Visit our Popular Forums

**hpeer** · 16-05-2019, 06:08

I think Fabian has it right. There are a lot of us who have some computer capability but it’s pretty small compared to the folks who are managing Ubuntu and OpenCPN.

It’s a pretty screwy situation. I’m no fan of Windows and feel uncomfortable with their constant poking around and updating stuff. I would much prefer a stable Linux solution. The discomfort there is in getting help and facing a learning curve.

OpenCPN itself is a bit of a curve. I’ve used paper and then faster charts all my life. I like that I get a consistent presentation created by professionals working on many decades of past learning. From a cognition perspective the professional faster charts are really good. When I enter the world of OpenCPN I can’t read text and see soundings etc. it never occurred to me that those would be user adjustable or that I should have to read through a users manual to find out how read the charts.

I fully understand that there are OpenCPN gurus here who disdain my viewpoint and who communicate that disdain clearly and I’ll likely get blasted for this post. None the less I suspect that this is a hurdle to mass acceptance. I also suspect there are valid reasons for the controls and they are necessary, not second guessing the originators work. Just pointing out that the Linux/OpenCPN move is a big step for many of us.

**hpeer** · 16-05-2019, 06:11

I fussed with Navigatrix for a while. They had an install tool I used that downloaded both the Linux code and the Navigatrix app and a fair help site.

There was an ability to put the operating system, the app, and the charts all in a USB stick. Then you could set up a Windows system to look for a USB on start up. The package was lean enough that is would run reasonably well off the USB.

Is that a model that could be of value here?

fgd3 · 16-05-2019, 06:13

I think you meant "raster" charts where you wrote "faster" charts. Except for that I agree with what you said. I too prefer raster charts for their consistent presentation.

Fabbian

rgleason · 16-05-2019, 06:29

My comments/questions are in bold and inline.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hpeer

OpenCPN itself is a bit of a curve. I’ve used paper and then faster[raster RNC?] charts all my life. I like that I get a consistent presentation created by professionals working on many decades of past learning. From a cognition perspective the professional faster[raster RNC?] charts are really good. When I enter the world of OpenCPN I can’t read text and see soundings etc. it never occurred to me that those would be user adjustable or that I should have to read through a users manual to find out how read the charts.

[Are you talking about digital ENC charts? - OpenCPN supports both Raster RNC and Digital Vector ENC Charts!!!]

I fully understand that there are OpenCPN gurus here who disdain my viewpoint and who communicate that disdain clearly and I’ll likely get blasted for this post. [Ok I took the bait here, no need to blast anyone. Just trying to understand you. BTW - I am not in the guru category.] None the less I suspect that this is a hurdle to mass acceptance. [What is a hurdle to mass acceptance? -The controls on digital Vector ENC charts?] I also suspect there are valid reasons for the controls and they are necessary, not second guessing the originators work. Just pointing out that the Linux/OpenCPN move is a big step for many of us. [I think you are conflating things here, one thing at a time,please. -OpenCPN operation, separately OS]

I think it is time to do some reading about the Chart Types
https://opencpn.org/wiki/dokuwiki/do..._manual:charts

BTW Fabbian thank you for the overview of your experience with Linux and Windows. Very interesting.

**Dockhead** · 16-05-2019, 07:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by conachair

Mint is pretty popular, you could try a few booting from a pen drive -
https://www.google.com/search?q=linu...hrome&ie=UTF-8
https://linuxmint.com/about.php

Not sure if the repositories are set up for Opencpn but that's just a one off to set.

But Mint is one of the heavier ones, isn't it?

conachair · 16-05-2019, 08:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dockhead

But Mint is one of the heavier ones, isn't it?

Not sure, I think to see whats what you'd need to measure and plot current, with little running there might not be much difference.

Just wired up a little ammeter-signalk to plot current, Pi is more than I thought but still not huge. Start of the plot is a laptop finishing charging the internal batt. Might do a few tests with pendrive linux at some point to see if there's much in it.

