Future of location services on OM

[Onen]

Hello,

Stefan Schmidt wrote:
>>> How does it get the gsm and gps data? I hope from the FSO framework!
>>>   
>>>       
>> What else? ;-)
>>     
>
> Great. What interface do you use for this? Already the new monitor interface?
>   
Well, no. Would you mind pointing me more precisely what you are talking 
about? I use code similar to the examples you find in the 
/usr/share/freesmartphone/examples files. That is to say, 
org.freedesktop.Gypsy interfaces (GetPosition, GetCourse).
>> Indeed ;-) . I have been working on a freerunner logger. My target is: 
>> simple and stable. It is pretty straight forward:
>>
>> * GUI (pygtk) displays current GPS data, GSM data (MCC, MNC, lac, cell 
>> id, signal strength, etc...).
>>   You have so far four buttons: start logging, stop logging, upload, exit.
>>
>> * The main part (python) creates small log files containing the GPS and 
>> GSM data. And upload it.
>>
>> What remains before releasing:
>> * upload to openBmap server is not working yet
>> * save config file
>> * packaging
>>     
>
> Sounds like a good and fast approach. Once this is done we could think about how
> we could integrate such things clever into fso. Sascha was already interested
> and if you are also there would already be a team. :)
>   
I guess we have a team then :-) I don't like working alone anyway ;-)
At a first thought, I am not sure what you mean by integrating this into 
FSO. But please see further in this email I think I got what you mean...
> Seriously, if you come up with some ideas and  code for something like olocationd
> we would appreciate it.
>   
I am not aware of this, I cannot find it in the FSO API documentation. 
Where can I find some more information?
>   
>> And get the package in the feeds, would be also a target.
>>     
>
> We can take care of this. Do you use distutils? if yes, writing a OE recipe (the
> bb file) should be easy. Have a look at the other python packages in OE.
>
> Once you have a recipe ready we can put it into OE, build it and put it into the
> feed.
>   
Ok. So far I had a quick look at the way to build an opk package. I will 
look at this afterwards.
>> TODO (among others...):
>> * display/log neighbour cells
>>     
>
> IIRC the new monitor interface should give you the needed infos. Jan just put
> some code into zhone to demonstrate the usage. It's python, check it out.
>   
I have noticed that things were coming on this side. But first release 
the basics.
>> * another application using the openBmap database located on the phone, 
>> to get location ( I have a quick look at rocinante, it seems you guys 
>> already built something for use inside TangoGPS. Would be nice :-) ). 
>>     
>
> I'm more in favor of navit as it is real navigation and not only displaying
> images. But that's a matter of taste.
>   
I was referring to the fact that I could use their code to do something 
similar. But what I have in mind is to provide a dbus service, providing 
GSM based location. Now I think I understand what you meant above in 
your mail, about integration in FSO. Is it what you had in mind?
>   
>> * move all of this into Tichy?
>>     
>
> Well, I would not put to much into the application itself. We have a framework
> you improve to your own needs. That's really different from other systems, make
> use of it! :)
>
> Meaning, I would put the logic and the communication with the webservice either
> in a fso subsystem or in a small daemon process. Eyporting a nice API will allow
> more then one app to make use of it.
>   
Ok, then we have the same thing in mind :-)

I was thinking about Tichy in the way of plugins:
* one tichy plugin which provides let's say GPX files
* one tichy plugin which gathers GSM and package this with GPX
* one upload plugin
* one plugin which updates the local database
* one tichy plugin which provides GSM location,
* one plugin which consumes it.

But this was only a first raw thinking. For a much later time.

My main point was providing a GSM location service, embedded in the 
phone. I love my privacy (no need to ask any third party on the Internet 
where I am located ;-)), and my battery (GSM is on all the time anyway, 
GPS needs quite a lot of power, plus waiting for the fix).

Nick has a lot of other ideas...

Regards,

Onen