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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

New to Kstars and EKOS - questions?

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This really shows promise. I've been using SGP and the "gaggle" of other apps and it would be great to use something more "integrated".
I stumbled into a youtube video that showed the author of Ekos and intrigued me.

I have a fully remote obsy (in my yard) about 300 ft from my desk. I started to toy around with kstars and ekos. (not cracked the manual yet).

I installed Ubuntu and a Oracle "BOX" program that lets me run it and kstars... seemingly laggy? I went the windows route and installed a INDI server (wrapper) from cloudmakers? Is that a good one is there better? if so where? (I suspect they wrote it for Mac and wrapped it for PC). ???

I have a nexdome and just playing - I'm connected and (well there is a blizzard here at the moment) so I just rotated the dome a bit. (cool) it shows where it's pointing in Kstars!

I can kinda move the scope. (Mach1) and that tracks in KSTARS too. (some issues with that though). What do I connect I picked AStrophysics... but there is a AP GTO2 also and maybe another - I have the GTO 4.

I then read (AT LEAST THIS WAPPER VERSION) of indi server lacks features unless run in Linux. ??? true of all? Should I be putting my time and setup effort into my Ubuntu installed version? I'm totally new to Indi - so I'm not even real sure what it is. Seems to be some sort of driver translator? Anyway as I get more into this I'd like to be heading in the right direction so that I don't have to "START OVER" with a different indi server or kstars configuration. (I've even made my custom horizon line) I just like to dabble.

Also where is the best support group for newbies to Kstars?/EKOS?
AP Mach1 / CP4 APCC & PEMpro.
EXP SCI - ED152cf APO - Celestron 11" RASA - Stellarvue 80mm
Baader F2 HS NB filters, Lodestar X2 guide camera / OAG - ZWO 290mm mini
ZWO ASI1600MM Pro / ASI174M (solar) / ASI094MC
NEXDome, CLoudwatcher, AVX mount/ASIair and Stellarmate

The following user(s) said Thank You: Tom Gwilym
5 years 1 month ago #35416

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You are in the right place.
I'll try to break it down. First there are the INDI drivers. They can be run within Linux or Mac and act as a server for local and/or remote use. Then there are Clients, software that can talk to the INDI drivers, examples include KStars with EKOS, Carte du Ciel, PixInsight, etc... Windows itself can not run the INDI drivers, but can run clients that support INDI to communicate with an INDI server. For instance, you may connect all of your equipment to an small linux machine, like a Raspberry Pi, running an INDI server while controlling it from another machine, Windows, Linux, Mac, remotely over a network.
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5 years 1 month ago #35418

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Hi Ron!
Just saw your posting and I just want to get in here and follow any ideas that come up. I'm extremely interested in getting my own NexDome running on Linux / INDI also. Have you tried the Astronomy Linux distro? It has a lot of good stuff already installed. I did start playing with it, but then got sidetracked with a new Win7 install that I figured might help some "boot up locking" issues I was having. Seems even a clean install is doing it after I installed a bunch of stuff. Not sure what is causing it yet, but it's driving me nuts when I have to reboot the computer 3 times before I can start imaging.
Here is the latest 18.04 of that - sourceforge.net/projects/astronomy-linux-18-04/

- Tom (on the leading edge of the snowstorm!)
5 years 1 month ago #35437

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I'm new to this also. So is the server install (on a Pi for example) the same software install that would run if you were running a remote desktop? Or do you run the same Cartes Du Ceil (for example) on a remote computer direct to the one on the server on the scope? I know that Cartes does have IP address server connections and such, but always use remote desktop.

My current observatory setup:
Windows 7 (which I would love to get rid of and run Linux)
Cartes Du Ciel (for finding the targets)
PHD2 guiding (soon with an ASI120MM Mini - clouds since I bought it!)
APT Astro Photography Tool or BackyardEOS
Plate solving with APT linked to Platesolving software
ASCOM drivers
Canon 60Da (which may be upgraded to an ASI294 i the near future)
Meade LX200 Classic 12"
Orion 80ED piggybacked
Nexdome with both the rotator and shutter motors

If I can get all this stuff running on Linux / INDI I'd be extremely happy!

Tom
5 years 1 month ago #35438

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A server install only requires the INDI drivers and a method to start them on the remote server, such as a pi at the mount. The webmanager is designed for that. Then you can direct client software running elsewhere to the network address of the INDI server to control it.
5 years 1 month ago #35440

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All your hardware will run on INDI on Linux/Mac. So there are a couple of ways to approach this:

1. Install Ubuntu 18.04 on a PC and then install INDI/KStars on it. Configure INDI Web Manager for remote access.
2. Get a complete ready OS with everything already set up like StellarMate or Astroberry.
3. Get Raspberry PI3 and install Ubuntu Mate on it and configure it with INDI/KStars. Configure INDI Web Manager for remote access.

So depending on how much effort you want to put into this, pick whatever option suits you.

