[Sugar-devel] [Grassroots-l] personal Re: Experience w/ using GPS with XO laptops

[pgf at laptop.org]

edward wrote:
 > On Thu, Apr 2, 2009 at 9:22 AM, Jeff Mascornick <jjm4114 at yahoo.com> wrote:
 > > Thank you Steve!
 > > I am wondering about the LINUX based XO - I'm part of a team applying to
 > > deploy XOs to Tanzania and we are looking into incorporating GPS for
 > > cultural exchange/learning, environmental education and/or some other
 > > purposes.
 > >
 > > So, if anyone has info on using any GPS on Linux based XOs, please let me
 > > know.
 > 
 > That's a complicated question. There is plenty of GPS and GIS software
 > in the Linux world. Running graphical software under Sugar requires a
 > rewrite.
 > 
 > If you can make use of gpsd, the GPS daemon, within any existing Sugar
 > software, you are good.

you can also simply access the GPS device directly (they almost
all appear as serial ports).  and if the application is a new
one, it's probably worth looking at Gypsy, which might have
interfaces that suit modern programming paradigms better: 
http://gypsy.freedesktop.org/wiki/

my personal experience with GPS on the XO is limited to a single
program, called RoadMap, which is available as an activity on the
OLPC activity pages.  (i.e., it's not migrated to SL yet.) the US
streetmaps which are RoadMap's focus won't be of much use in
tanzania, but it also supports OpenStreetMap data
(www.openstreetmap.org).  to the extent that OpenStreetMap may
have existing coverage of tanzania, and/or to the extent that
street maps are interesting to schoolchildren (perhaps a project
to do mapping?), RoadMap might be interesting.  otherwise,
probably not.

coincidentally i responded to another RoadMap query on the devel
list this morning.  i'll just reference it here:
    http://lists.laptop.org/pipermail/devel/2009-April/023991.html

paul
=---------------------
 paul fox, pgf at laptop.org