ericStimmel

alright, so here's a picture for you... something close to what's supposed to happen. this is actual data [ looks like one point, but actually there are four, i'm just not moving... ] logged to an xml file from a perl script and displayed overlayed onto google maps....

okay, it's not all working... i had to run the script and log the data on my laptop then upload that file to my server and then it loads on my webpage... but basically all i need to do now is get that script to run on the stompbox [ connecting to the gps locally ] then write that to a local xml file which is accessed by the server [ not ideal ] or write that data to an xml file on my server which the webpage loads locally... this seems better because it will still be there when the gps is not reporting. otherwise no location data will load when the gps is down.

anyway, i should have this thing working in the next couple days... for real this time.

so, i just realized [ actually i've just come to terms with this... i've know for some time - perhaps since christmas vacation was over ] that i haven't posted anything here at all for nearly a month and i haven't posted anything describing my work for much longer.

unfortunately i don't have much to show today either, but i will make a few notes that will remind me where i am and how far i have to go.

with regard to the gps tracking project i have been struggling with, i've learned some things... a little perl programming, a little php programming, more linux commands, vi editing, pico editing and file system understanding, and that i am going to have to set up my own server if i ever want to make a socket connection over the internet. i worked with the people at fatcow [ my own web host, with whom i generally have very few complaints ] to get this going and finally got the email saying that they do not allow socket programming for security reasons... it is disabled in the php installation on the server [ even though it says it's not ].... strike one. then i tried dreamhost [ one of my friends has some server space he gave me access to ] but they don't have sockets enabled either [ at least they make it more clear ] strike two. the next day i am pointed to some instructions on how to set up my own install of php on a dreamhost account [ wow, now i can enable sockets! ] so i install it [ this wasn't too hard, but it was a long process ] voila! ... wrong, it still doesn't work.... spend the next day discovering that the extensions library called by my installation is shared and thus disabled for security reasons... strike three.

next step, take the old computer in the lab and build a linux server... set it up at dharmesh's house and run from there. shouldn't be a problem... just do it.

actually that isn't the next step... the next step is to try running a perl gps logger [ which i have ] on the gps box and logging the data either remotely or locally, then pulling that data into the php google maps page on my fatcow server.... no socket connection, just multiple, accessible served files... maybe? i'll keep you posted.

meanwhile here are a couple pictures from our recent trip to las vegas and the hoover dam for the world of concrete convention. enjoy!