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need help with GPSDrive in Linux


frefel

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Is anyone using GPSDrive out there? I´ve downloaded it, it looks great, but can´t figure out how to get to a setup menu and how to get the app to recognize my Garmin gpsr. Of course it doesn´t help that I´m a Linux newbie also.

Thanks for any offered advice.

 

to use gpsdrive, you need to have gpsd installed. If you have a USB Garmin, like Vista HCx, you also need to recompile the kernel with the garmin module enabled to have the device recognized. What gps model and which distro you have?

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Is anyone using GPSDrive out there? I´ve downloaded it, it looks great, but can´t figure out how to get to a setup menu and how to get the app to recognize my Garmin gpsr. Of course it doesn´t help that I´m a Linux newbie also.

Thanks for any offered advice.

 

to use gpsdrive, you need to have gpsd installed. If you have a USB Garmin, like Vista HCx, you also need to recompile the kernel with the garmin module enabled to have the device recognized. What gps model and which distro you have?

 

Thanks for the reply BurnAss.

I already have gpsd installed. I have both an old eTrex Venture which I´ve saved because it uses a serial connection and a newer eTrex USB Vista C. Distro - Ubuntu 8.04

Now when you say I need to ¨recompile the kernal¨ you have left me in the dust.

 

I am trying to achieve a useful Linux OS but for the present the only thing that works flawlessly for me is the Firefox browser, because it ¨runs out of the box¨. I´ve read a couple of Ubuntu get started books but they told me nothing about recompiling the kernel. I figure my progress from now on is by doing things with the patient help of forum contributors like yourself (whom I view as extremely generous) since I doubt there is a single source of info for beginners to deal with the myriad steps to make some apps function (Skype, GPSTurbo, Google Earth, Palm syncing etc.). Too many support sites require a pretty advanced background in Linux. So, in short, I´m going to need a lot of really basic explanations to get there but I figure these are the same questions a lot of potential Linux users will be asking also, so it should result in a public good.

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Hi frefel,

 

I'm in the same boat as yours except the fact that I was able to install GPSDrive on my box. It's working flawlessly ! Problem is I played a lot with it before getting it to work.

 

If I'm not mistaken, you have to make sure that the gps works when you plug it in. To do so, before plugging your usb gps, run "dmesg" in the command line. You'll see some output. Plug in your garmin and run dmesg once again. You should see some new lines in the output telling you about the garmin.

 

Copy those lines here and I'll try to give you a hand on this.

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Hi frefel,

 

I'm in the same boat as yours except the fact that I was able to install GPSDrive on my box. It's working flawlessly ! Problem is I played a lot with it before getting it to work.

 

If I'm not mistaken, you have to make sure that the gps works when you plug it in. To do so, before plugging your usb gps, run "dmesg" in the command line. You'll see some output. Plug in your garmin and run dmesg once again. You should see some new lines in the output telling you about the garmin.

 

Copy those lines here and I'll try to give you a hand on this.

 

Thanks DarkAngel188

 

Here is the result of a not connected then connected X´s 2 from the dmesg command:

506.750020] usb 1-1.2: new full speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 4

[ 506.801597] usb 1-1.2: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice

[ 581.167363] usb 1-1.2: USB disconnect, address 4

[ 1696.115672] usb 1-1.2: new full speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 5

[ 1696.244768] usb 1-1.2: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice

[ 1714.942420] usb 1-1.2: USB disconnect, address 5

[ 1724.267150] usb 1-1.2: new full speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 6

[ 1724.288540] usb 1-1.2: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice

 

It´s all greek to me but it does look like the eTrex is being seen, although not as a Garmin device in particular.

Edited by frefel
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Here is the result of a not connected then connected X´s 2 from the dmesg command:

506.750020] usb 1-1.2: new full speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 4

[ 506.801597] usb 1-1.2: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice

[ 581.167363] usb 1-1.2: USB disconnect, address 4

[ 1696.115672] usb 1-1.2: new full speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 5

[ 1696.244768] usb 1-1.2: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice

[ 1714.942420] usb 1-1.2: USB disconnect, address 5

[ 1724.267150] usb 1-1.2: new full speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 6

[ 1724.288540] usb 1-1.2: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice

 

It´s all greek to me but it does look like the eTrex is being seen, although not as a Garmin device in particular.

 

The Garmin driver is not activated in the kernel according to the output, otherwise it will say "Garmin driver" somewhere. Not trying to discourage you, but recompiling a kernel is not a easy task. If you just started Linux and only made Firefox working, you might want to spend time and energy on something else first and come back playing with the kernel later. Because the kernel is the core of the OS, if something goes wrong, you might need to reinstall the OS again. If you have the time and patient, or come back in the future, here is the procedure:

# su

# cd /usr/src/linux

# make menuconfig

go to device driver/ USB support/ usb serial support/ garmin driver support

and enable it either as a module or compile in kernel.

