Astronomy Device Control In Slackware-15 and -Current
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Astronomy Device Control In Slackware-15 and -Current
I've updated the INDI libraries and drivers on Slackbuilds.org (SBo). INDI Library is a collection of programs designed to control astronomical equipment, such as, cameras, telescopes, etc. In addition to the drivers and modules provided in the main INDI distribution, there are a number of third party drivers available. For more information on INDI refer to https://www.indilib.org/
Stellarium (https://slackbuilds.org/repository/1...ic/stellarium/) has INDI support to directly control telescope positioning. Kstars, included with Slackware's KDE, Provides INDI support via the built-in EKOS client. Besides telescope control, numerous devices are supported, including CCD cameras. Why pay good money for proprietary and expensive telescope GOTO and astrophotography software when perfectly functional opensource alternatives exist?
To get Kstars/Ekos operational in Slackware (or whatever other Linux distribution. I won't judge.), you will need to recompile Kstars. INDI is a compile-time dependency; therefore, the Kstars package included with Slackware does not include INDI functionality.
Attached is a test view from my home office window via a ZWO ASI224MC CCD camera. Feedback is appreciated, either here or via sbo@linuxgalaxy.org
For Slackware (What? Are you still using that *other* distro?), follow this build order. Everything needed is included either in the main Slackware tree or on SBo. Note that the SBo buildscripts for libindi-libraries and libindi-drivers are optional. These include the third party drivers not present in the main libindi build. This list is also the recommended build and installation order. If you do not know what drivers you need (!!) install everything.
[optional for third-pary drivers]
gpsd
libdc1394
libftdi1
INDI
----
libindi
libindi-libraries (optional)
libindi-drivers (optional)
Kstars INDI Client
------------------
Kstars in Slackware-15 is a bit too old. Grab the Kstars source from Slackware current or from https://invent.kde.org/education/kstars/-/branches (version 3.6.0 as of this post). On Slackware current, this should be enough to recompile Kstars so that INDI gets incorporated. Example is for Slackware-current downloaded to '/data/' and assuming KDE is installed.
Code:
# su -
# cd /data/slackware[64]-current/source/kde/kde
# ./kde.SlackBuild applications-extra:kstars
# upgradepkg --reinstall /tmp/kstars-3.6.0-[x86_64,i586]-1.txz
#!/bin/bash
# Slackware build script for kstars
#
# Copyright 2022 Edward W. Koenig, Vancouver, WA, USA
# All rights reserved.
#
# Redistribution and use of this script, with or without modification, is
# permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
#
# 1. Redistributions of this script must retain the above copyright
# notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
#
# THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR ''AS IS'' AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED
# WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
# MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO
# EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
# SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
# PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS;
# OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY,
# WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR
# OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF
# ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
# initial test 16-AUG-2022
# Adapted from Slackbuilds.org cmake template.
cd $(dirname $0) ; CWD=$(pwd)
PRGNAM=kstars
VERSION=${VERSION:-3.6.0}
BUILD=${BUILD:-1}
TAG=${TAG:-_SBo}
PKGTYPE=${PKGTYPE:-tgz}
if [ -z "$ARCH" ]; then
case "$( uname -m )" in
i?86) ARCH=i586 ;;
arm*) ARCH=arm ;;
*) ARCH=$( uname -m ) ;;
esac
fi
# If the variable PRINT_PACKAGE_NAME is set, then this script will report what
# the name of the created package would be, and then exit. This information
# could be useful to other scripts.
if [ ! -z "${PRINT_PACKAGE_NAME}" ]; then
echo "$PRGNAM-$VERSION-$ARCH-$BUILD$TAG.$PKGTYPE"
exit 0
fi
TMP=${TMP:-/tmp/SBo}
PKG=$TMP/package-$PRGNAM
OUTPUT=${OUTPUT:-/tmp}
if [ "$ARCH" = "i586" ]; then
SLKCFLAGS="-O2 -march=i586 -mtune=i686"
LIBDIRSUFFIX=""
elif [ "$ARCH" = "i686" ]; then
SLKCFLAGS="-O2 -march=i686 -mtune=i686"
LIBDIRSUFFIX=""
elif [ "$ARCH" = "x86_64" ]; then
SLKCFLAGS="-O2 -fPIC"
LIBDIRSUFFIX="64"
else
SLKCFLAGS="-O2"
LIBDIRSUFFIX=""
fi
set -e
rm -rf $PKG
mkdir -p $TMP $PKG $OUTPUT
cd $TMP
rm -rf $PRGNAM-$VERSION
tar -xvf $CWD/$PRGNAM-$VERSION.tar.xz
cd $PRGNAM-$VERSION
chown -R root:root .
