[NTLUG:Discuss] Linux Friendly GPS?

[Rick Cook]

On Friday 09 October 2009 16:21:14 Kenneth Loafman wrote:
> Daniel Hauck wrote:
> > (2009年10月09日 12:12), Kevin E. Ivey wrote:
> >> Daniel Hauck wrote:
> >>> I am preparing to move to the east coast for two or more years and
> >>> it is an area that I am not familiar with. For years I have wanted
> >>> a GPS drive device but have never been able to really justify it
> >>> because I pretty much know how to get around all over Texas. But
> >>> this will be different.
> >>>
> >>> So I am interested in recommendations on the most Linux friendly
> >>> GPS drive device available. Anyone with experiences and
> >>> recommendations?
> >>
> >> Howdy,
> >>
> >> I have had very good experiences with just about any self-contained
> >> GPS receivers working with Linux and GPSDrive specifically.
> >>
> >> The receiver I use the most is a Garmin GPS-16.  It is a receiver
> >> and antenna sealed in a plastic lump that outputs serial NMEA data
> >> read through the serial port of my old Dell Laptop.
> >>
> >> Most modern portable computers have no serial ports, so a USB or
> >> Bluetooth receiver is required.  The USB receivers must emulate a
> >> serial port in order to work, unless the software can read a NMEA
> >> stream through the USB interface.  Bluetooth works around this by
> >> only having a physical USB connection to the Bluetooth transceiver. 
> >> BT works right out of the box in Linux, so getting the GPS data is
> >> just like receiving a file or an audio stream.
> >>
> >> I'm not sure which devices use the various formats for GPS data, but
> >> XGPS and GPSDrive work with serial NMEA output and with the
> >> Bluetooth devices.
> >>
> >> So, I guess it depends on your computer and the type of ports
> >> available.
> >>
> >> Hope that helps,
> >>
> >> keVIn
> >
> > Actually, I was asking about something like TomTom or Garmin devices
> > that plot routes and speak to me and do not merely receive GPS data
> > and relay it to a computer. I should have been more specific.
> 
> Garmin devices work well, but not with Linux directly.  I use mine
>  under XP running on VMware and the USB access works well.  I've looked
>  for a Linux based GPS device, but found none to be had.  Most of the
>  storage formats are proprietary and that makes hacking them a bit
>  tedious.
> 
> ...Ken
> 

I have a Magellan eXplorist 600 that works reasonably well with Linux 
(connecting via gpsd). It's really set up to be a handheld device, 
however, I used it for a couple of years for car navigation. It's 
navigation queue's are visual with tones to let you know when to pay 
attention - no speaking.

It also work well attached to my Linux laptop via USB. I used it 
interactively with GPSDrive and roadmap as basically larger format maps. I 
could also copy tracks from the eXplorist using its USB drive mode, 
convert them to google compatible files (KML) using gpsbabel and import 
them to googleearth for display (or into roadmap - not KML format).

Not exactly what you were looking for, however, most of what I have done 
above would most likely work with any GPS that outputs NMEA via a gpsd 
compatible interface.


Rick