Re: XEphem now released under MIT Open Source license
First, Craig, many thanks for your engagement over the years and now your kind words and initiative to start the github site. Yes it was rather heart wrenching to let go of "my baby". But I am no longer in a position to maintain XEphem yet it seems interest remains, so I decided it deserves a second life of its own.
My website at clearskyinstitute.com will post nothing beyond 4.0.0 so the github repository is free to diverge as seen fit by the community, without further regard to me or my web site.
Elwood
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Re: XEphem now released under MIT Open Source license
On Mon, Feb 8, 2021 at 3:13 PM Brandon Craig Rhodes via <brandon= [email protected]> wrote: XEphem was your labor for many long years ¡ I have been so bold as to go ahead and create a new organization ¡°XEphem¡± on GitHub that can serve as the owner for the community¡¯s copy of the source code, and I have uploaded the 4.0.0 version.
I should clarify that, if upstream development is expected to continue, and further XEphem versions will be appearing on the ¡°¡± download page, then let¡¯s maintain the??repository as a mirror of those official ¡°tgz¡± files, as a convenience for folks who want to fork the source code on GitHub to experiment and contribute fixes.
Additional repositories under the main project can host various schemes for packaging and distributing XEphem for modern systems.
Only if 4.0.0 is the more-or-less final release to be expected from the official site would I imagine the GitHub repository beginning to diverge from the official ¡°tgz¡± as fixes and updates are supplied by the community.
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Re: XEphem now released under MIT Open Source license
Hello all,
After seeing so much interest in packaging XEphem for the future, I am moved to release it under the MIT Open Source license.
Wow ¡ª what an AMAZING contribution you have just made to XEphem¡¯s many users! XEphem was your labor for many long years, and bequeathing it to the community must be bittersweet, when for so long every feature and every button has reflected your personal craftsmanship and care.
The Python community has long had reason to value your generosity, of course, ever since you gave me permission back in 1998 to use one of XEphem¡¯s internal C libraries, ¡°libastro¡±, to create the open source PyEphem library. Thanks to that decision, generations of Python programmers have for almost a quarter-century been able to compute positions for objects like stars, planets, and comets. Even today, when more modern libraries are available, PyEphem is still popular, as reflected on GitHub by 451 stars, 79 dependent packages, and 2000+ other repositories that list it as a dependency.
I hope that your generosity today rebounds to as many folks' benefit as did your release of libastro back in the 1990s!
For everyone else on the thread ¡ª
I have been so bold as to go ahead and create a new organization ¡°XEphem¡± on GitHub that can serve as the owner for the community¡¯s copy of the source code, and I have uploaded the 4.0.0 version:
Simply ask if you would like to be part of the organization as well. I would be happy for?other experienced folks to take the lead, I just wanted to grab the project name for us while it was still free!
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Re: XEphem now released under MIT Open Source license
Am 2021-02-07 20:58, schrieb Elwood Downey: Hello all,
After seeing so much interest in packaging XEphem for the future, I am
moved to release it under the MIT Open Source license. To clearly
delineate the heritage, I have bumped the version to 4.0.0. You can
download it from my usual XEphem home page at
. rpm packages for openSUSE Leap 15.2, Leap 15.3 and openSUSE Tumbleweed are building on OBS in Application:Geo. by the way, I had to fix a bit in versionmenu.c, the patch can be found here: ...this is where a git repo would come in handy... XD Cheers Mathias -- Mathias Homann Senior Systems Engineer, IT Consultant, IT Trainer Mathias.Homann@... LinkedIn: gpg key fingerprint: 8029 2240 f4dd 7776 e7d2 c042 6b8e 029e 13f2 c102
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Re: XEphem now released under MIT Open Source license
Am 2021-02-07 21:42, schrieb Elwood Downey: On Sun, Feb 7, 2021 at 01:37 PM, Mathias Homann wrote:
> Would you eventually put it on github so people could
easily contribute? Not me, but you guys do whatever you want so long as you honor the MIT
license terms.
But I strongly feel that the user account that owns the repository on github should be yours... Cheers MH -- Mathias Homann Senior Systems Engineer, IT Consultant, IT Trainer Mathias.Homann@... LinkedIn: gpg key fingerprint: 8029 2240 f4dd 7776 e7d2 c042 6b8e 029e 13f2 c102
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Re: XEphem now released under MIT Open Source license
Removing the dependency on xprint would be good but replacing it might
be complicated. I've been on ARM machines entirely for several years
so I'd hate to see reduced compatibility with i586/AMD binaries only.
By getting xprint out so it doesn't have archaic dependencies it
should be possible to buiid debs for Debian/Ubuntu/Rasbian, and those
are generated automatically for basically all types of supported
hardware. And the tarball used to make debs could work under the
BSDs.
It might be easiest to make necessary parts of xprint part of the
XEphem distribution, license permitting. Or if possible make it
buildable without printing capability. I haven't looked at the source
in years if at all.
