Hi,

Does anybody has any experience with Linux software for sailing?
Specifically: Ubuntu.

I am about to set up a laptop for my sailing needs and this will
hopefully not be Windows.

Peter.



--
*** no offence meant, no offence taken ***

Akita :

Does anybody has any experience with Linux software for sailing?

I don't know of any specifically marine navigation software for Unix. You
might try gpsdrive, but I doubt it will be satisfactory. The fundamental
problem is to find free maps*: most maps are distributed in closed or
encrypted formats, requiring NDAs from the software writers, which is
incompatible with open-source development (the only exception I know of is
the american charts, available from
http://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/enc/download.htm). As long as we are
stuck with these formats, there is not much point in writing a navigation
system.

Peter,
I don't have any experience with any of the software, yet, but will be
doing the same as you in the future. I use Ubutuntu also, and have had
good luck getting general Linux programs to run. There are several Linux
navigation choices out there, freeware and commercial. Most apparently
mature ones:

http://www.barcosoft.com/
http://www.navgator.com/index.html
http://www.justmagic.com/RasterChart2BSB.html (French)

Al





Akita wrote:
Hi,

Does anybody has any experience with Linux software for sailing?
Specifically: Ubuntu.

I am about to set up a laptop for my sailing needs and this will
hopefully not be Windows.

Peter.