OpenCPN Linux / Ubuntu Issues and Questions

[yachtmanforfun]

Originally Posted by crienoloog

I'm using Ubuntu 9.10 and when downloaded, my packet installer gives me the following error: wrong architecture 'i386'
I believe I'm using something 64 bit [sorry very noob]...
How can I solve this? Thanks.

Hi,

I will assume that you are unable to actually install Opencpn 1.36 on your ubuntu 9.10 64 bit Operating system. As opposed to having installed it and then have issues. As some ubuntu users are finding withh the 1.36 version installing but not starting. And having to revert back to Opencpn 1.34 .deb.

I originally years ago put the 64 bit version of Ubuntu onto my brand spanking new AMD Dual Core 64 bit processor but I very quickly discovered that this offered absolutely no speed improvement and Just created millions of incompatibility issues. ubuntu 32 bit will run just fine on a 64 bit machine.

I see you have two options.

One.

either reinstall Ubuntu 32 bit deleting the 64 bit version or install a second version (dual boot of Ubuntu 32 bit) on your machine and then install Opencpn 1.36.

Two.

Download Virtualbox 64 bit version and install the 32 bit version as a virtual machine. Then run opencpn in the virtual box 32 bit ubuntu. Virtualbox should in theory pass through a serial port gps. but not sure about a bluetooth or usb GPS.

let me know what you decide to do.

george

PS I have not had time to comment on all the other users comments etc as my cruising life has come to a brief halt with my GF breaking her leg and temporarily having to move off the boat.

I have though writen a question to hackoon in the improved gnuais section re getting some help installing his Improved Gnuais. Which is something i am very excited about.

[Francois 260]

Hello,
I am French, of Mayotte, Canal of Mozambique. Excuse me, I do not speak English.
Opencpn Windows Xp: well
Opencpn Ubuntu 9.10: well
Opencpn Debian 5.0: 2 problems
- Error message: “(opencpn: 3315): Gtk-WARNING **: /tmp/buildd/gtk +2.0- 2.12.12/gtk/gtkwidget.c:8564: widget class “GtkPizza” has No property named “row-ending-details””
- Does not find charts CM93
I tried to use libwxbase2.8 and libwxgtk2.8 in testing, Ca does not go either.
An idea or a council? Thank you

[cagney]

Francois 260
Welcome to this OpenCPN forum!
The “GtkPizza” error message is probably harmless.
Can you actually start OpenCPN on Debian 5?
Do I understand you correct if I think that you can run CM93 on Ubuntu but not on Debian?
Are you using the 1.3.6 deb package, or are you trying to compile the source code?
libwxgtk2.8 works well with the deb package, but if you are trying to compile you need the dev packages and header package as well.

Thomas

[Francois 260]

Thomas,

Thank you for your answer.
Opencpn starts well under Debian 5.0, and all seems correct, except the reading of charts CM93.
I used package 1.3.6 deb, after having to download the libwxbase2.8 and libwxgtk2.8 which the package asked, in stable version.
Then, dpkg - I opencpn and Ca went, except for the charts. Once, I noted that I could read the CM93 if they were on a partition NTFS, but not on a partition Ext3 or Vfat. Odd?
As Ca did not go, I tested the 2 bookstores in version testing, Ca did not walk either.
Thank you
François

[Harryws]

I also have the same error: wrong architecture 'i386' error due to the same 64bit (Dell Inspiron) machine which is a dual boot with window7. On the latter opencpn works just fine and also on 9.10 Ubuntu remix on an eeePC 701. Unfortunately I do not have the option other than to run the 64bit Ubuntu.
The reason for Ubuntu is to get away from windows while on the yacht. It is not stable, get disk corruptions and have you ever tried to reinstall and validate windows while at anchor in a lonely reef in the Pacific.
Any chance that someone will assist with a 64bit Ubuntu install?
Regards Harry

[sredna]

If you install on a 64bit system, you should used a package compiled for that. There is no issues compiling or running openCPN on 64bin systems.

Anders

[Harryws]

I tried ./compile from within the directory and then make but on both occasions got a series of errors. I had previously installed some dependencies.
Maybe I dont understand your advice.
Regards
Harry

[cagney]

Francois 260
Please publish your log file so we can see what's going on with CM93.
Thomas

[cagney]

Originally Posted by Harryws

I tried ./compile from within the directory and then make but on both occasions got a series of errors. I had previously installed some dependencies.
Maybe I dont understand your advice.
Regards
Harry

Did you follow these instructions?

Glib has through recent changes developed an incompatibility problem with WxWidgets.

To compile you 1.3.6 source code and earlier you have to use a temporary work around.