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On 2/7/21, Maxime GOMMEAUX <maxime.gommeaux@...> wrote: Dear Elwood,
I am very pleased with your decision! Though I have absolutely no technical
skills, I am willing to use XEphem and have my students use it for as long
as volunteers like this group's members keep it relatively easy to install.
Yours,
Maxime
--
-------------
Education is contagious.
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Re: XEphem now released under MIT Open Source license
On Sun, Feb 7, 2021 at 01:37 PM, Mathias Homann wrote: > Would you eventually put it on github so people could easily contribute? Not me, but you guys do whatever you want so long as you honor the MIT license terms.
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Re: How to view Earth rotation in Earth view?
Turn on View -> Inertial frame.
Dear friends,
Sorry for the weird-sounding title... I am using XEphem with students and I would like to have the possibility to view the rotation of the Earth in "Earth view" mode. The default settings show a fixed region of the Earth's surface and the sunlight zone rotating (in spherical view mode) or "translating" (in cylindrical projection mode) as time goes, as if the Sun was rotating around the Earth.
Because I am teaching the consequences of the Earth's motion in real life, I would like to have the choice to view things differently (with the Sun in a fixed direction and Earth rotating as time goes). Of course, this would only be in spherical view mode.
So far, the only trick I have found is to activate tracking of one of the outer planets, in the hope that their positions relative to the Earth will reveal the sunlight and shadow hemispheres more or less equally.
Yours,
Maxime
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Re: XEphem now released under MIT Open Source license
Am Sonntag, 7. Februar 2021, 20:58:41 CET schrieb Elwood Downey: Hello all,
After seeing so much interest in packaging XEphem for the future, I am moved
to release it under the MIT Open Source license. That is awesome!!! Would you eventually put it on github so people could easily contribute? Cheers Mathias -- Mathias Homann Senior Systems Engineer, IT Consultant. IT Trainer Mathias.Homann@... (email / XMPP) LinkedIn: telegram: keybase: gpg key fingerprint: 8029 2240 F4DD 7776 E7D2 C042 6B8E 029E 13F2 C102
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How to view Earth rotation in Earth view?
Dear friends,
Sorry for the weird-sounding title... I am using XEphem with students and I would like to have the possibility to view the rotation of the Earth in "Earth view" mode. The default settings show a fixed region of the Earth's surface and the sunlight zone rotating (in spherical view mode) or "translating" (in cylindrical projection mode) as time goes, as if the Sun was rotating around the Earth.
Because I am teaching the consequences of the Earth's motion in real life, I would like to have the choice to view things differently (with the Sun in a fixed direction and Earth rotating as time goes). Of course, this would only be in spherical view mode.
So far, the only trick I have found is to activate tracking of one of the outer planets, in the hope that their positions relative to the Earth will reveal the sunlight and shadow hemispheres more or less equally.
Yours,
Maxime
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Re: XEphem crash upon date selection
Dear XEphem-ers,
I have been too busy with my teaching recently to check or act as you suggested but I still have it on my agenda...
Thank you for your advices!
Maxime
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Re: XEphem now released under MIT Open Source license
Dear Elwood,
I am very pleased with your decision! Though I have absolutely no technical skills, I am willing to use XEphem and have my students use it for as long as volunteers like this group's members keep it relatively easy to install.
Yours,
Maxime
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XEphem now released under MIT Open Source license
Hello all,
After seeing so much interest in packaging XEphem for the future, I am moved to release it under the MIT Open Source license. To clearly delineate the heritage, I have bumped the version to 4.0.0. You can download it from my usual XEphem home page at . I only changed four files from 3.7.7 to reflect the change in terms:
Copyright
INSTALL
README
versionmenu.c
XEphem needs your help. In particular note I have not incorporated the recent patches by Lutz M?ndle in the contrib section. That would be a good place to start. In general, I can think of at least the following that need attention.
Jupiter and Saturn moons ephemerides polynomials expired in 2020 and will now rapidly grow inaccurate.
Pluto's osculating elements
Magnetic declination model
Delta T model
external access to data and images
updated field stars databases
browser help connections
Finally, let me say Thank You to everyone who has used XEphem. I look forward to seeing where others can take it in the future.
Best wishes to all,
Elwood Downey
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Re: it is time to create a flatpak for xephem
Did you try my packages for Debian/Ubuntu distros?
It's working for me but I've come via dist-upgrade from 18.04
Let me know if it fail - I'll try on clean install 20.04
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Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2021 15:27:47 +0000
From: "Sarty, Gordon" <gordon.sarty@...>
Reply-To: [email protected]
To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [xephem] it is time to create a flatpak for xephem
I would like that. I have still not been able to get xephem to work on ubuntu 20.
Gordon
On Feb 6, 2021, at 8:30 AM, georg180662 via groups.io <georg.graf@...> wrote:
?CAUTION: External to USask. Verify sender and use caution with links and attachments. Forward suspicious emails to phishing@...
Most of the posts here are about installation problems.?
it is time to create a flatpak for xephem.
who knows someone who can do this?
