56 lines
2.9 KiB
Markdown
Executable File
56 lines
2.9 KiB
Markdown
Executable File
# Navpoint Desktop v0.10dev
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[Navpoint](https://git.kj7rrv.com/kj7rrv/navpoint) makes the user's current
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location available in KML format over a local HTTP server (listening on
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`127.0.0.1`; external devices cannot connect). Its main purpose is to allow GPS
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tracking from a digital globe program such as [Google Earth
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Pro](https://www.google.com/earth/about). (Navpoint is not developed or
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endorsed by Google.)
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Navpoint makes the geographic data available in KML format at
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`http://127.0.0.1:8888/navpoint.kml`. The `navpoint_link.kml` file in this
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repository contains a link to this URL configured to update every three
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seconds; simply open this file in Google Earth or another compatible program to
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connect to Navpoint Desktop.
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## Connection modes
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Navpoint can obtain location information from two different sources. The first,
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recommended where possible, is from a USB GPS receiver that supports the [NMEA
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0183](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NMEA_0183) protocol. (A handheld GPS
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receiver connected to a computer may or may not work; it does not work with my
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Garmin GPSMAP 64st. Any common USB GPS dongle, such as [this one available from
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Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/VK-162-G-Mouse-External-Navigation-Raspberry/dp/B01EROIUEW/),
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should work, although, of course, I cannot guarantee that any particular device
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will be compatible with Navpoint. On Windows, USB mode should work
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out-of-the-box with a compatible GPS receiver; on Linux, your user account
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needs to be a member of the `dialout` group. If you get "Permission denied"
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errors from Navpoint, run `sudo usermod -a -G dialout $USER`, then log out and
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back in.
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Alternatively, you may use the [Navpoint
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Mobile](https://gallery.appinventor.mit.edu/?galleryid=2c18ee4d-4eed-452a-9228-de8e813820d1)
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Android app. This uses an Android phone's GPS receiver to obtain location data;
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however, it is typically less accurate than a USB module, and more likely to
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have problems. Navpoint Desktop runs a second HTTP server listening on the
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computer's local IP address (e.g. `192.168.x.x`), and the phone connects to
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this server and sends location updates via HTTP requests. If you want to use
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Navpoint Mobile, choose that option when opening Navpoint Desktop, then scan
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the QR code from Navpoint Mobile. (Make sure that your phone and computer are
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on the same Wi-Fi network, or that your phone's hotspot is on and your computer
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is connected to it.)
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## Licensing
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Navpoint Desktop is released under the [GNU General Public License
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v3.0](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.en.html), except the files
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`navpoint/get_ip.py` and `navpoint/fix_path.py`, which are released under
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[Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0
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International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) due to use of
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code published on Stack Overflow
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([`get_ip.py`](https://stackoverflow.com/a/28950776) and
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[`fix_path.py`](https://stackoverflow.com/a/53605128)).
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Navpoint Mobile is released under the [GNU General Public License
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v3.0](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.en.html).
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