ubuntu-phone team mailing list archive

[Frans Schreuder <fransschreuder@xxxxxxxxx>]

On 06/02/2015 09:38 PM, Christian Dywan wrote:
> Hey Frans,
>
> First off, I'm looking forward to it. Proper offline navigation is
> sorely needed!
Well, you can already download it and build using ubuntu-sdk. Until I
found a solution for publishing in the app-store.
>
> However frankly requiring a lengthy map conversion process on a
> separate PC will impede adoption. Everyone doesn't have a beefy
> machine sitting at home. Plus you need to understand it. And most
> crucially, and I think I'm not the exception, when you know you need
> that map you may already be on the road, with no access to that beefy
> or possibly any computer.
I can imagine this. I am willing to build the maps using an automated
build script. I have already hosted the benelux map on my website,
however I need more space to host worldwide maps. Maybe Ubuntu /
Canonical can supply some hosting space somewhere? The way the app works
now is by copying the maps to the SD card manually.
>
> I realize I'm not providing the answer you're asking for. But as I am
> very interested in this project, this is my feedback: Figure out
> hosting, and ways to downsize the files. The HERE app on Android shows
> that it can be done.
I am surely looking into downsizing the maps, but for now they are just
big (however also detailed)
>
> Regards,
>     Christian
>
> Am Di, 2. Jun, 2015 um 3:18 schrieb Frans Schreuder
> <fransschreuder@xxxxxxxxx>:
>> Dear Ubuntu-phone mailing list, I have spent a few weeks developing
>> an offline routing / navigation application (LGPL) based on
>> openstreetmaps / libosmscout. I want to publish the app in the Ubuntu
>> App Store, but I am facing a problem: I need read access on a
>> location on the SD card. I will explain why. 1.) The maps take quite
>> some space on the device (Netherlands is 1.3GB, Germany is 4+ GB). At
>> least on the BQ Aquaris this space is not available in the home
>> directory, at least not if you also want to remain with some space
>> available. 2.) The maps have to be converted to a binary format with
>> a tool on the PC. Until I got some server space and time to host some
>> readily converted maps, the user will have to transfer maps manually
>> to the phone. If this would be the app data space, that location is
>> not by default readable if you browse the phone on the PC. 3.)
>> Converting the maps on the phone is not really an option, as the
>> process uses several GB as temp space, and on an i7 pc it can take
>> over 1 hour for a map of a small country. For now there are no good
>> apparmor rules that matches the need of this application, Picture
>> read could be possible, however it needs the maps to be placed in
>> <SD_CARD>/Pictures/osmscout. That is an ugly solution, but it works.
>> Another solution is to set the app as unconfined, and use the
>> location <SD_CARD>/Maps/osmscout. However this is not the solution to
>> allow for any app, I think this app really adds value to the Ubuntu
>> phone. Would it be possible to create an app-specific rule that
>> allows (Read, and maybe later Write) access to <SD_CARD>/Maps/? Or
>> otherwise to allow this app to be published as unconfined? The source
>> code for the app can be found here:
>> https://github.com/fransschreuder/libosmscout The tool to convert
>> maps can be obtained on a desktop: sudo apt-add-repository
>> ppa:fransschreuder1/osmscout-import sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get
>> install osmscoutimportgui0 Thanks for your comments, Regards, Frans
>> Schreuder
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