OCPN for Android Proof of Concept and Teaser....

[rgleason]

Gerhart why not dream/play/ trial a little? It informs and might even help mac!

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[CarCode]

Originally Posted by rgleason

Gerhart why not dream/play/ trial a little? It informs and might even help mac!

Yes of course, dreaming is nice. But since 17 months we do not have a new stable version of OpenCPN and the work of Hubert to provide S63 charts is for nothing when there still is no finished s63 plugin.

Gerhard

[Gilletarom]

Somewhere Carcode right. There is a strong demand for a new stable version running under Windows. Concurence benefited.

Carcode but also wrong, because there is also a strong demand for a tablet running on android versions.

Finally, he had to develop as O on Linux or Mac? How long lost especially for Linux version whose future is in doubt as a consumer operating system.


Dave, I think you have to make a choice. I understand the expectations of the "general public", there are now two full concurrency systems: Windows and Android. That Mac aficionados forgive me.

Best regards, Gilletarom.

[seandepagnier]

About 10% of downloads for opencpn are for linux systems, and I would argue for an open source project it is by far the most important platform to support. It is better for development.

The android work is not going to be in the way of a stable release and will likely come after.

Sometimes fixing annoying bugs that are difficult to reproduce can be tedious, and boring, while new features is more interesting, so if the developer feels this, rather than doing nothing, they can make new features.

I have setup android inside qemu, but am still waiting for dave's instructions to reproduce the build he made because he is way ahead of me dealing with android stuff. I understand how to make it work on wxqt under linux.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by boat_alexandra

About 10% of downloads for opencpn are for linux systems, and I would argue for an open source project it is by far the most important platform to support. It is better for development.

The android work is not going to be in the way of a stable release and will likely come after.

(...)

So, 10% to Linux, while users of over 1 billion of Android devices stand no chance to vote (with their downloads).

I know of no single OpenCPN user who runs a Linux machine here (the EU side of the pond).

I fully understand there are limitations and issues and all this.

And the future is mobile and the mobile world is iThing, Android and Win.

My vote goes for an Android App, even if it be a core functionality to start with.

Regards,
b.

[bcn]

There are even more than 10% of the user base running under Linux, as we don't see the downloads from some repositories.
Or the bundled systems like Navigatrix.....

And even if we lack of some more developer capacity for Mac OS this is another stable audience as well. Another 10+ %. The both together one fourth perhaps.

And as the main developers are working on Linux as their main platform, one reason more for the IXes....

3.3.2118 is in a quite good shape already so for me we are in the final sprint.

Hubert

[seandepagnier]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

So, 10% to Linux, while users of over 1 billion of Android devices stand no chance to vote (with their downloads).

My vote goes for an Android App, even if it be a core functionality to start with.

Yes, well, I completely agree. After all I spent about a month working to make wxqt capable of running opencpn which allowed it to run natively on android and was the whole point of this thread. I imagine the number of android users will be 30% or more, but maybe more.

[rgleason]

Yes, but I am still going to config permanent boat co.puter as linux!!!

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[bcn]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

I know of no single OpenCPN user who runs a Linux machine here (the EU side of the pond).

Regards,
b.

Having a look into for example Spanish forums you will find quiet a bunch of people that are experimenting with Linux systems. All sizes and often motivated to keep the energy budget low. And the € budget as well..

From our S-63 users I can tell you that they replicate the percentages we have seen in general. Sailing the German Bight for example.

What happens with Android, this is deciding Google. And we don't know their business plan.
That is NOT a vote against an Android port, but I'm just not very enthusiastic about the big G.

Hubert

[seandepagnier]

Originally Posted by bcn

That is NOT a vote against an Android port, but I'm just not very enthusiastic about the big G.

I think it is important to have as many ports as possible especially for popular operating systems. Now that opencpn can run under wxqt, blackberry and ios (ipad etc) should already be possible.

[cagney]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

.........

I know of no single OpenCPN user who runs a Linux machine here (the EU side of the pond).



Regards,
b.

I could easily say something flippant ........
I have been using O on the eastern side of The Pond, since Dave made it compile on Ubuntu, early summer of 2008.

Have a look at this page showing the total downloads of 3.2.2

Download Statistics: opencpn/3.2.2

Thomas

[Gilletarom]

Hello,

Originally Posted by cagney

.....

Have a look at this page showing the total downloads of 3.2.2

Download Statistics: opencpn/3.2.2

Thomas

Sorry, now i can see this page.

And, it seem that mac is more downloaded that Linux ....

[bcn]

No problem here - top country France

[Wrong]

Originally Posted by bcn

Having a look into for example Spanish forums you will find quiet a bunch of people that are experimenting with Linux systems. All sizes and often motivated to keep the energy budget low. And the € budget as well..

From our S-63 users I can tell you that they replicate the percentages we have seen in general. Sailing the German Bight for example.

What happens with Android, this is deciding Google. And we don't know their business plan.
That is NOT a vote against an Android port, but I'm just not very enthusiastic about the big G.

Hubert

There is an enormous amount of knowledge, experience and energy in the community of android developers. Just take a look at XDA Developers and the Tegra Owners web sites.

BigPart Repartition Upgrade and Resource Cen… | Motorola Xoom | XDA Forums
Forum TegraOwners • TegraOwners Community Nvidia Tegra2 Tablets, Phones - ROM, Apps,

Why? Developers here understand how these devices are partitioned and the boot process. Some devices have been successfully modified with dual boot capabilities, giving users a choice between booting into linux or android. Why not avoid the huge uphill battle trying to rewrite OpenCPN to run on android, when there's already a linux version? There's a lot of cumulative and varied programmiing talent among people participating in the development of OpenCPN, and I'll bet if an effort was made to combine this with input from developers in the android community we would have an elegant approach to enabling linux 'natively' on most portable devices initially sold with the android operating system.

My solution to getting OpenCPN on android devices may not be the best approach, but currently there ain't any other way. For years I was forced to have Windows on my dual boot computers because there was no linux nav program capable of using CM93 charts. CMAP was my only choice. Then I discovered OpenCPN and it was a cathartic experience wiping Windows off my computer.

Finding an elegant solution to installing linux natively on most if not all android devices may be a much simpler approach to running OpenCPN on these wonderful small devices.

Why not establish contact with the android developers and make it a cooperative effort?

[seandepagnier]

Originally Posted by Wrong

Why not avoid the huge uphill battle trying to rewrite OpenCPN to run on android, when there's already a linux version?
...
My solution to getting OpenCPN on android devices may not be the best approach, but currently there ain't any other way.

OpenCPN already runs on android, see the first post in this thread.

Why? I believe running linux inside android fails at:

1. Simplify installation that is like any other android "app"
2. Run without needing a complete linux system with all the extra disk space needed
3. Integrate better with android specific hardware (gps, accelerometers, filesystems etc..)
4. Provide opengl hardware acceleration which apparently doesn't work when running linux inside android