I'm running kstars/ekos as client on win10.

I used "upload and slew" command in the solver tab and tried to solve locally. With "internal" and "local astrometry" StellarSolver options it can solve the image. When I moved to ASTAP, it fails:

In the Options->Configure tab, I tested all three source extraction methods and they all fail.
It seems to be looking for this file : externalSextractorSolver_14.ini <-- this is nowhere on my computer.
Any help would be appreciated.



[2021-02-19T12:34:52.621 Eastern Standard Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.fits] - Loading file "C:/Users/shaya/Desktop/APT_Images/CameraCCD_1/2021-01-30/L_G_2021-01-31_02-07-24_Bin1x1_75s__-20C.fit"
[2021-02-19T12:34:52.872 Eastern Standard Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.align] - "ASTAP no longer supports alternative star extraction methods. Changing to built-in star extraction."
[2021-02-19T12:34:52.880 Eastern Standard Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.align] - "ASTAP does not support Parallel solves. Disabling that option"
[2021-02-19T12:34:52.887 Eastern Standard Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.align] - "Automatically downsampling the image by 3"
[2021-02-19T12:34:52.895 Eastern Standard Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.align] - "Evaluating Installed RAM for inParallel Option. Total Size of Index files: 2.77168 GB, Installed RAM: 15.8867 GB, Free RAM: 9.70027 GB"
[2021-02-19T12:34:52.903 Eastern Standard Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.align] - "There should be enough RAM to load the indexes in parallel."
[2021-02-19T12:34:52.911 Eastern Standard Time DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - setAlignStatus: 4
[2021-02-19T12:34:52.930 Eastern Standard Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.align] - "+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++"
[2021-02-19T12:34:52.939 Eastern Standard Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.align] - "Configuring external ASTAP solver"
[2021-02-19T12:34:52.947 Eastern Standard Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.align] - "+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++"
[2021-02-19T12:34:52.955 Eastern Standard Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.align] - "Starting external ASTAP Solver with the 1-Default profile..."
[2021-02-19T12:34:52.963 Eastern Standard Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.align] - "Command: C:/Program Files/astap/astap.exe -o C:/Users/shaya/AppData/Local/Temp/externalSextractorSolver_14.ini -speed auto -f C:/Users/shaya/AppData/Local/Temp/solverbd8758f17ecd4a5983251f838b5fa115.fits -wcs -z 3 -ra 5.27306 -spd 124.301 -r 15 -log"
[2021-02-19T12:34:53.229 Eastern Standard Time INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.align] - "Solver Failed."

I'm having the exact same issue. Some insight here would be nice. ASTAP is just not working at all with ekos in windows.

I was looking at astap on my astroberry yesterday and I could see that ini file being mentioned but I suspect it’s a temporary file as the number keeps increasing which probably explains why you cannot find it.
afaik astap uses its own internal extractor these days.

Have you tried one of the other settings other than the default - I use the one for small scaling solving which seems to work for my small telescope 240mm fl and also my sony camera 400mm

Yes, the ini file you are describing is a temporary file that ASTAP will generate once it is done with an image. Yes also ASTAP no longer supports any star extraction but it’s own, so it won’t matter which star extraction type you select. ASTAP works in a very different way than the other solvers, it has its own index files and must be properly set up to work. I believe also if I remember correctly that on windows you have to download a special version of ASTAP that can be run from the command line. But I don’t know as much about that so I could be wrong. Also note that sometimes ASTAP will fail when the others solve and it might succeed when the others fail. It isn’t the same at all.