Optimizing and visualizing GPS data
Climbing Aid
Handheld navigation devices point the way and continuously record your position while you are walking. With a few scripts on Linux, extreme climber Mike Schilli attractively visualizes the data from some of his bold first ascents.
Every smartphone features a GPS receiver nowadays, and a generous collection of apps are guiding hikers across hill and dale by displaying maps. Of course, things can be pretty rustic out there in the wild, and it is a good idea to use more robust, water-splash protected devices with more powerful batteries. Some time ago, I purchased a Garmin 62s – on special offer. Although it might be a little outmoded by now, it looks as if you could drive a tank over it without causing any damage.
If you are spoiled by years of intuitive on-screen operation with your smartphone, you will probably be rubbing your eyes in disbelief to discover that LCD displays with weird menu designs – in which the user has to steer the cursor with a dozen plastic buttons on the front of the device – really do still exist (Figure 1).
UI for Steam Punks
Entering a single waypoint to mark the start of the trail nearly drove me mad. This is probably what the future of mobile telephony would have looked like if Bill Gates had asserted his aggressive monopoly policy – heaven forbid! If I were a product designer at Garmin, I would immediately launch a product line with a Mad Max Fury Road-influenced steam punk look.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
openSUSE Joins End of 10
openSUSE has decided to not only join the End of 10 movement but it also will no longer support the Deepin Desktop Environment.
-
New Version of Flatpak Released
Flatpak 1.16.1 is now available as the latest, stable version with various improvements.
-
IBM Announces Powerhouse Linux Server
IBM has unleashed a seriously powerful Linux server with the LinuxONE Emperor 5.
-
Plasma Ends LTS Releases
The KDE Plasma development team is doing away with the LTS releases for a good reason.
-
Arch Linux Available for Windows Subsystem for Linux
If you've ever wanted to use a rolling release distribution with WSL, now's your chance.
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.