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INDI Library v2.0.6 is Released (02 Feb 2024)

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Autoboot rlancaste EKOS environment to allow SkySafari control

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  • Thank you received: 69
So a fresh install of smate/EKOS/Kstars using Rlancaste's instructions github.com/rlancaste/AstroPi3 let me configure a Celestron NexStar and SkySafari 6 so that the NexStar can be controlled by SkySafari (this is for visual viewing only). What I'm having problems with is configuring it so that booting the RPi(2) will automatically have this environment up and running so that no VNC is required. I was under the impression that the AutoStart option in the IndiWeb Manager would do this for me, but at the moment this doesn't appear to work (for me). Is this something that should be expected to work?

Thanks
Jerry
5 years 7 months ago #28328

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Hi Jerry,

This is more of a question about INDI Webmanager than about my script I think. I haven't honestly used the AutoStart feature in the web manager before so I couldn't answer that part. But one thing that I have done before is to set up the same sort of function in the Ubuntu MATE GUI. In the menus at the top under Preferences -> Personal -> Startup Applications, I have made it start my indiserver on boot. If you click the Add button, give it a name, and then type the command line version of what it is you want to start, then it will start when the PI boots.

One warning though. you are wanting your PI to not ever need a VNC connection correct? How do you plan to get it set up on the correct network? And more importantly, how do you plan to shut it down safely?

Thanks,

Rob
The following user(s) said Thank You: Jerry Black
5 years 7 months ago #28345

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Hi Rob,

Thanks for this info. With the INDI Webmanager set to auto start my devices (NexStar and SkySafari) the service appears to be running OK...

sudo systemctl status indiwebmanager.service
● indiwebmanager.service - INDI Web Manager
Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/indiwebmanager.service; enabled; vendor preset:
Active: active (running) since Tue 2018-08-07 10:26:30 ADT; 2h 4min ago
Main PID: 1642 (indi-web)
CGroup: /system.slice/indiwebmanager.service
├─1642 /usr/bin/python /usr/local/bin/indi-web -v
├─2189 indiserver -p 7624 -m 100 -v -f /tmp/indiFIFO
├─2194 indi_skysafari
└─2196 indi_celestron_gps

Aug 07 10:26:30 peter-desktop systemd[1]: Started INDI Web Manager.
Aug 07 10:26:53 peter-desktop indi-web[1642]: 2018-08-07 10:26:53,084 - DEBUG: command
Aug 07 10:26:53 peter-desktop indi-web[1642]: 2018-08-07 10:26:53,475 - INFO: pkill -9
Aug 07 10:26:53 peter-desktop indi-web[1642]: 2018-08-07 10:26:53,598 - WARNING: termin
Aug 07 10:26:55 peter-desktop indi-web[1642]: 2018-08-07 10:26:55,763 - INFO: using Bot
Aug 07 10:26:56 peter-desktop indi-web[1642]: 2018-08-07 10:26:56,271 - INFO: Deleting
Aug 07 10:26:56 peter-desktop indi-web[1642]: 2018-08-07 10:26:56,376 - INFO: indiserve
Aug 07 10:26:56 peter-desktop indi-web[1642]: 2018-08-07 10:26:56,403 - INFO: echo "sta
Aug 07 10:26:56 peter-desktop indi-web[1642]: 2018-08-07 10:26:56,446 - INFO: echo "sta

Strangely (to me), SkySafari doesn't get a successful connection until KStars is launched and then EKOS is started. I must be missing the full picture of what EKOS does vs the Indi drivers. EKOS must be providing the network connection to the SkySafari Indi driver.
I think I'm looking for the way to invoke EKOS with my profile as a startup application. I presume I can find the terminal line to invoke EKOS.

I don't have a solution for shutting down cleanly. I find VNC from a phone pretty clunky to do much.
Thanks
5 years 7 months ago #28346

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You can't use Ekos without a CCD. If you don't have one, specify CCD Simulator at least. Your Ekos profile should be set to remote, and you should select Celestron GPS, CCD Simulator, and in Auxiliary, SkySafari. INDI Web Manager checkbox should be checked.

You really don't need "Auto Start" since as soon as you start the profile, it takes care of starting the driver.

Now, if you do not need Ekos, and just want to use SkySafari to control your mount after you power up the RPI, then using Auto Start would make sense. In this case, you do not need Ekos at all. Maybe just use Ekos for the first time so that the SkySafari driver is set to use Celestron GPS, then save config and that's pretty much it. Next time it runs, it's already configured and should run fine as is.
5 years 7 months ago #28349

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