[Live-demo] XCsoar application to join OSGeo-Live

Tue Dec 11 10:50:41 PST 2012

+1 from me. Seems useful to all small pilots in many types of flying
machines (hot air balloons included). Reminds me of software I used to
use for field work too.

Question, can the desktop version be used in the air if you have a GPS
hooked up to your computer?

Thanks,
Alex

On 12/11/2012 03:15 AM, Angelos Tzotsos wrote:
> It looks good to me too.
> 
> +1 to include XCsoar.
> 
> Angelos
> 
> On 12/11/2012 12:39 AM, Cameron Shorter wrote:
>> Application for an application used by Glider pilots to join OSGeo-Live.
>>
>> My assessment is:
>> 1. It looks to be a stable application, with a strong community behind
>> it which is good.
>> 2. It is a very targeted application (for glider pilots). Is
>> OSGeo-Live in a position to adopt this and many other targeted
>> applications such as this? I'm inclined to say yes, if the project is
>> widely used within the targeted community.
>>
>> So I'm voting +1 to include XCsoar.
>>
>> Any comments from others?
>>
>> On 10/12/2012 11:26 PM, Scott Penrose wrote:
>>> Hi Cameron
>>>
>>> OK quick effort at the last moment...
>>>
>>>
>>> I won't try and get on the email list and send it may take too long.
>>> Is it ok to send to you. If not I can do it first thing in the morning.
>>>
>>>>     • Please describe your application.
>>>>         • What is its name?
>>> XCSoar
>>>
>>>>         • What is the home page URL?
>>> http://xcsoar.org/
>>>
>>>>         • Which OSI approved Open Source Licence is used?
>>> GPL
>>>
>>>>         • What does the application do and how does it add value to
>>>> the GeoSpatial stack of software?
>>> XCSoar is a tactical glide computer originally developed for the
>>> Pocket PC platform. In 2005, the originally commercial software was
>>> given to the open-source community for further development and has
>>> constantly been improved since. It is now a multi-platform
>>> application that currently runs on Windows, Windows Mobile, Unix and
>>> even Android devices.
>>>
>>> In many ways it is an end user of GeoSpacial data, importing lots of
>>> information, from terrain to maps, airspace to real time weather.
>>> XCSoar also produces content in the international standard IGC file
>>> format - International Gliding Commission, Fédération Aéronautique
>>> Internationale.
>>>
>>> Part of XCSoar is also publishing tracks after flights and even live
>>> tracking through child projects such as Sky Lines -
>>> http://skylines.xcsoar.org/
>>>
>>>>         • Does the application make use of OGC standards? Which
>>>> versions of the standards? Client or server? You may wish to add
>>>> comments about how standards are used.
>>> Data used by XCSoar includes:
>>> * Maps - built using JPEG2000 from standard formats (very limited
>>> space on glide computers) - Terrain & Topology
>>> * Airspace - OpenAir format - standard for Aviation airspace
>>> * Waypoints - Lots of formats supported
>>> * Flarmnet - FLARM is the international anti collision system used
>>> (stand alone), this DB allows us to use Flarm data for identification
>>> * Waypoint details file - text file
>>> * Checklists - text file
>>>
>>>>         • What language is it written in?
>>>
>>> C++
>>>
>>>>         • Which version of the application should be included in the
>>>> next OSGeo-Live release?
>>> STABLE - 6.4.4
>>>
>>>>     • Stability is very important to us on OSGeo-Live. If a new user
>>>> finds a bug in one application, it will tarnish the reputation of
>>>> all other OSGeo-Live applications as well. (We pay most attention to
>>>> the following answers):
>>>>         • If risk adverse organisations have deployed your
>>>> application into production, it would imply that these organisations
>>>> have verified the stability of your software. Has the application
>>>> been rolled out to production into risk (ideally risk adverse)
>>>> organisations? Please mention some of these organisations?
>>> Not really. We know XCSoar is used by defence, and gliding pilots,
>>> hang gliders, para gliders and other aviation use it for 7+ hours
>>> each day. Pilots do not depend on the software for safety, but they
>>> do for competition. It is used in almost all gliding competitions
>>> across the world.
>>>
>>>>         • What is the size of the user community? You can often
>>>> answer this by mentioning downloads, or describing a healthy, busy
>>>> email list?
>>> In Android via Google Play alone there is 509 ratings (4.7/5 stars) &
>>> 21,950 installs (that is not downloads, that is installs - which
>>> means if users have multiple devices they only get 1, and each new
