[NTLUG:Discuss] Linux Friendly GPS?

[Kenneth Loafman]

Daniel Hauck wrote:
> (2009年10月09日 12:12), Kevin E. Ivey wrote:
>> Daniel Hauck wrote:
>>   
>>> I am preparing to move to the east coast for two or more years and it is
>>> an area that I am not familiar with. For years I have wanted a GPS drive
>>> device but have never been able to really justify it because I pretty
>>> much know how to get around all over Texas. But this will be different.
>>>
>>> So I am interested in recommendations on the most Linux friendly GPS
>>> drive device available. Anyone with experiences and recommendations?
>>>     
>> Howdy,
>>
>> I have had very good experiences with just about any self-contained GPS 
>> receivers working with Linux and GPSDrive specifically.
>>
>> The receiver I use the most is a Garmin GPS-16.  It is a receiver and 
>> antenna sealed in a plastic lump that outputs serial NMEA data read 
>> through the serial port of my old Dell Laptop.
>>
>> Most modern portable computers have no serial ports, so a USB or 
>> Bluetooth receiver is required.  The USB receivers must emulate a serial 
>> port in order to work, unless the software can read a NMEA stream 
>> through the USB interface.  Bluetooth works around this by only having a 
>> physical USB connection to the Bluetooth transceiver.  BT works right 
>> out of the box in Linux, so getting the GPS data is just like receiving 
>> a file or an audio stream.
>>
>> I'm not sure which devices use the various formats for GPS data, but 
>> XGPS and GPSDrive work with serial NMEA output and with the Bluetooth 
>> devices.
>>
>> So, I guess it depends on your computer and the type of ports available.
>>
>> Hope that helps,
>>
>> keVIn
>>   
> 
> Actually, I was asking about something like TomTom or Garmin devices
> that plot routes and speak to me and do not merely receive GPS data and
> relay it to a computer. I should have been more specific.

Garmin devices work well, but not with Linux directly.  I use mine under
XP running on VMware and the USB access works well.  I've looked for a
Linux based GPS device, but found none to be had.  Most of the storage
formats are proprietary and that makes hacking them a bit tedious.

...Ken