Gpredict on Android

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Today we have a guest post by Kirill Snezhko ‏(@argrento) who describes how to get Gpredict working on Android tablets. Note that this is not about a native Android port of Gpredict, but how to get Linux installed as an Android app and run Linux applications like Gpredict.

Hi everybody!

Today i will tell you how to run Gpredict on your android tablet.

First of all you have to download 3 apps from Google Play:

  1. Complete Linux Installer: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zpwebsites.linuxonandroid
  2. Terminal Emulator: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jackpal.androidterm
  3. bVNC free: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iiordanov.freebVNC
  4. Hacker’s Keyboard (optional but very useful): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.pocketworkstation.pckeyboard

Lets start!

Step 1: Setup Linux

Run Complete Linux Installer (CLI) App and open the “Install Guides” tab. As you can see, there are 8 Linux distros which can be installed with CLI: Ubuntu 10, Ubuntu 12, Backtrack, Debian, ArchLinux, Fedora 17, Kali Linux, openSUSE 12:

Install guides

We will install Debian. CLI app has very good step-by-step guides. So i hope there will be no problems with downloading, installing and running Debian.

Linux terminal

If you see something like this, I can congratulate you with successful Linux installation!

Now it’s time to run a VNC client with the following options:

  • Connection Type: Basic VNC
  • Name: debian
  • VNC Connection Settings: localhost:5900
  • Password: debian
  • Tap button to show advanced option and choose 24-bit color (4 bpp)

VNC settings

Press the “Connect” button.

Do you see desktop? Yes? Great!

XFCE Desktop

One more change: open in bVNC menu → Input Mode and choose “Simulated Touchpad”.

Step 2: First fail with Gpredict

It is time to download Gpredict (connect your tablet to internet)! Open Terminal Emulator app and type:

  apt-get install gpredict

Now open bVNC. Two fingers tap on screen will open right-click menu in debian. Find there “GNOME Predict” and run it.

Gpredict running on your Android for the first time

Profit? Omg… no! The satellite tracks and footprints look as if NASA has already developed light speed engine 🙂
But it is not a new engine, it is because we use old repository.

Step 3: Make Gpredict work properly

We have to modify list of aptitude repository. This list is stored in the file /etc/apt/sources.list . Open the Terminal Emulator app and type there:

  cd /etc/apt

We have to backup this file:

  cp sources.list /sources.list.backup

My sources.list contains this repos:

  deb http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian lenny main
  deb http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian unstable main

Debian/Lenny was superseded by Debian/Squeeze on Feb 6th 2011. So we have to replace this repository with this one:

  deb http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian stable main contrib non-free

And run this two commands:

  apt-get update 
  apt-get upgrade

After these commands your Debian will be updated and Gpredict will work fine.

Gpredict on Android