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[web/altusmetrum] / AltOS / index.mdwn

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 # AltOS
 
 # AltOS
 

-This is Keith's "operating system" for [TeleMetrum](../TeleMetrum/).
+AltOS is the name of Keith's firmware "operating system" for 
+Altus Metrum products.

 
 

-## Motivation ##
+In addition to the firmware for hardware products like
+[TeleMetrum](../TeleMetrum), [TeleMini](../TeleMini), and
+[TeleDongle](../TeleDongle), the AltOS source tree also
+includes AltosUI, which provides for flight monitoring, post-flight
+analysis, device configuration and firmware updating. AltosUI runs on
+Linux, Mac OS X and Windows. It's written in [Java](http://java.com)
+and offers the same functionality and interface on all three
+platforms. A small platform-specific library communicates with the USB
+interface on the Altus Metrum devices.

 
 

-[FreeRTOS](http://freertos.org) turned out to be too heavy for our needs, so
-Keith started over from scratch and wrote something that does just what we 
-needed.
+There are also Linux-specific tools that provide lower level access to
+the devices which are useful for developing firmware for the devices.

 
 

-In addition to the firmware for [TeleMetrum](../TeleMetrum) and 
-[TeleDongle](../TeleDongle) boards, the AltOS source tree also includes a
-number of utilities useful for monitoring and logging telemetry during flight,
-post-processing flight data for analysis, and utilities for updating firmware,
-and developing and debugging new functionality.  The first generation of these
-utilities were Linux-only, but our current second-generation software written
-largely in [Java](http://java.com) with a small platform-specific library on 
-each supported operating system works absolutely identically on Windows, Mac, 
-and Linux systems!
+We maintain a list of [launch site GPS coordinates](launch-sites.txt).  If 
+your favorite launch site isn't included, please let us know!

 
 

-## Features ##
+## Available Versions ##

 
 

-### User View ###
+There is a single manual for most Altus Metrum products, which is available 
+in [html](doc/altusmetrum.html) and [pdf](doc/altusmetrum.pdf) formats.

 
 

-### Developer View ###
+We also have an AltOS internals document for programmers 
+in [html](doc/altos.html) and [pdf](doc/altos.pdf) formats, and a
+document describing the AltOS over the radio protocol 
+in [html](doc/telemetry.html) and [pdf](doc/telemetry.pdf) formats.

 
 

-* Licenses
-       * The software is licensed [GPL version 2](http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.html)
+If you're running Windows 8, you should take a look at [Installing AltosUI on
+Windows 8](Win8) which will help you install the operating system
+drivers needed to communicate with the USB hardware.

 
 

-## Problems ##
+[[!inline pages="./releases/* and !*/Discussion and !*.html and !*.bz2 and !*.zip and !*.exe and !*.dmg" show="10" rss="no" raw="yes" ]]

 
 

-## Artifacts ##
+## Source Code ##

 
 

-The source is available from [git.gag.com](http://git.gag.com) in the project 
-[fw/altos](http://git.gag.com/?p=fw/altos;a=summary).  
+The latest source, which may include unreleased work in progress, is always 
+available from [git.gag.com](http://git.gag.com) 
+in the project [fw/altos](http://git.gag.com/?p=fw/altos;a=summary).  
+
+We've gathered a few notes on [buidling AltOS](building).
+
+## Future Plans ##
+
+Bug reports, feature requests, and planning for AltOS releases happens
+on the [Altus Metrum Trac Site](http://trac.gag.com/altusmetrum).
+
+A number of features are implemented or in process in the sources available
+in our publicly visible repository that are not part of the current stable
+release.
+
+* Motor characterization. Because TeleMetrum contains a
+  high-resolution, high-frequency accelerometer, it is possible to
+  take the data from that and compute an accurate thrust curve for
+  the motor.
+
+* Comprehensive PDF and/or HTML -based flight report. Construct a
+  complete report of the flight suitable for publication on the web
+  that includes graphs of the flight and details about motor
+  performance etc.
+   
+* Publish flight data to the Altus Metrum web site. This will allow
+  you to share your flight data with others, and let you download
+  flights published by others.
+
+There are any number of additions that could be made to this list; feel free 
+to send along ideas that you’ve got. Of course, all of this software is 
+licensed under the GNU General Public License, so you can get the source and 
+hack on it in the comfort of your own home.
+
+## Platform Specific Notes ##

 
 ### Linux ###
 
 
 ### Linux ###
 

-If you use [Debian](http://www.debian.org), then a pre-built package for 
-32-bit x86 is currently available here:
+If you use [Debian](http://www.debian.org), you can simply install the 'altos'
+package from any Debian mirror, like so:
+
+               apt-get update
+               apt-get install altos

 
 

-       wget -O - http://altusmetrum.org/apt/altusmetrum.key | apt-key add -
-       wget -O /etc/apt/sources.list.d/altos.list http://altusmetrum.org/apt/altos.list
-       apt-get update
-       apt-get install altos
+If you use [Ubuntu](http://ubuntulinux.org), pre-built packages are available
+from [this PPA](https://launchpad.net/~sconklin/+archive/altos/) 
+maintained by Steve Conklin and friends.