>>> version still only registers 1 user).
>>>
>>> Gliding is relatively small, 2000+ pilots in Australia. The numbers
>>> of users on Mac, Windows, PocketPC, and dedicated devices (e.g.
>>> Altair) is not recorded.
>>>
>>>>         • What is the size of your developer community?
>>> 10 very active (daily commit) developers. 50 developers over the last
>>> year.
>>>
>>>>         • Do you have a bug free, stable release?
>>> Yes. As it is used in gliding competitions it is very important. Very
>>> quick community to update too.
>>>
>>>>         • Please discuss the level of testing that your project has
>>>> gone through.
>>> Built in unit testing. Lots of recent work in performance testing (it
>>> is important with older and small embedded devices). User testing by
>>> all "release candidates" before final stable builds.
>>>
>>> Code is all done in GIT, and all pulls are code reviewed and tested
>>> before merging.
>>>
>>>>         • How long has the project has had mature code.
>>> 5 years. Slow period 3 years ago with fresh development team with now
>>> even more mature code in the last 2 years.
>>>
>>>>     • OSGeo-Live is targeted at applications that people can use
>>>> rather than libraries. Does the application have a user interface
>>>> (possibly a command line interface) that a user can interact with?
>>>> (We do make an exception for Incubated OSGeo Libraries, and will
>>>> include Project Overviews for these libraries, even if they don't
>>>> have a user interface.)
>>> Yes it is a GUI interface.
>>>
>>>>     • We give preference to OSGeo Incubated Projects, or Projects
>>>> which are presented at FOSS4G conferences. If your project is
>>>> involved in OSGeo Incubation, or has been selected to be presented
>>>> at FOSS4G, then please mention it.
>>> It has been at many conferences, including OSDC.com.au, but not
>>> FOSS4G (although I went when it was in Australia).
>>>
>>>>     • With around 50 applications installed on OSGeo-Live, us core
>>>> packagers do not have the time to liaise with every single project
>>>> email list for each OSGeo-Live release. So we require a volunteer
>>>> (or two) to take responsibility for liaising between OSGeo-Live and
>>>> the project's communities. This volunteer will be responsible for
>>>> ensuring the install scripts and English documentation are updated
>>>> by someone for each OSGeo-Live release. Also test that the installed
>>>> application and Quickstart documentation works as expected on
>>>> release candidate releases of OSGeo-Live. Who will act as the
>>>> project's liaison person.
>>> Scott Penrose <scottp at dd.com.au> - expert in XCSoar and Linux, happy
>>> to help.
>>>
>>>>     • OSGeo-Live is Ubuntu Linux based. Our installation preference is:
>>>>         • Install from UbuntuGIS or DebianGIS
>>>>         • Install .deb files from a PPA
>>>>         • Write a custom install script
>>> Probably just a custom install script for this release. Although it
>>> is fairly easy stand alone install.
>>>
>>>> Can you please discuss how your application will be installed.
>>>>     • OSGeo-Live is memory and disk constrained. Can the application
>>>> run in 512 Meg of RAM?
>>> Yes
>>>
>>>>     • How much disk space will be required to install the
>>>> application and a suitable example application?
>>> Approx 10MB
>>>
>>>>     • We aim to reduce disk space by having all applications make
>>>> use of a common dataset. We encourage applications to make use of
>>>> the example datasets already installed:
>>>> http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Live_GIS_Add_Project#Example_Datasets If
>>>> another dataset would be more appropriate, please discuss here. Is
>>>> it appropriate, to remove existing demo datasets which may already
>>>> be included in the standard release.
>>> Unfortunately not possible, but the demo data set can be very
>>> constrained.
>>>
>>>>     • Each OSGeo-Live application requires a Project Overview
>>>> available under a CC By and a Quickstart available under a CC By-SA
>>>> license. (You may release under a second license as well). Will you
>>>> produce this?
>>> Yes
>>>
>>>>     • In past releases, we have included Windows and Mac installers
>>>> for some applications. It is likely we won't have space for these in
>>>> future releases. However, if there is room, would you be wishing to
>>>> include Windows and/or Mac installers?
>>> Yes we have a Mac and Windows installer. The data files can be common
>>> to all versions. There is also an Android, Pocket PC and other versions.
>>>
>>> Scott
>>
>>
> 
> 