OsmAnd + OwnCloud + OpenStreetMap - Glympse replacement

PrzemoF

I'm a regular user of Glympse [1], but I'm not a really happy user- it's a closed source software and it doesn't always work as expected.

I'm thinking about creating a open source replacement. There is already a feature to report live location to a server from OsmAnd [2] android app (it needs to be converted to a plugin for user convinience), the missing bit is an OwnCloud [3] plugin that would take the location and put it on the map using openstreetmap data (get location, download tiles, make & show map). The advantage of this approach would be 100% as user control over the whole system, provided that the user has OwnCloud server under control.

Please let me know what do you think about it?
All opinions will be more than welcome

[1] - https://www.glympse.com/
[2] - http://osmand.net/
[3] - http://owncloud.org/
[4] - http://www.openstreetmap.org

Eph1958

Hi, 'Hadn't heard of Glympse before your article so looked it up. Interesting piece of software albeit a tad unsettling. Can see some good uses for it and some other ones too. Being able to replace it with some Open Source Software would be a great achievement. 'Wish I had the knowhow to be able to offer something more constructive. Best of luck.

Ephraim

croo

This is all very interesting PrzemoF, at another time I would be willing to follow and help with some of the grunt work - as this is not an area I've any experience in. But these days I have little free time.

I was, of course, aware of OpenStreetMaps but osmand & opencloud were new to me. There is just so much good open source software these days, it is difficult to keep up... it's great!

If you do move forward with this, do please, keep the thread updated.

PrzemoF

For now I'll try to build a index of what's already done and it's quite a lot!! :-)

A solution with google:
http://code.google.com/p/osmand/wiki/HowToSetupOnlineTracking

Another one that looks like can be run on owncloud or anything that can handle php o server:
http://ksmapper.blogspot.co.at/2012/06/making-location-badge-using-osmand-and.html
http://open.mapquestapi.com/staticmap/
https://github.com/ToeBee/OsmAnd-Tracker

I have to finish another project first, but I'll be posting everything it here. I hope someone with knowledge of android or owncloud might help :-)

PrzemoF

Latest idea: making a separate app to read current location and report it to owncloud plugin might be actually easier to implement and it doesn't force user to download osmand.

The app should allow for flexible reporting frequency (save battery vs. no delay)

The app could also use owncloud account on android to get the server name.

PrzemoF

The application is in last alpha stage, so please don't expect everything working.

The main page http://geofinder.eu
The code: https://github.com/PrzemoF/geofinder

Manual creation of the database is required it you want to deploy your own geofinder server.
Details of the database here: https://github.com/PrzemoF/geofinder/blob/master/INFO
The tracker side:


The viewer side (different location, with track):

PrzemoF

RC-1 version is ready for tests. ( http://geofinder.eu and https://github.com/PrzemoF/geofinder )
Tracker side:

Viewer side:


There is currently no script to set up the server side, but I can help and it should be fairly simple.