BsB4 plugin for Linux?

[jakobcornelis]

Why is the BSB4 plugin available only for Windows? I have just started OpenCPN in a Linux OS, but all my charts (Canada) are BSB4 (except for some older ones), so it's not working.

[bdbcat]

jakob...
Welcome aboard.

As you know, BSB4 charts are encrypted, and unlocked for a particular PC by a key tied tightly to the individual PC's fingerprint.

The publisher of the BSB4 charts provides a decryption interface for Windows only. Why? I suppose at the time BSB4 was developed and initially released, linux was a very small player in the PC chart plotter space. Android did not even exist. And now, there seems to be no new development going on in BSB4. Not enough vocal customer demand for alternate interfaces.

It may be possible to obtain the confidential BSB4 API specs from Maptech under some non-disclosure arrangement. That would enable creation of a BSB4 PlugIn for linux and Mac. Might be worth a query to Maptech, anyway.

Dave

[jakobcornelis]

Thanks for the info. I think I'll let it go. I was looking for a nav program that will run on Linux, which is my default OS, so I could get away from Windows. It seems OpenCPN is not it. So I'll stick with my Fugawi on Windows. Appreciate your response.

jakobcornelis

[rooiedirk]

OpenCPN is running fine under wine. Also loading the bsb plugin under wine works.
Due to a lack of bsb4 charts I was not able to do a real world test.

Offcourse this is not what you would really want, but could work.

[Firestorm]

I know that this is an old thread, however....

I have been using OpenCPN for two years on a 2005 Panasonic CF-29 Toughbook running XP. With the demise of XP I have made the leap to Linux Mint on a 2006 Lenovo T60P Thinkpad. Needless to say I was somewhat discourage to hear that I may not be able to use my Canadian Charts on OpenCPN.

However, my situation is different than Jakob's I believe. The difference is that my charts are not encrypted, as they were purchased prior to encryption being implemented. (Yes, I know that they are OLD! But I have been using them successfully for many years now.)

Since these files are not encrypted, is there a way to copy them into my charts folder and point to them in OpenCPM?

Thanks for any help that can be provided.

Bryan

Originally Posted by bdbcat

jakob...
Welcome aboard.

As you know, BSB4 charts are encrypted, and unlocked for a particular PC by a key tied tightly to the individual PC's fingerprint.

The publisher of the BSB4 charts provides a decryption interface for Windows only. Why? I suppose at the time BSB4 was developed and initially released, linux was a very small player in the PC chart plotter space. Android did not even exist. And now, there seems to be no new development going on in BSB4. Not enough vocal customer demand for alternate interfaces.

It may be possible to obtain the confidential BSB4 API specs from Maptech under some non-disclosure arrangement. That would enable creation of a BSB4 PlugIn for linux and Mac. Might be worth a query to Maptech, anyway.

Dave

[Firestorm]

Hi folks.

FYI, I was able to get OpenCPN to read my Canadian BSB files in my Linux Mint install of OpenCPN. I simply copied the charts off the CD to my hard drive charts folder and then added the directory in Options/Charts in OpenCPN. The charts work like a charm on OpenCPN!

As Dave pointed out in an earlier post, this will probably not work for newer Canadian BSB charts.

Regards,

Bryan

[jakobcornelis]

I have now installed opencpn in wine on a linux OS; that went OK. I also installed the plug-in for unlocking BSB4. Did everything opencpn said. It won't read the BSB4 (Canadian) charts - even though they are the original downloads, with enscription codes and all. I don't know what to do next. Any suggestions, anyone? Sorry, rooiedirk, didn't see your post last year. You made any progress along this line?

Jake