* sudo kate(or gedit) /usr/include/glib-2.0/gio/giotypes.h
* find and comment out line 120 (which reads typedef struct _GSocket
GSocket by prepending //
* build opencpn
* edit giotypes.h again and uncomment line 120 (don't forget this!!!)

For more check Compiling in Ubuntu |.

As an alternative you can help testing a fix for this bug as described
in this post.

If you still have problems, please publish the compile errors by running make like this

$ make 2>error.log

All the errors in the compilation will be in the file "error.log" in the source code directory.

Thomas

[Don B. Cilly]

I had given up.
Widgets, pythons, tess-internals, I had tried it all.
Editing giotypes.h was actually giving me more errors.
Then I found this post, applied the patch, and it compiled just fine, on Karmic.

What I can't find is the way to make the ship smaller, and blue, but I haven't looked hard enough yet.

- D.

[Harryws]

After editing the giotypes I configured and made. It seems to work on 9.10 64bit although the CM93 dont show but that is todays project.
Harry

[Tia Bu]

I would like to second Yachtmanforum's suggestion that the gnuais discussion thread is pointing to a potentially significant leap forward for Opencpn users. It appears we're close to a fairly easy way to make AIS information available with some simple modifications to an inexpensive, used VHF scanner or marine VHF radio. Gnuais seems to just need some "hooking up" to OpenCPN so that less skilled users like me could run it easily.

By the way, for what it's worth, I downloaded and installed OpenCPN 1.3.6 onto my Ubuntu 9.10 machine last night (replacing 1.3.4). The installation was easy and painless. It seems to run more quickly and robustly than on my Windows computers.

[yachtmanforfun]

I am having some thoughts on where the OpenCPN project is heading and particularly the GNU/Linux version of OpenCPN.

I personally would love to see a integrated GNUAIS soundcard AIS input feature.

I would appreciate if a skilled Ubuntu programmer could have a look and report back to the forum on what is involved in getting GNUAIS and GNU/Linux version of OpenCPN integrated together. As I have said in other posts this may not be a simple integration project. But I believe Ubuntu has now finalised on pulseaudio sound card drivers and this should at least be a permanent development that clears up how Ubuntu will handle sound issues.

I have also had some thoughts about what GNU/Linux OpenCPN uses want.

My initial thoughts are we should do some kind of survey of our GNU/Linux users to help determine how GNU/Linux OpenCPN is being used currently and what the users want in the future.

I am putting some suggestions for questions up in this post, but I believe they should only be a starting point for us forum users to discuss and add too. Once we have a good balance of questions maybe we could put the GNU/Linux questionaire "live" on the OpeCPN.org website.

I am very much an Ubuntu user and I look at GNU/Linux through Ubuntu eyes. This may not be appropriate for other GNU / Linux users and i would welcome any additions of questions around other GNU/Linux types.

So here are my suggestions for questions.



GNU/Linux OpenCPN users questionnaire, question suggestions.


What is your age?
Male or female?
What continent are you sailing in?
Type of boat? e.g. sail / power
Size in feet?

For OpenCPN is it a laptop or desktop PC on-board?
Do you use DC to AC inverter or have a dedicated 12 volt laptop adapter?

What GNU Linux do you use?
Can you compile your own code?
Is machine dual boot? ie Ubuntu / windows.
How long have you been using Linux?

How do you connect your gps? i.e. bluetooth,rs 232, usb.
Is your GPS connection reliable?

Do you have a dedicated hardware AIS.
Do you use gnuais?
Would you use a soundcard AIS if it was available for OpenCPN?

How do you rate OpenCPN vs Maxsea?
Do you use cm93 charts?

What extra feature would you like to see in GNU/Linux OpenCPN?

look forward to other GNU / Linux users feedback.

George

[idpnd]

Hello George, I think most of your questions are valid for all opencpn users..

[Tia Bu]

Good idea. Good questions. For what it's worth:

I run OpenCPN on windows laptops on the boat (30' sail in USA). But I have it installed on a Ubuntu Linux desktop at home, where it runs much better. Am thinking of getting a dedicated netbook for the boat and loading Ubuntu on it. (One current laptop won't load Ubuntu and the other belongs to someone else.)

Yes, I would use soundcard AIS if it were available. Bottom line, it currently IS available for both Linux and Windows users, but it is so bloody difficult to hook up the software it's almost not worth the trouble. It looks (to the unlettered) like connecting GnuAIS and AISmon to OpenCPN (Linux AND Windows versions), along with some open-source virtual porting software might be doable. If this feature could be added to OpenCPN, using soundcard AIS would be easy for the non-programmers among us, thus making boat navigation even more reliable and low-cost! :-)

At least I think this is the opportunity at hand... There's still the issue of finding a used scanner and doing a little soldering to rig up a very low-cost receiver- but that kinda looks like part of the fun. Am I way off?