Astroberry / KStars on Rpi - More advice needed

[TerryMcK]

I've just installed xrdp (sudo apt install xrdp) and it works great. Use the xorg session and login as your astroberry user

[teoria_del_big_bang]

2 minutes ago, TerryMcK said:

I've just installed xrdp (sudo apt install xrdp) and it works great. Use the xorg session and login as your astroberry user

That's what I have done and Remote Desktop does work, and I can use multiple monitors but I still get this where if I plug a montor into the RPi then there is just a blank Astroberry screen on it and nothing I do on Remote Desktop is seen on the monitor plugged into the RPi. Also I can do things with a mouse and keyboard plugged into RPi that wors but again it does not appead on the Remote Desktop monitors. So definitely 2 instances of Astroberry running on the RPi, one that is controlled and viewed by Remote Desktop and one controlled with keyboard and mouse plugged into RPi.

Now, this might be fine and give no issues so long as I use either Remote Desktop or use a VNC viewer but not both. But I do not understand enough to know exactly what implications running Remote Desktop has.

Steve

[TerryMcK]

I've found if you use VNC (via the web console) to start INDI manager you can then use the RDP connection to the PI to fire up KStars EKOS. However set it to remote mode, scan for INDI sessions and it uses a 169 address to connect internally.

 

You can also use a Windows version of Kstars to remote to the "real" ipaddress of the PI and you then see that both versions of Kstars are synced and show the telescope position etc.

However I would only use one version of the scheduler to trigger jobs otherwise it gets very confusing.

[TerryMcK]

RDP to PI version of Kstars

 

Simultaneous view on Windows PC of Kstars

Hopefully this makes sense

[Stuart1971]

17 minutes ago, TerryMcK said:

I've just installed xrdp (sudo apt install xrdp) and it works great. Use the xorg session and login as your astroberry user

Yes the issue is that XRDP and Remote Desktop are not suitable as each screen opens a new instance of the desktop, so you get the same app opening multiple times, and you don’t want this, you want to be able to move just one instance of the software over the multiple screens, and this is not possible...🙁

[TerryMcK]

Try my method above (Kstars on the RDP session to the PI set in remote and using the 169 address - assuming you are using INDI manager to start the services). I'm using it right now and it works fine. Admittedly I'm doing it in daylight but you get the idea.

[TerryMcK]

Am I misinterpreting what is required? 

Do you want the rdp session to the PI showing up on both the screens that are connected to the PC? If so that is easy to do. 

 

Or is one screen physically connected to the PI and the other to the PC> If the latter then RDP will not work for that. 

[stash_old]

12 hours ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

If somebody could now make a stand alone application that encompasses all the good aspects of say APT, Kstars, Stellarium, EKOS etc that is robust I would pay for that no problem and would be happy

CCDCIEL - runs on anything(Windows/Linux or Mac) connects to both Indi or Ascom (or both with certain limitaions - Ascom being the limitation). Plus written by the same author as CDC which intergrates with CDCCIEL. A bit clinky but has more features than APT but read the documentation FIRST to see if it's for you. Doesn't need Ekos/Kstars ,intergrates fine with Astroberry and Indiserver stand alone type set up's.

 

Remember you are using a RPI (£50) - if you want bells and whistles(2 simultaneous Screens)  you will have to pay for it and run a more powerful (and normally lots more £'s)  system and use Ubuntu version of Indi or Windows/Ascom. You dont "get owt for nowt".

Plus this may help some https://help.realvnc.com/hc/en-us/articles/360016572531-How-do-I-use-VNC-Viewer-in-full-screen-mode-on-all-of-my-screens-

 

[teoria_del_big_bang]

24 minutes ago, TerryMcK said:

Am I misinterpreting what is required? 

Do you want the rdp session to the PI showing up on both the screens that are connected to the PC? If so that is easy to do. 

 

Or is one screen physically connected to the PI and the other to the PC> If the latter then RDP will not work for that. 

No I think we are both on the same page (or screen 🙂 ). I use RDP for several things so can use both monitors that is one thing I did work out on my own (but that is the easy bit ha ha).

I originally plugged the screen into the RPi (and a keyboard) only  because I wanted to setup the LAN connection to have a static address and when I tried via RDP many of the checkboxes and such were greyed out and disabled (probably because of these issues) and I had just left them plugged in (all on my bench where the desktop computer is) so it was just then I noticed what was on the RPi screen was not what I was seeing on the RDP screens. Then I noticed that what I saw on the browser or VNC connection was the same as the RPi. Before this I just assumed the Browser and RDP were the same (hence I may at times have started off using the browser to start things off and then switched to RDP so I could use both monitors which I guess would have caused issues as I probably had no idea where KStars went so opened it up again (or something along those lines).

Anyway thanks for all your help, I am a little if not a lot more wiser now.

I am just about to pack scope and all the kit up to go down South for a week the to east coast for the second week and hoping (I hope not in vain) for some clear weather. The holiday in UK is due to a cancelled Spanish holiday so not specifically for Imaging but we are in cottages in quite remote areas so I would be daft not to take the gear, although weather does not look good and gear might never see the light of day (or night).

