I just made two exciting discoveries using my #Librem5.
I postponed any work on using maps and navigation until just the moment I needed a map on a #roadbike trip in an unknown region.
I started gnome-maps and painfully slow moved the map to the place I knew I would be in doubt about taking the right turns - just in case.
And really, there's been unexpected constructions in the road and I had to go another way and had problems finding back to my planned route.
1/x
The nicest roadbike routes leave as much civilisation as possible behind just taking the pavement to roll on with them. Often best routes have gaps in mobile reception.
I remembered PureMaps on my way back and installed the flatpak when I came back. Flawless.
Fast.
Did I mentione already that it is blazing fast compared to gnome-maps?
But still online.
But already the introduction on the first start shows information about offline use.
3/x
So I followed instructions and installed the OSM Scout Server including the Map Manage to download #Openstreetmap maps.
Downloaded the stuff the server asked for and quit the program.
In PureMaps selected the offline profile and ... yes, the scout server got started via dbus in the background.
Switched off internet connection and tried offline maps: Just works.
Next roadbike trip using my #Librem5 ahead - this time with offline maps.
Shout out to @rinigus : Such a great work!
4/4
Went on a ride on the roadbike and planned the route beforehand using #brouter web.
The #gpx can be imported into #PureMaps to show on the map.
Without knowing ahead I left the part of the map I had for offline navigation on my #librem5.
But still I could follow the gpx shown on the very course worldmap by just keeping my position at the critical turns on the track.
In combination with brouters webinterface a good replacement for #osmand.
Was there anything special you did to install Pure Maps? I haven't tried it but if it works well....
No, I just installed the flatpak and it worked (online).
Motivated by that success I went on and installed OSM Scout Server as a flatpak and downloaded the data needed to run it and maps for one region to try.
Smooth (putting aside some stability issues with my data connection)!
Then tried offline: worked.
Didn't try routing, yet...
@chrichri i've used #mepo for months, and i've been very satisfied with my navigation experience. you can search and route to POI through a variety of scripts and programs, and it is compatible with both mobile and desktop linux (with support for both touch-based input and keyboard bindings). as it approaches completion of milestone 5/6, it's getting closer to a 1.0 release. mepo is scriptable, lightweight, and robustly supports offline usage. i'd recommend giving it a shot!
@chrichri i'm glad pure maps is working out for you, i haven't yet given it a shot
@chrichri Just for the record - GNOME Maps being painfully "slow" is actually a phoc bug that's fixed in 0.21.0, which just landed in octarine and should reach byzantium together with new phosh release that's about to happen any day now.
PS. Pure Maps sure is awesome! :)
@chrichri @dos you were running #octarine? Because I think it never manifested in #byzantium as it was related to the wlroots 0.15.x update.
I took out the #Librem5 (wondering how not-so-hot it was in ~30°C bright sun) and unlocked the screen and found my prepared map with a marker for my position on it.
I absolutly didn't expect this to happen, because I didn't waste any minute, yet, trying the gps beside once trying to get some data just to make sure it's really built-in and somehow working.
But gnome-maps is painfully slow and absolutly useless without internet connection.
2/x