INDI (and some INDI clients like KStars / SkyCharts..etc) are open source software so you can install them pretty much any where and modify them as well!
The following user(s) said Thank You: Tom Gwilym
5 years 1 month ago #35446

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I still don't quite comprehend it. Kinda of...
Now I keep reading windows can't/won't. But I didn't know that, so I installed stuff and it does. !!!! not vigorously tested by any means.

I have a little Nuc win10 in teh dome. (fullly remote, with few problems - so why am I messing with this?) Kinda hoping for more features and less hassle (more integration).

So I installed Indi server ? On the win10 machine and Kstars/ekos. Running remote desktop in the house (300ft from dome) I start the server and then kstars and ekos... configured (briefly)
and my scope was controlled and pointed (showing where it was pointing in kstars). And kstars rotated the dome and it too was pointing to the place of rotation in kstars.

Normal? What is it that windows can't do?

Now I'm not a fan of windows. It's a pig. But I dont know Linux more than I installed it in a VM and played (it was cool I could download programs from a repository). I was starting to get it.
I suspect it's less bogged down than windows.

I like to learn so I ordered a pi yesterday 3B+ and a SD card and downloads noobs OS for when it gets here. I'll throw linux on it (Ubuntu? is that best choice?) and use it for a test bed.

If I use the PI instead of the nuc, how do I see the display in the house? (It won't work with teamviewer? or remotedesktop?) I'm assuming my windows programs will hook into it and I can operate things without seeing the linux screen on the pi?

I think I'll go check out that Astronomy linux 18.04 that tom mentioned.


WAIT one more thing. Anyone got a stellarmate? They sell their software for 49.00. Is it worth getting? I assumed it was a bunch of open source free programs I can get other places free? Is there anything on it that makes it worth while?
AP Mach1 / CP4 APCC & PEMpro.
EXP SCI - ED152cf APO - Celestron 11" RASA - Stellarvue 80mm
Baader F2 HS NB filters, Lodestar X2 guide camera / OAG - ZWO 290mm mini
ZWO ASI1600MM Pro / ASI174M (solar) / ASI094MC
NEXDome, CLoudwatcher, AVX mount/ASIair and Stellarmate

The following user(s) said Thank You: Tom Gwilym
5 years 1 month ago #35461

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StellarMate is ready out of the box with a few tools to make this easy for non-technical users. But if you want to go all-in yourself then you are free to do so, it's all open source after all. You need Ubuntu on the RPI3B+ and then you just need to install the latest INDI/KStars from the repository and you're good to go. You might want to install INDI Web Manager as well. You can install TeamViewer or VNC on it, whatever you like.

The RPi3B+ is a bit limited hardware wise, so you might just want to install Ubuntu on the NUC and use that instead as your remote observatory box.

Good luck!
5 years 1 month ago #35463

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Thanks. That's kind of what I expected. So it seem that the Pi in the observatory can pretty much 'headless' without a monitor outside at the scope. I would just need a monitor for initial focusing, and summer use when it's warm enough to play outside! Maybe a laptop connected to the Pi server would even be easier than running a monitor cable from the Pi if it's on the mount.
I'm getting more motivated to try this, time to go shop for a Pi 3!
Tom
5 years 1 month ago #35466

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Ron,
Depending on the hard drive space on you NUC computer, it's super easy to dual boot the computer with either Win10 or Linux. Linux installer will partition the drive (basically shove Windows over a bit making room for Linux to live). When you boot the computer you can pick the OS you want. Easy to transition to Linux, by booting one or the other. You could also run Linux in a Virtual machine inside Windows (VritualBox) but I'm not sure how well that would interface with the hardware, but I think it should work, but then you have 2 OSs running at the same time and maybe bogs it down a bit. Not sure.
If new to Linux, check out these sites:
distrowatch.com/ -- lists the "popularity" of the current distros. Super easy to download and try different ones.
www.omgubuntu.co.uk/ -- A good site with all the lastest news about Ubuntu and great for newbies (or not too new like me!)
fullcirclemagazine.org/ -- a free .pdf magazine that comes out every month. Some more advanced stuff, but good newbie things too.

I posted my Window 7 install frustrations on the FB Observatory page last night (maybe you saw it). I feel that I got attacked by some guy staying I needed to upgrade to Win10, my hardware was old, and basically sticking up for Windows. I deleted it since it was about to turn into a fight. *Sigh*

Tom
5 years 1 month ago #35470

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Another hardware question:
I run a Meade LX200 Classic 12" which has an RS232 port for controlling the scope. The Pi just has USB ports. Has the USB --> Serial connectors gotten better over the years? I did try that once, but found that it lagged so much it was annoying. I think I was running XP at that time before the Win7 setup. I did end up just installing a serial port card in my computer and all worked fine.
Currently, I'm using 2 serial ports, one for the Canon 60Da shutter control, and the other for the Meade scope. I'm probably going to reduce that to just one port soon - I'm probably going to buy an ASI294 cooled color camera and sell the 60Da to help fund it. That will all be USB and I'll just need one serial connection for the mount.

I'll just have to try it and see I guess, but thought I would toss the question out. :-)
Tom
5 years 1 month ago #35474

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It should work fine, just get a USB to serial adapter and you're good to go.
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5 years 1 month ago #35476

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