If you are touring by boat down your native waterway or crusing around the globe, you’ll be able to deliver nice navigation software program with you and keep your dedication to open supply software program. OpenCPN is free and open supply software program developed by sailors. It serves as the first navigation interface for vessels with full-time helm-visible navigational suites. The software program is written in C and launched underneath a GPLv2 license.
Install OpenCPN
OpenCPN could be put in on Linux, macOS, or Windows. Packages can be found for Fedora, Ubuntu, and Raspberry Pi. I put in OpenCPN on my Linux laptop computer utilizing Flatpak. For macOS and Windows, you’ll be able to obtain and set up packages from the OpenCPN website.
There’s additionally an Android app model obtainable from the Google Play retailer.
Use OpenCPN
Once it is put in, launch OpenCPN to strive it out. The most important menu bar is situated on the left.
The first alternative from the highest is Options. Here, you’ll be able to choose how this system seems within the show and what items of measurement of pace, distance, and depth to make use of. You can also set how latitude and longitude are displayed in decimal degrees.
Get charts
OpenCPN does not come preinstalled with charts. Which charts you select to put in are typically decided by your location and, doubtlessly, your vacation spot.
Many free charts are available, together with these from the US NOAA Office of Coast Survey, Marinha Do Brasil (which incorporates elements of Antarctica), East Asia Hydrographic Commission, many sources of inland European waterway charts, and plenty of different sources. The chart web page additionally hyperlinks to industrial sources, must you require them.
Learn extra
The undertaking gives a superb quickstart guide to make it simple for brand new customers.
The OpenCPN undertaking additionally has glorious documentation to information you thru the set up and setup course of. It gives step-by-step instructions for first use and installing charts. The program additionally comes with an inventory of supplementary software you need to use with it.
OpenCPN is offered in 20 languages. There are a lot of how-to movies obtainable on Vimeo and YouTube that can assist you develop into acquainted with the software program.
Get concerned
David S. Register is the lead developer for the undertaking. He initially developed OpenCPN in 2009 for his personal use. Other people expressed an curiosity in his software program, and now there are millions of customers and greater than 40 lively builders worldwide.
You can get involved with the undertaking by consulting its glorious developer documentation.
