

 

I'm a linux user too :o but have relinquished myself to running an older laptop with Windows 2000 so I can make use of the Mapping software. I've tried unsuccessfully to run it in Codeweavers Crossover Office and have not had any luck with wine.

 

You could always wait until Garmin releases it for the MAC later this year and buy new hardware and software LOL.

 

p.s. i'm talking about Garmin's Mapsource program which is the only software you can use to load maps.

Edited by moonpup
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If you need to convert files in linux, you can install gps babel. thats about as far as i got using linux with my 60cx. I have put the 60cx into USB mass storage mode and can see it in linux, now if only garmin would add waypoint ability off the data card, I would be happy.

 

also there is other software to upload your maps other than mapsource, and you can make your own maps or upload the ones you bought form garmin. I've used img2gps more than once to upload my maps, though never in linux.

Edited by hogrod
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Go over to the GSAK forums at www.gsak.net where there is a discussion on running GSAK under Linux. Also some generic information about using Wine to run other Windoze applications under Linux.

 

I have GSAK running with Wine under Ubuntu and uploading to my GPS60 over the serial cable. USB is a problem for Babel and Garmin because of a USB driver. Not running any map programs like Streets and Trips because I have no need for it on that machine.

 

I am able to download my .gpx files from GC.com, import them to GSAK and load my GPS all without Windoze. Life is good.

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USB is a problem for Babel and Garmin because of a USB driver.
Ahem. USB is fine for GPSBabel under either Linux OR Windows. USB is a problem for Wine. :-)

 

But do you use any maps such as Topo or City Navigator?? You're going to need windows for that :)
Units can be "filled" with a borrowed a Windows system. Most of us transfer waypoints/tracks/routes hundreds of times more often than we transfer maps.

 

It's a good argument for big memory devices for those users that have only inconvenient access to Windows but do travel. Many users don't cache outside of an area of a few dozen MB of maps.

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Sorry about not getting back to this discussion... but I work two jobs and life has been a bit hectic the past couple of days... anywho.. I am currently using a Lowrance iWay 100... Not for caching however; I only use it to navigate to and from destinations. I used to have a Magellan Meridian Gold - which I terribly miss - until my caching buddy absent-mindedly left it on the roof of my car.. (oops...)

 

For caching I share my buddy's Etrex Legend.

 

The type of software I was concerned about the most was waypoint software, like GSAK. But, I was hoping that I would be able to find a program like Maptech with topo maps for any given area.

 

Also, if anybody has any hints as to compiling and installing the software on http://geo.rkkda.com/ it would be greatly appreciated. I've tried to compile and install programs many times in UBUNTU but with no success. I generally use the sudo apt-get install command. That doesn't help though when the program you want is not in any of your software repositories.

 

Thanks.

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Ahem. USB is fine for GPSBabel under either Linux OR Windows. USB is a problem for Wine. :-)

 

Correct. I was not clear enough. My comment referred to running GSAK under Wine but did not say so explicitly. "Problem" was not the right word either. I should have simply said; "USB upload to my Garmin by GSAK/Babel under Linux/Wine is the only feature I have do not have working" That would have been more accurate as I was not intending to specify why the feature did not work.

Edited by two left feet
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Hi,

 

I'm a linux user too :) but have relinquished myself to running an older laptop with Windows 2000 so I can make use of the Mapping software. I've tried unsuccessfully to run it in Codeweavers Crossover Office and have not had any luck with wine.

 

You could always wait until Garmin releases it for the MAC later this year and buy new hardware and software LOL.

 

p.s. i'm talking about Garmin's Mapsource program which is the only software you can use to load maps.

 

Tried Vmplayer with a install of Windows XP? Might allow you to only have one laptop.

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FYI, I just saw this thread and thought I should mention I've recently started an opensource project for geocaching software which works on linux (actually, that's where I develop it). It should work on windows/mac too but I havent' tested it there (anyone wanna give it a go? let me know).