find -L . \
\( -perm 777 -o -perm 775 -o -perm 750 -o -perm 711 -o -perm 555 \
-o -perm 511 \) -exec chmod 755 {} \; -o \
\( -perm 666 -o -perm 664 -o -perm 640 -o -perm 600 -o -perm 444 \
-o -perm 440 -o -perm 400 \) -exec chmod 644 {} \;
# remove Catalan translation from ./po because kdoctools too old (15.0)
# https://invent.kde.org/education/kstars/-/issues/186
# Not needed for Slackware-current
rm -rf po/ca
rm -rf po/ca@valencia
mkdir -p build
cd build
cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr \
-DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS:STRING="$SLKCFLAGS" \
-DCMAKE_C_FLAGS:STRING="$SLKCFLAGS" \
-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE="release" \
..
make
make install DESTDIR=$PKG
cd -
find $PKG -print0 | xargs -0 file | grep -e "executable" -e "shared object" | grep ELF \
| cut -f 1 -d : | xargs strip --strip-unneeded 2> /dev/null || true
mkdir -p $PKG/usr/doc/$PRGNAM-$VERSION
cp -a AUTHORS ChangeLog INSTALL TODO README.* LICENSES $PKG/usr/doc/$PRGNAM-$VERSION
cat $CWD/$PRGNAM.SlackBuild > $PKG/usr/doc/$PRGNAM-$VERSION/$PRGNAM.SlackBuild
mkdir -p $PKG/install
cat $CWD/slack-desc > $PKG/install/slack-desc
cat $CWD/doinst.sh > $PKG/install/doinst.sh
cd $PKG
/sbin/makepkg -l y -c n $OUTPUT/$PRGNAM-$VERSION-$ARCH-$BUILD$TAG.$PKGTYPE
doinst.sh
Code:
if [ -x /usr/bin/update-desktop-database ]; then
/usr/bin/update-desktop-database /usr/share/applications >/dev/null 2>&1
fi
slack-desc
Code:
# HOW TO EDIT THIS FILE:
# The "handy ruler" below makes it easier to edit a package description. Line
# up the first '|' above the ':' following the base package name, and the '|' on
# the right side marks the last column you can put a character in. You must make
# exactly 11 lines for the formatting to be correct. It's also customary to
# leave one space after the ':'.
|-----handy-ruler------------------------------------------------------|
kstars: kstars (a desktop planetarium)
kstars:
kstars: KStars is free, open source, cross-platform Astronomy Software.
kstars: It provides an accurate graphical simulation of the night sky, from
kstars: any location on Earth, at any date and time. The display includes up
kstars: to 100 million stars, 13,000 deep-sky objects, all 8 planets, the Sun
kstars: and Moon, and thousands of comets, asteroids, supernovae, and
kstars: satellites.
kstars:
kstars: Homepage: https://edu.kde.org/kstars
kstars:
Never thought I'd find an astronomy post here. Subscribed for the day I finally get a motorized mount and want to run it off via Slackware. What lens were you using in the screenshot? Look like about 120 degrees. Maybe 140.
Never thought I'd find an astronomy post here. Subscribed for the day I finally get a motorized mount and want to run it off via Slackware. What lens were you using in the screenshot? Look like about 120 degrees. Maybe 140.
LOL. It's the CCTV 2.1 mm fisheye ZWO bundled with the ASI 224MC they call an "all sky lens". Not quite sure about the specifications. I just use it for testing. I've not used the ASI much yet on the 60 mm refractor or the AWB OneSky https://shop.astronomerswithoutborde...ctor-telescope since I spent more time trying to get the software to work to avoid using ZWO ASI Studio. Since kstars has EKOS INDI client built in, I was damned if I'll wrestle with another set of software if Slackware already has something decent. I do need to do some repairs on both telescopes (focuser on the refractor and secondary mirror support on the reflector). I'm also itching to get a motorized mount for the Onesky.
