A question for any Ubuntu Gurus

[teoria_del_big_bang]

I am wanting to basically install an Astroberry or Stellarmate type package (or more precise KStars, EKOS, INDI and PHD2) and a fairly high spec fanless PC just to see whether it gives me significant advantages over my RPi with either of these running.

To be honest I am not a massive fan of KStars planetarium, it seems very clunky, the images of DSO's are very poor and it often freezes for several seconds but I just really love EKOS and find it so much simpler to use than other capture software I have tried to wish to stick with EKOS, and apart from the clunky planetarium the rest of what KStars offer is fine and easy to use.

So I guess my first action is to install Ubuntu to the PC which is very easily done but which Ubuntu is best for my use, there seems so many flavors, do I actually use Ubuntu or KUbuntu, or one of the many others on offer ?

Steve

[Dr_Ju_ju]

Personally, and after going through a number of Linux flavours etc., I've always returned to Ubuntu Mate (https://ubuntu-mate.org/) which I've found gives me the most stable, configurable, and does everything I need, and runs everything well, even on RPi's, Odroids etc.

Also have you tried running CDC on your RPi ??

 

 

[teoria_del_big_bang]

25 minutes ago, Dr_Ju_ju said:

Also have you tried running CDC on your RPi ??

No I haven't, I did try using it early days whilst using APT but always returned to Stellarium as I didn't get on with it but to be fair because stellarium is very good and I was running it on a decent spec desktop I really didn't give it much of a chance back then so might well be worth giving it a go again.

Does it do much the same as KStars and send coordinates to EKOS to slew the mount and then update position in CDC after plate solving etc.
I guess apart from being there just to have a luck what is about and to choose a target that is all it has to do.

Steve

[Dr_Ju_ju]

Yes, it can slew the mount & then 'follows' Ekos etc. just the same as on a Windows platform, and if you prefer Stellarium, there is a Linux version https://snapcraft.io/stellarium-daily 

[teoria_del_big_bang]

7 hours ago, Dr_Ju_ju said:

Personally, and after going through a number of Linux flavours etc., I've always returned to Ubuntu Mate (https://ubuntu-mate.org/) which I've found gives me the most stable, configurable, and does everything I need, and runs everything well, even on RPi's, Odroids etc.

Downloaded Ubuntu-Mate and so far pretty straightforward and I am impressed with it.

Also I think downloaded the other software I need:

• KStars
• INDI
• PHD2
• Teamviewer
• Stellarium
• Samba

now to connect my equipment.

Steve

[teoria_del_big_bang]

Well I am pretty pleased with how this is all running in my mini PC.
Took a while to get things loaded I needed, mainly to allow remote desktop from Windows laptop, but that really was down to my incompetence.
Had a test drive last night in and between the clouds and so far seems much smoother and reliable than the RPi4.

Don't get me wrong the RPi did a great job considering how small it is and the low cost, it was just the occasional freezes on KStars planetarium with green screen for several seconds and very juddery, and occasional KStars crashing altogether. But it was something I had lived wit for a year or two now and not too unhappy as once it was in its sequence it never failed.

But last night at least the mini PC was much smoother on the planetarium and no freezes, not green screen, even when really zooming in which before was a big issue.
Also never crashed once.

So it cannot all be down to WiFi as even though the WiFi is much better on the mini PC, and it has its own dual aerial, compared to the standard WiFi on the RPi, I did have a great WiFi dongle on the RPi and when I check the speed and strength is almost the same as the RPI with the dongle, slightly less speed if anything.

Only problem I have now is getting my new rotator to work properly. It works but I am not sure how to get it plate solving to an existing image and then turning to correct angle as the image.
it plate solves and it also rotates the camera during plate solving and it says it has rotated the camera to be same as the image but the angle is wrong by somewhere in the order of 70 to 80 degrees and not sure why, I am sure it is me that just does not know what to do in EKOS.
But I will probably start a new thread to ask for advise.

Steve  

Edited September 20, 2021 by teoria_del_big_bang