--
?ukasz Sanocki
AP-Media
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Re: it is time to create a flatpak for xephem
Yea in that case it'd be better to create a more versatile makefile with autotools or even go over to cmake so that the different distros can be accommodated.
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I don't know what a flatpack is but please bear in mind that some
users are on the BSDs, not only Linux.
On 2/7/21, s.bortolussi@... via groups.io
<s.bortolussi@...> wrote:
> I use XEphem on? Slackware 64.? Using linuxdeploy -
>
>
> - I have bundled the necessary files into one folder (with subfoldres),
> included libXpm. Copied that folder into a XUbuntu 20.04 box and
> launched xephem. It seems to work, although I did not test it very long.
>
> Stefano
>
>
> On 2/6/21 7:11 PM, georg180662 wrote:
>> it *should* be a *snap or flatpak*, *not* a deb
>> The packages contain all dependencies like libmotif, libxm4 etc.
>> These libraries are the base of the XEphem interface - and all of them
>> are outdated. So it is getting more and more difficult to compile
>> XEphem by yourself. I don't think Elwood will rewrite a completely new
>> interface as a Gnome or KDE application.
>> As a flatpak or snap, XEphem can remain available for many years to
>> come, despite XMotif, and also be easier to install on a variety of
>> platforms.
>>
>
>
>
>
>
>
--
-------------
Education is contagious.
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Re: it is time to create a flatpak for xephem
I don't know what a flatpack is but please bear in mind that some users are on the BSDs, not only Linux. On 2/7/21, s.bortolussi@... via groups.io <s.bortolussi@...> wrote: I use XEphem on? Slackware 64.? Using linuxdeploy -
- I have bundled the necessary files into one folder (with subfoldres),
included libXpm. Copied that folder into a XUbuntu 20.04 box and
launched xephem. It seems to work, although I did not test it very long.
Stefano
On 2/6/21 7:11 PM, georg180662 wrote:
it *should* be a *snap or flatpak*, *not* a deb
The packages contain all dependencies like libmotif, libxm4 etc.
These libraries are the base of the XEphem interface - and all of them
are outdated. So it is getting more and more difficult to compile
XEphem by yourself. I don't think Elwood will rewrite a completely new
interface as a Gnome or KDE application.
As a flatpak or snap, XEphem can remain available for many years to
come, despite XMotif, and also be easier to install on a variety of
platforms.
-- ------------- Education is contagious.
|
Re: it is time to create a flatpak for xephem
I use XEphem on? Slackware 64.? Using linuxdeploy -
?
- I have bundled the necessary files into one folder (with
subfoldres), included libXpm. Copied that folder into a XUbuntu
20.04 box and launched xephem. It seems to work, although I did
not test it very long.
Stefano
On 2/6/21 7:11 PM, georg180662 wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
it should be a snap or flatpak,
not a deb
The packages contain all dependencies like libmotif, libxm4
etc.?
These libraries are the base of the XEphem interface - and
all of them are outdated. So it is getting more and more
difficult to compile XEphem by yourself. I don't think Elwood
will rewrite a completely new interface as a Gnome or KDE
application.?
?
As a flatpak or snap, XEphem can remain available for many
years to come, despite XMotif, and also be easier to install on
a variety of platforms.
?
?
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Re: it is time to create a flatpak for xephem
it should be a snap or flatpak, not a deb
The packages contain all dependencies like libmotif, libxm4 etc.?
These libraries are the base of the XEphem interface - and all of them are outdated. So it is getting more and more difficult to compile XEphem by yourself. I don't think Elwood will rewrite a completely new interface as a Gnome or KDE application.?
?
As a flatpak or snap, XEphem can remain available for many years to come, despite XMotif, and also be easier to install on a variety of platforms.
?
?
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Re: it is time to create a flatpak for xephem
If I can figure out how to build a *.deb or snap for the Ubuntu/Debian series.? I *should be able to build either a snap or deb.
I've found instructions for both.? I just need to get of my duff and do it.
I have servers that can run containers of any/all versions of Debian/Ubuntu, once I figure out the build processes.? Those versions that support snap, should have consistent build processes.
Jay C. Theriot
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Re: it is time to create a flatpak for xephem
Am Samstag, 6. Februar 2021, 15:30:13 CET schrieb georg180662: Most of the posts here are about installation problems. There are no problems on openSUSE... I'm providing specifically built packages for all current openSUSE Releases on OBS in Application:Geo that "just work". I'm also working on creating a ready to use live stick / VM image with xephem, stellarium, Cartes du ciel, and what else comes to mind (gimp, most likely). Cheers Mathias
it is time to create a flatpak for xephem.
Why not snap instead? Cheers Mathias -- Mathias Homann Senior Systems Engineer, IT Consultant, IT Trainer Mathias.Homann@... (email,XMPP) LinkedIn: telegram: keybase: gpg key fingerprint: 8029 2240 F4DD 7776 E7D2 C042 6B8E 029E 13F2 C102
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