 

It's very new but is already quite powerufl and fast (database oriented for fast searches). Right now it's all command line based and I wouldn't quite trust your data to it for another couple of weeks till I get the schema to where I want it to go. However, I'd love opinions on it and desired features if you're looking for geocaching software on linux, unix or any platform that is.

 

http://geoqo.sourceforge.net/

 

(it's perl based... it should work anywhere)

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You could always download vmware server for free, and run windows in that....

 

http://www.vmware.com/products/server/

 

then you've got windows only when you want it!

 

Another alternative to VMWare is QEMU

http://fabrice.bellard.free.fr/qemu/

 

I just got done building QEMU (with KQEMU acceleration), so if I get a chance this weekend, I'll try building a windoze vm and run mapsource, see how it works. I don't know if I'm gonna have time though.

 

KQEMU is a binary only accelerator that improves runtime speed. There is an opensource alternate, but I don't remember it at off the top of my head.

 

If you use gentoo, just emerge -vp qemu (make sure you have the kqemu use flag enabled to get the binary only accelerator).

 

I plan on one day trying all the opensource linux native stuff listed here. It's really cool to see things like this.

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I am able to download my .gpx files from GC.com, import them to GSAK and load my GPS all without Windoze. Life is good.

 

But do you use any maps such as Topo or City Navigator?? You're going to need windows for that :blink:

 

Why would you need windoze for that (at least for serial units)?

 

sendmap20 runs on linux. I use MapSource as little as possible, even on my windoze boxen.

 

Over time the wine users may start having more success running MapSource under wine. For more info, bookmark this one and check back every once in a while:

http://appdb.winehq.org/appview.php?iAppId=227

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I'm a linux geek as well, but as often as Windows lets me down, I still keep a copy just for the sake of not having to deal with figuring out program conversions or using an emulator and such. I'd highly recommend doing a dual boot. Setup about 10-15 Gb on your hard drive for Windows, install it, and then install Linux and it's swap partition to the rest of the drive. You can use Lilo to dual boot between them. It's easy and it lets you just use Windows for those essential tasks easier done in Windows.

 

If you want an extensive how-to on dual booting and dual installing, let me know and I can make one up for you. Good luck! Oh, and Suse 10.1 with KDE rocks; you should try it. :rolleyes:

 

-Hybridgeek

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sendmap20 runs on linux. I use MapSource as little as possible, even on my windoze boxen.

 

Over time the wine users may start having more success running MapSource under wine. For more info, bookmark this one and check back every once in a while:

http://appdb.winehq.org/appview.php?iAppId=227

 

I used to use mapsource under wine a lot, but then later versions of wine made it stop working (isn't that sad).

 

Didn't know about sendmap20, I'll have to check that out.

>

I plan on making geoqo (http://geoqo.sourceforge.net/) output a cool google earth overlay in the not-to-distant future.

 

Previously I had said geoqo was very alpha, but it's much improved now and already does things I don't think any other GC package out there does... First release very soon.

 

Show this example to you windows friends. snicker.:

 

> geoqo -s 'cache:desc=unusual&&cache:owner_name=Yamar' -d list
num GCID	 Name
1   GCJ66H   Gone Fishin' (Yamar's unusual #4)
2   GCHW9M   The eyes have it (Yamar's unusual #1)
3   GCJ491   O where art thou (Yamar's unusual #2)
4   GCJ5DV   Inverted Cache (Yamar's unusual #3)
5   GCQEBQ   Yamar's Unusual #6: The ORB

> geoqo -s 'cache:desc=unusual&&cache:owner_name=Yamar' -m translate:source=English,destination=Spanish -d list
num GCID	 Name
1   GCJ66H   Fishin allé '(4) peu commun de Yamar #
2   GCHW9M   Les yeux l'ont (1) peu commun de Yamar #
3   GCJ491   O où thou d'art (2) peu commun de Yamar #
4   GCJ5DV   Cachette inversée (3) peu commun de Yamar #
5   GCQEBQ   6 Peu communs De Yamar # : Le CORPS ROND

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