GPS driver -- was: Re: Apple is going to beat all competitors

[Joshua Layne]

Joshua Layne wrote:
> Ian Stirling wrote:
>> Jens Fursund wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> On 9/9/07, *Giles Jones* <giles.jones at zen.co.uk 
>>> <mailto:giles.jones at zen.co.uk>> wrote:
>>>
>>>     Nothing wrong with the hardware, there's just no open source GPS
>>>     driver yet.
>>>
>>>
>>> I´m confused: Does this mean that the GTA02 will include 
>>> GPS-hardware but not software because of not having an open source 
>>> firmware?
>>
>>
>> No - the hardware and binary module is available for GTA01, and for 
>> GTA02 if the choice is made to release GTA02 with the same chipset.
>>
>> The module is at the moment delayed, but will be along real soon now.
>>
> While I understand the desire to have a fully open-source module (and 
> have read the large amount of discussion around this), I have used 
> familiar linux with a bluetooth GPS spitting out NMEA and gpsd for 
> several years now (primarily with roadmap 
> (http://roadmap.digitalomaha.net)).  For 95%+ of all uses, the gpsd 
> interface will be fine - whether the module is binary or OSS.
>
> There is perhaps a significant philosophical difference between the 
> two, but I think the functionality will be fine either way.  And 
> regardless of which is chosen, an added benefit of using gpsd is that 
> it allows multiple subsystems to use location data, as they can all 
> listen to the stream.
>
> my $0.01
> j.
>
I'd like to pretty much retract the above (typed before brain had 
engaged and was educated) based on two things:
1) I had forgotten (because I am not that much of a linux hacker really) 
about binary incompatibilities with newer kernels (often - doesn't 
always happen when the driver is firmly in userland) -- this appears to 
be a real problem based on a message I saw this morning between gllin 
(sp?) and 2.6

2) I had no idea how much you could munge the signal data (in a good 
way) before location was computed.  After reading a few articles on the 
wiki that detail this (WAAS, ionospheric conditions, etc...) - I realize 
that my position was wrong.

sorry to drag the list through my thought process, but I look forward to 
the open-source GPS driver.

best rgds,
j.
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