Great fun this

Slight drift but I love that little hifiberry amp plugged on top of the Pi, looks about 60mA to stream this weeks favourite web streaming radio

verkerkbr · 16-05-2019, 08:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dockhead

But Mint is one of the heavier ones, isn't it?

Mint works also excellent on an older system.

You can take a version with a lighter interface. Called Xfce. The latest version Tessa is based on Bionic.

Works very wel. But the advice is to upgrade to the latest files.

(sudo apt update) en then (sudo apt upgrade).

OpenCPN is server based, so that all new updates are available.

Regards,

Bram

Moo · 17-05-2019, 17:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dockhead

But Mint is one of the heavier ones, isn't it?

I use Mint xfce on low power systems and it is very light on resources. Nice desktop UI too.

In my experience Mint is one of the least painful distros to install. On all the hardware that I have tried it on it just works.

Try a live version first. You can boot it from a usb drive.

I've just had OCPN running on Mint on a low powered nettop with a GPS usb puck and a SDR AIS receiver running AISdeco for about six weeks non-stop without a glitch. I have also been using the same machine to remotly hack my remote RPi weather station, browse the net etc.. It has been super solid and the XFCE desk should present few hurdles to a windows user. Its very similar.

**Dockhead** · 18-05-2019, 00:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moo

I use Mint xfce on low power systems and it is very light on resources. Nice desktop UI too.

In my experience Mint is one of the least painful distros to install. On all the hardware that I have tried it on it just works.

Try a live version first. You can boot it from a usb drive.

I've just had OCPN running on Mint on a low powered nettop with a GPS usb puck and a SDR AIS receiver running AISdeco for about six weeks non-stop without a glitch. I have also been using the same machine to remotly hack my remote RPi weather station, browse the net etc.. It has been super solid and the XFCE desk should present few hurdles to a windows user. Its very similar.

OK, that sounds great!

Anyone using Mint with OpenCPN?

My current machine crashes a lot (multiple times a day) whenever I have oeSenc charts in use. In a seaway, with the boat moving around, if I try to scroll with the mouse wheel to zoom in or out, and there is a movement which gives a mouse cursor movement at the same time -- instant, guaranteed crash.

Not sure this is not a software problem vs a computer/OS problem, but this computer crashes a lot. My suspicion is lack of resources.

verkerkbr · 18-05-2019, 00:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dockhead

OK, that sounds great!

Anyone using Mint with OpenCPN?

My current machine crashes a lot (multiple times a day) whenever I have oeSenc charts in use. In a seaway, with the boat moving around, if I try to scroll with the mouse wheel to zoom in or out, and there is a movement which gives a mouse cursor movement at the same time -- instant, guaranteed crash.

Not sure this is not a software problem vs a computer/OS problem, but this computer crashes a lot. My suspicion is lack of resources.

Linux Mint works great in combination with Linux.

Because Linux is Multitasking, you can simply open a second window also running OpenCPN with Oesenc charts.

Then with some adjusting you have a detailed chart and an overview chart. With one click you switch from one to the other.

Running Linux Mint XFCE on an older small EEE pc B203.

You can always try Linux first with bootable CD or USB stick.

Regards,

Bram

Moo · 18-05-2019, 01:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dockhead

OK, that sounds great!

Anyone using Mint with OpenCPN?

My current machine crashes a lot (multiple times a day) whenever I have oeSenc charts in use. In a seaway, with the boat moving around, if I try to scroll with the mouse wheel to zoom in or out, and there is a movement which gives a mouse cursor movement at the same time -- instant, guaranteed crash.

Not sure this is not a software problem vs a computer/OS problem, but this computer crashes a lot. My suspicion is lack of resources.

Hardly anybody I know uses a mouse at sea. Use a trackball - the Logitec M570 is almost universal.

And yes I'm using it.