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OpenPlotter v2.x.x is coming!!
#1
Exclamation 
First of all sorry for the delay posting this thread, some things should be decided and tested before.

We are glad to announce that OpenPlotter v1.x.x reached more than 10,000 direct downloads in one year. Torrent downloads are not included on this amount. We have learned a lot from your feedback and now we have an idea about what you need, what you do not, what you do not like or what you do not understand. Some apps like Signal K node server, pypilot, OpenCPN... have evolved a lot so we will try to apply all these improvements and everything we have learned on v2.x.x.

To know if we have achieved some of our goals we should remember them:

  1. One million euros
  2. Be an alternative to expensive and proprietary devices in our boats
  3. Use only free technologies and collaborative projects
  4. Save advanced users time by installing and configuring all the necessary tools
  5. Help beginner users to become advanced users introducing them in the use of free technologies
Still thinking how the hell we are getting 1 so let's focus on the rest.
We are sure that we are close to seeing the first open boat equipped with just free technology and environment/social friendly devices.
Some advanced users use OpenPlotter as base system to develop their own installations to fit their personal requirements. We will make a big step on this direction publishing a superscript to create OpenPlotter images and NOOBS files from scratch using any Debian based computer like Ubuntu. This way advanced users will be able to add/remove packages or settings creating custom OpenPlotter flavors.
We feel that somehow we have failed getting 5. Our weak point is the documentation so we need to fix this. Our time and human resources are limited and we had to choose between developing or documenting and what was developed made obsolete the little documented. Our plan to solve this is maintaining only the English version and let people make their specific tutorials in their languages or let localized forums do this work. This way is how projects like OpenCPN work. We will write just a technical reference. English is not our first language so I am afraid it will be plenty of mistakes, helps us with this please. We would like to say thanks to advanced users who help others on this forum, thanks to them the lack of documentation has not been so critical.

What is new?
  • Superscript to create OpenPlotter from scratch.
  • Lighter image and NOOBS files.
  • OpenCPN 5: https://opencpn.org/OpenCPN/info/beta.html
  • Xygrib: https://opengribs.org/en/xygrib
  • New and complete online/offline documentation in readthedocs.org. All future versions will be on the same repository. Links to offline docs on every feature.
  • Telegram support. Create your own telegram bot easily. Trigger remote actions from Telegram bots and send messages to Telegram bots and groups from OP.
  • Take and send pictures by twitter or telegram with a webcam.
  • Grafana+InfluxDB support to manage logs and create dashboards.
  • Winlink support? it depends on free space on the final image to add the required packages.
  • New languages
What changes?
  • We will maintain only the English version of docs
  • GPIO management integrated into Actions.
  • MQTT management integrated into Actions.
  • Actions feature is based on Node-Red. There is an OpenPlotter interface to manage actions for Node-Red newbies.
  • Now we use Node-Red embedded into Signal K node server.
  • SMS support is removed.
  • AIS-SDR using both channels simultaneously.
  • Improved CAN management. MCP2515 support.
  • Incremental and improved update procedure to avoid long and heavy downloads.
  • Improved network management
  • Improved pypilot integration
  • Now kplex is optional. You can use it to set filters to your NMEA 0183 inputs/outputs.
  • Improved serial device management. Diferent options are now more explicit and guided.
  • NMEA 0183 generator is replaced by "Signal K to NMEA 0183" Signal K plugin
  • Deviation table is removed.
  • Calculation is replaced by "Derivated data" Signal K plugin
  • New "accounts" management, now is "credentials".
  • Improved Moitessier HAT management and installation.
When?

We are waiting for OpenCPN to be released and then we will let the dust settle because some plugins will still need work. We will release OpenPlotter v2.x.x in 3 stages:

- We will publish a beta in openmarine for betatesters and translators.
- We will work on documentation while people is testing and translating.
- We will publish a release candidate with fixed issues and translations before the final release.

Will you have to burn an SD again?

Yes. Every OP major release needs to be installed from scratch in an SD. This is a problem for all of you who have bought charts from o-charts because you are forced to consume one of your 2 allowed systems for every chart. Remember that every time you reinstall OP you consume 1 o-charts license.

As some of you already know I work as o-charts employed too (until we get the million euros of course). O-charts and OpenCPN team we are working on a USB key dongle solution. You will be able to assign one of your 2 allowed licenses to this really small device and you will be able to run your charts on any computer where the dongle is plugged in. It is not an storage device where you save your charts but an special piece of hardware to decrypt your charts installed as usual on any machine. Reserve one of your 2 shots for the dongle.

And that is all, do you have any suggestion/request?
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#2
Sounds excellent, really looking forward to it!

The oesenc charts issue and proposed resolution are interesting, only yesterday i bought a new license and ended up burning both ‘slots’ due to a naming issue on my new pi3b+

Steve
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#3
request in network ...choice to disable onboard wifi with dtoverlay and use usb as ap/client....
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#4
HOURA HOURA HOURA !!!

Great news !
BTW, at 1 first I used to prefer img to NOOBS, then I discovered NOOBS is simply perfect for an SSD installation !
I hope NOOBS 2.x beta will appear very soon ...

All the best for the dev team !
Cordialement
Didier B
Pi4, SSD USB3, OP 3.0 Touch SK 3.2.1 OpenCPN  5.8.4 :  Thank you  Thank you  Thank you


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#5
That sounds great. Looking forward to the improvements!

Are the plans to use Telegram to take over for SMS?

Thank you to the dev team for all their hard work!
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#6
Would the script be able to build OpenPlotter on a x86 Debian/Linux? I'm asking this because there seems to be no ARM solution for my ASUS 15.6" USB-powered Displaylink monitor which I'm happily using on my Intel NUC.
Some interesting hardware options would be available to us: x86 Raspberry alternatives with similar credit-card form factor but lots of more power, eg the x86 UpBoard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPJiShBIPw8
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#7
How many changes, how good!
Grafana and influxdb, I was trying to use it in the current version, with mqtt gives many possibilities.

For him to use the webcam what software have you thought about? Motion?

We will wait anxiously.

Saludos
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#8
(2019-03-24, 10:26 AM)dione Wrote: Grafana and influxdb, I was trying to use it in the current version, with mqtt gives many possibilities.

There's a signalk plugin to write directly to influxdb, works really well.
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#9
(2019-03-23, 03:44 PM)Opie91 Wrote: That sounds great. Looking forward to the improvements!

Are the plans to use Telegram to take over for SMS?

Thank you to the dev team for all their hard work!

At this time I am not sure that I fully understand the significance of removing SMS support. In my application I would like to be able to receive SMS of signicant data changes, such as bilge levels, from OP while the boat is swinging on its mooring and I'm 1hour 30 minutes away at home.

I see that OpenCPN version 5 was released on 23 March, so that should bring OpenPlotter 2.0 one step closer too Wink .
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#10
(2019-03-23, 10:05 AM)jim321 Wrote: request in network ...choice to disable onboard wifi with dtoverlay and use usb as ap/client....

Why you should need to disable the onboard wifi? to save power?
As usb as ap/client do you mean an external wifi dongle working as ap/client?
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