Discussion:
status of fplan?
Kevin Horton
2003-12-23 19:14:29 UTC
Permalink
I've stumbled across fplan and managed to get it working on Mac OS X,
although I'm still puzzled by how to create a personal database.

I'm wondering what the status of fplan is. Has development ceased?
Is anyone still using the program, or is there some other similar
unix program that I haven't found yet?
--
Kevin Horton RV-8 (finishing kit)
Ottawa, Canada
http://go.phpwebhosting.com/~khorton/rv8/
John C. Peterson
2003-12-26 17:07:22 UTC
Permalink
Post by Kevin Horton
I've stumbled across fplan and managed to get it working on Mac OS X,
although I'm still puzzled by how to create a personal database.
Kevin,

There is a paragraph or so about this topic in the user's guide.
Basically you create a text version of the database file with
your favorite editor (see "man 5 fplan" for the format specifics),
and then process the file with "paddb" to generate the fixed length
records that fplan expects. Contact me directly if you have trouble..

A good small little project for someone might be to write a little
python or tcl/tk front end for this process.
Post by Kevin Horton
I'm wondering what the status of fplan is. Has development ceased?
Is anyone still using the program, or is there some other similar
unix program that I haven't found yet?
It's the usual too many hobbies, so little time phenomena. I did
manage to update the databases a couple months back but with a new
job (good news for the long run), helping with 2 flying clubs, real
flying, girl friend, other free software projects, etc. it's tough to
find the time. One of my long term goals is to work towards a port to
the Zaurus or similar Linux PDAs.

There is a derivative work called xplan? out there (sorry I cant be
more specific, I'm on the road for the holidays, and don't have all
my usual resources handy). It provides a GTK based graphical interface.

I do have a ton of patches and small improvements for fplan that
kind folks have sent me (as well as for the Linux Aviation HOWTO).
So yes, it is used by quite a few pilots out there....

Happy Holidays, John
--
___|___ | John C. Peterson, <***@eskimo.com> | "Once you have flown, you
-(*)- | will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you
o/ \o | have been, there you long to return." -- Leonardo da Vinci.
Kevin Horton
2003-12-28 18:10:37 UTC
Permalink
Post by John C. Peterson
Post by Kevin Horton
I've stumbled across fplan and managed to get it working on Mac OS X,
although I'm still puzzled by how to create a personal database.
Kevin,
There is a paragraph or so about this topic in the user's guide.
Basically you create a text version of the database file with
your favorite editor (see "man 5 fplan" for the format specifics),
and then process the file with "paddb" to generate the fixed length
records that fplan expects. Contact me directly if you have trouble..
I eventually got paddb working by creating a .csv file with gnumeric.
My current suspicion is that I was feeding it the wrong kind of line
endings on my early attempts.
Post by John C. Peterson
Post by Kevin Horton
I'm wondering what the status of fplan is. Has development ceased?
Is anyone still using the program, or is there some other similar
unix program that I haven't found yet?
There is a derivative work called xplan? out there (sorry I cant be
more specific, I'm on the road for the holidays, and don't have all
my usual resources handy). It provides a GTK based graphical interface.
I'll look for xplan once I'm back home again after New Years. Thanks
for mentioning it.
Post by John C. Peterson
I do have a ton of patches and small improvements for fplan that
kind folks have sent me (as well as for the Linux Aviation HOWTO).
So yes, it is used by quite a few pilots out there....
Happy Holidays, John
For anyone who is interested, now that I have fplan running on OS X,
I've started the process to add it to the list of programs supported by
the Fink project. Fink is a set of tools to automate building unix
programs on Mac OS X. Once they accept my submission, you'll be able
to simply open up Terminal.app and type "fink install fplan-nox" (the
-nox signifies without the X preview option), and fplan will be
installed. See http://fink.sourceforge.net/

Kevin Horton

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