 
 If you use some other distribution of Linux, then 
 
 If you use some other distribution of Linux, then 

-a [Linux package](Altos-Linux.tgz) of our second-generation Java bits that 
+a Linux package of our second-generation Java bits that 

 should run on any distribution with a modern Java version is also 
 available.  Unlike the Debian pacakge, which depends on various libraries
 already part of the Debian distribution, this package includes a "fat" jar
 file with all of the Java libraries that aren't part of the basic Java runtime
 should run on any distribution with a modern Java version is also 
 available.  Unlike the Debian pacakge, which depends on various libraries
 already part of the Debian distribution, this package includes a "fat" jar
 file with all of the Java libraries that aren't part of the basic Java runtime

-environment included, so it should "just work" on any system with Java 6.  
-Development and testing is done with OpenJDK 6, but current downloads from 
-[java.com](http://java.com) should be fine too.
+environment included, so it should "just work" on any system with 
+Java 6.  Development and testing is done with OpenJDK 6, but current 
+downloads from [java.com](http://java.com) should be fine too.

 
 If you'd rather build from source, our source tree includes documentation on 
 how to build packages for various
 
 If you'd rather build from source, our source tree includes documentation on 
 how to build packages for various


@@ -69,34 +110,46 @@ other machines and which is ideally suited for machines dedicated to AltOS
 ground station use.  It includes a photo of a drag-race between 
 nearly-identical rockets
 built by Keith and Bdale, that was the first time either of us gave TeleMetrum
 ground station use.  It includes a photo of a drag-race between 
 nearly-identical rockets
 built by Keith and Bdale, that was the first time either of us gave TeleMetrum

-complete control of a rocket flight without some other backup!  This theme is 
-available in the same repository, to install it just install either gdm or
-slim (both already available in Debian), and then do:
-
-       apt-get install altusmetrum-themes
+complete control of a rocket flight without some other backup!  See the themes/
+directory in the source tree (the themes are included in the Debian package).

 
 ### Mac ###
 
 
 ### Mac ###
 

-A [Mac OS X package](Altos-Mac.zip) that is compatible with 
-versions 10.5 "Leopard" and later (including 10.6 "Snow Leopard") is now 
-available.  The Mac operating system includes Java, and all Altus Metrum
-products show up as simple USB serial ports, so this should just work
-with no additional drivers or other dependency issues.  Older versions of 
-the Mac operating system come with Java version that are too old for use 
-with Altus Metrum software, and we know of no way to update the Java version
-other than upgrading to a newer operating system.
+A Mac OS X package that is compatible with versions 10.5 "Leopard" and
+later.  The Mac operating system includes Java, and all Altus Metrum products 
+show up as simple USB serial ports, so this should just work with no 
+additional drivers or other dependency issues.  Older versions of the Mac 
+operating
+system, and even newer versions for PowerPC-based machines, come with
+Java version 5 or older, which is too old for use with Altus Metrum
+software. We know of no way to update the Java version other than
+upgrading to a newer operating system (for Intel based macs) or
+purchasing new hardware (for PowerPC based macs).
+
+If you have trouble installing on a Mac, and are getting errors about the
+package being corrupt, you may not be configured to allow installation of
+software from arbitrary sources.  One customer running 10.8.1 reported that
+he was able to work around this by going to "System Preferences", "Security
+& Privacy", "General", and then clicking the "Anywhere" radio button where
+it askes "Allow applications downloaded from:".

 
 ### Windows ###
 
 
 ### Windows ###
 

-Our [Windows package](Altos-Windows.zip) is known to work on XP and 
-32-bit Windows 7 Enterprise.  If you don't already have Java installed, 
+Our Windows package is known to work on at least some flavors of XP, Vista, and 
+Windows 7 Enterprise. If you don't already have Java installed, 

 download and install a current Java 6 version from [java.com](http://java.com)
 download and install a current Java 6 version from [java.com](http://java.com)

-first.  Then download our zip and extract the files.  Windows already has 
-the required USB serial device driver, but you will probably need to manually
-point to the telemetrum.inf file included in the download when you first plug 
-in an Altus Metrum device to "train" Windows to know that it's ok to use the 
-existing driver to support our products.  Once that's taken care of, just
-clicking on the 'altosui' program should work to launch the user interface.
-Reports of success or failure with other versions of Windows would be 
-appreciated!
+first.  Then download our installer and run it.  Windows already has 
+the required USB serial device driver, and our package should do the right
+things to bind it to our devices, but if you get a complaint about the device
+being unrecognized, try pointing to the copy of the telemetrum.inf file 
+included in the package directory manually.
+
+Note that on some Windows 7 systems, it may be necessary to install AltOS using
+'compatibility mode'.  You can set this mode by 
+[changing the properties](http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/316-compatibility-mode.html)
+of the installer .exe.
+
+## License ##

 
 

+The firmware and associated software are licensed [GPL version
+2](http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.html)