I'll try to do a post on Cloudy Nights if I can get some decent planetary pics. NW USA suburbia is a bit "bright" at night. Since this was more Slackware software related, I'd start here. Also, if enough people chime in maybe get our BDFL to mainline libindi, stellarsolver and a few others so that Kstars will work OOTB!
Also, if enough people chime in maybe get our BDFL to mainline libindi, stellarsolver and a few others so that Kstars will work OOTB!
I hope so too! Maybe if you put in a post to the Requests for current-next (15.0-->15.1) thread with a link to your thread, they might use it to absorb your changes into Slackware's KStars in future updates.
Are you aware of XEphem and Cartes Du Ciel? Both have telescope control feature and XEphem was recently released to github with a MIT License.
[url]
Are you aware of XEphem and Cartes Du Ciel? Both have telescope control feature and XEphem was recently released to github with a MIT License.
I have taken a look at those, esp. Cartes Du Ciel and ccdiel. I was about to create slackbuilds for SBo then thought, heck, Slackware already that stuff in kstars/ekos and just needs INDI. Also, a pox on Lazarus/Freepascal! Slackware has more than enough compilers. I've been a fan of stellarium for ages and so didn't feel the needs another planetarium program on top of kstars and stellarium. Beside, not a fan of French names I can't pronounce - Probably due to my Deutsch ancestry. And have I mentioned how much I dislike Pascal?
XEphem always looked interesting but has way more bling than I need. I'm getting too old and crusty for any sort of learning curve.
Added a request to have this all mainlined into Slackare-current. Let's see if I can add to Pat's workload s I have more time to actually use this stuff the few times the stars are out. One of the street lights was out fro a few months, and it was joyous. They fixed it now. Bastards. https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...ml#post6376177
Thank you very much kingbeowulf.
I am an astronomer myself and I love Slackware. I appreciate all the work you put in so that we can use our astronomy gear together with our favourite Linux distro. Also, many thanks for the Kstars build scripts.
Posts on Cloudy Nights or other specialized forums will certainly be appreciated.
kingbeowulf, I would say that KStars has a little bit more blings than XEphem. XEphem's main advantage, at least for me, is that it'll run on any Linux computers, whether it's a 15 years old laptop or the latest gaming rig. XEphem is as old as Slackware. So I'm happy to see that XEphem just got a new round of fixes and updates. I've already have 4.1.0 compiled and running on my computer. I see your request in the other thread. Thanks for all your work!
Jan K., that's a good camera. Very lightweight! Do you have a telescope and a mount/tripod all lined up for purchase?
Jan K., that's a good camera. Very lightweight! Do you have a telescope and a mount/tripod all lined up for purchase?
About every time the new Sky & Telescope issue dumps into my in-box!
But no, we're still talking a couple of years... which should make it both cheaper and better based on recent years amazing developments. Prices considerably down and quality very high.
Will probably be a ~80mm refractor (Swan?) for both image quality and portability...
kingbeuwolf, I now have your version of kstars built on my computer. Installed all the dependencies. libindi-drivers did initially refused to compile (see below). EKOS was interesting to check out. I see why you want KStars for it. Now all I need is a sensor and a goto mount to test it with.
This was the error libindi-drivers spat out. After locating the file in question and putting '#include <ctime>' in, it then compiled successfully.
Code:
/tmp/SBo/indi-3rdparty-1.9.7/indi-duino/libfirmata/src/firmata.cpp:614:5: note: ‘time’ is defined in header ‘<ctime>’; did you forget to ‘#include <ctime>’?
Jan K., I've never had the pleasure but Swan telescopes do seem like a very good match for your D800.
kingbeuwolf, I now have your version of kstars built on my computer. Installed all the dependencies. libindi-drivers did initially refused to compile (see below). EKOS was interesting to check out. I see why you want KStars for it. Now all I need is a sensor and a goto mount to test it with.
This was the error libindi-drivers spat out. After locating the file in question and putting '#include <ctime>' in, it then compiled successfully.
Code:
/tmp/SBo/indi-3rdparty-1.9.7/indi-duino/libfirmata/src/firmata.cpp:614:5: note: ‘time’ is defined in header ‘<ctime>’; did you forget to ‘#include <ctime>’?
That's weird. Did not do that here. I'll take a look. libindi, et al, are now posted to Slackbuilds.org.
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