But I will then at least have a play with your suggestion and hopefully all solved 🙂 .

 

[TerryMcK]

Have a great time Steve and hopefully .... clear skies

[teoria_del_big_bang]

7 minutes ago, stash_old said:

CCDCIEL - runs on anything(Windows/Linux or Mac) connects to both Indi or Ascom (or both with certain limitaions - Ascom being the limitation). Plus written by the same author as CDC which intergrates with CDCCIEL. A bit clinky but has more features than APT but read the documentation FIRST to see if it's for you. Doesn't need Ekos/Kstars ,intergrates fine with Astroberry and Indiserver stand alone type set up's.

 

Remember you are using a RPI (£50) - if you want bells and whistles(2 simultaneous Screens)  you will have to pay for it and run a more powerful (and normally lots more £'s)  system and use Ubuntu version of Indi or Windows/Ascom. You dont "get owt for nowt".

Plus this may help some https://help.realvnc.com/hc/en-us/articles/360016572531-How-do-I-use-VNC-Viewer-in-full-screen-mode-on-all-of-my-screens-

 

CCDCIEL is not something I have played with much as yet, as was the RPi but I will sometime.

I do have a smallish fanless pretty powerful CPU that I was using which attaches to the tripod with a cover that works fine. The Rpi was rreally a summer project as weather and loss of darkness makes it the time to try these things out. I also have both Ubutnu and windows on the more powerful CPU and they work fine.

Well if I revert to Windows (which still is set up with APT, Stellarium and ASCOM) then that is flawless.

If I use Ubutnu (KSTARS, EKPOS) only issue I really have is I cannot shut the CPU down remotely I have to revert to holding the power on button in for 5 seconds (small issue).

But I just thought I would try the RPi, if it works then I can have two one on each setup I have as it is a cheap method, If it doesn't then I have lost £50 but will probably use it for an all sky cam or something anyway.

The only other thing that kept me trying was that I did like the look of Astroberry. I know essentially it does nothing more than the setup of KStars and EKOS does on the Ubutnu but I just liked the layout on the screen and the fact I could shut down remotely if I used the browser (not RDP).

I was comfortable with APT on Windows but just wanted to try what so many others are using otherwise I never know what really suits me and I do like many aspects of KStars over APT.

Sorry if I am rambling and do not explain myself too well, a lot of computer jargon is beyond me I am afraid.

Steve

[teoria_del_big_bang]

Anyway thanks to ALL that have helped me on this thread, really appreciated.

I better had go and start packing up a fair way to travel in morning.

All have a great day and I hope for clear skies for all soon.

I will report back where i  get to ( and maybe some images from next couple of weeks) 🙂 

Steve

[stash_old]

2 hours ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

If I use Ubutnu (KSTARS, EKPOS) only issue I really have is I cannot shut the CPU down remotely

Yes you can - at worst just use SSH (puttyy from Windows) and do a "sudo poweroff" or just start a command line via VNC Viewer and do the same. You will be asked for the password - although there are unsafe around that too!

[teoria_del_big_bang]

11 minutes ago, stash_old said:

Yes you can - at worst just use SSH (puttyy from Windows) and do a "sudo poweroff" or just start a command line via VNC Viewer and do the same. You will be asked for the password - although there are unsafe around that too!

Oh thats good to know thanks 🙂 

Steve

[Stuart1971]

3 hours ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

Anyway thanks to ALL that have helped me on this thread, really appreciated.

I better had go and start packing up a fair way to travel in morning.

All have a great day and I hope for clear skies for all soon.

I will report back where i  get to ( and maybe some images from next couple of weeks) 🙂 

Steve

So to sum up. Are you now able to use two screens over RDP with Kstars running on the RPI, and move windows around from one screeen to another....as that is what I would like to do...ie, Kstars skymap open on one screen, and the ekos and indi tabs open on the other.....? 👍

[teoria_del_big_bang]

Not sure, not really had time to try, I had a quick go and all seemed to work except my focusser and mount would not connect, all other items did. I am sure that is fixable and will have another go when I am away and let you know 🙂 

Thanks

Steve

[teoria_del_big_bang]

On 03/09/2020 at 10:46, TerryMcK said:

Have a great time Steve and hopefully .... clear skies

Well Friday night was cloudy but had about 3 hours of clear pretty dark sky last night.

Just threw this image together very quickly in PI (no calibration at all just alignment and integration just to get a quick preview).

Steve

[TerryMcK]

49 minutes ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

Well Friday night was cloudy but had about 3 hours of clear pretty dark sky last night.

Just threw this image together very quickly in PI (no calibration at all just alignment and integration just to get a quick preview).

Steve

Fantastic image.

[teoria_del_big_bang]

I am really pleased especially as no pre-processing. 

Dark skies - best pre-processing you can do 🙂 , I wish I could persuade my wife to move to some more remote area.

Steve

[JonCarleton]

I run my PI4 without VNC and just SSH into it and run what little I need through the forwarded X display (ssh -Y).  On my network, I really don't notice a significant difference between SSH and VNC.  Then too, I run PHD2 and CCDCiel locally with a remote INDI server on the Pi4.  I did try running everything on the PI4 via VNC, but it did get a bit sluggish.