# make && make modules && make modules_install

update the grub config file.

 

If you want to just see some GPS output for now, try this:

install gpsbabel and run the following in quote in a terminal: "gpsbabel -T -i garmin -f usb:"

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If you want to just see some GPS output for now, try this:

install gpsbabel and run the following in quote in a terminal: "gpsbabel -T -i garmin -f usb:"

 

Thanks for the reply BurnAss.

You are spot on correct in saying I shouldn´t attempt to recompile the kernel at my level of knowledge. And you were again right in suggesting that at this point it would be satisfying to just see some activity between my eTrex and computer. However, as seems to be discouragingly common with Linux tasks, I can´t even make the code you supplied work. I´m getting: ¨kernel driver blocking access to USB device > hotplug website > explanations for various versions of Ubuntu but not Hardy (mine) and mention in Gutsy note that it is not certain if kernel works natively or not. I´m not sure what to do from here.

 

While I´m at it, how do I use the Options that are displayed on opening gpsbabel? Could you give me an example?

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gpsbabel will not work if the garmin_gps kernel driver is loaded. This is interesting since dmesg showed no sign of garmin_gps module when you had the gps plugged in. Maybe garmin_gps driver some how does not recognize the device. I only used garmin_gps and gpsdrive briefly and nowhere can claim an expert on this. You might want to go to the gpsd site for help.

 

One thing you can try is do a lsmod to see if the garmin_gps driver is loaded as a module. If it is, you can use rmmod to unload it and try the gpsbabel command again. But if you don't see it with lsmod, which is rare, most likely it is hard compiled in the kernel and again, you need to recompile the kernel to remove it.

 

There are way too many options for gpsbabel but most users just need 3 or 4 of those. I don't understand what you mean of the "displayed options". My guess is it is the option windows when you run the command in your X environment. Try to run it in a terminal and do a "gpsbabel --help"

 

By the way, if you want to be good at linux, a terminal is your closest friend.

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gpsbabel will not work if the garmin_gps kernel driver is loaded. This is interesting since dmesg showed no sign of garmin_gps module when you had the gps plugged in. Maybe garmin_gps driver some how does not recognize the device. I only used garmin_gps and gpsdrive briefly and nowhere can claim an expert on this. You might want to go to the gpsd site for help.

 

One thing you can try is do a lsmod to see if the garmin_gps driver is loaded as a module. If it is, you can use rmmod to unload it and try the gpsbabel command again. But if you don't see it with lsmod, which is rare, most likely it is hard compiled in the kernel and again, you need to recompile the kernel to remove it.

 

There are way too many options for gpsbabel but most users just need 3 or 4 of those. I don't understand what you mean of the "displayed options". My guess is it is the option windows when you run the command in your X environment. Try to run it in a terminal and do a "gpsbabel --help"

 

By the way, if you want to be good at linux, a terminal is your closest friend.

[/quote

 

That is helpful, thanks. I´ll look more at the gpsd site.

There is nothing with the name Garmin listed in lsmod. Bummer.

 

Here is the screen I was referring to when I open gpsbabel via Terminal:

 

INTYPE and OUTTYPE must be one of the supported file types and

may include options valid for that file type. For example:

'gpx', 'gpx,snlen=10' and 'ozi,snlen=10,snwhite=1'

(without the quotes) are all valid file type specifications.

 

Options:

-p Preferences file (gpsbabel.ini)

-s Synthesize shortnames

-r Process route information

-t Process track information

-w Process waypoint information [default]

-b Process command file (batch mode)

-c Character set for next operation

-N No smart icons on output

-x filtername Invoke filter (place between inputs and output)

-D level Set debug level [0]

-l Print GPSBabel builtin character sets and exit

-h, -? Print detailed help and exit

-V Print GPSBabel version and exit

 

 

[Press enter]

 

I´m assuming this is the working page to run gpsbabel from.

Those (above) are the displayed options I was referring to.

I´ll check the Help section.

As for the terminal usage I can see it´s value but one needs to know the language to be able to communicate with it.

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two ways to get help about a particular command:

# man <command>

# <command> --help

 

To find out the existence of a command, 1) ask around, 2) google it.

 

Back to your question. Since you mentioned using Ubuntu 8.04, I googled the gpsbabel it comes with. Turn out, it is packaged with gpsbabel 1.3.3. I had serious trouble making 1.3.4 to work with my garmin.

 

In short, to make it work,

1) recompile the kernel with garmin_gps driver disabled;

2)upgrade gpsbabel to 1.3.5.

 

Neither one is easy task. Again, you might want to get comfortable with Linux before trying. Here are two links from google search that might be useful:

 

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=457115

http://www.funzt.info/?p=141

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