You Are Here on a Google Map

This post is obsolete and has been superseded

The following python 2.x script shows your current (GPS-enabled) location on a Google Map. A useful learning experience:

#!/usr/bin/env python

"""This is a python 2.5 script that plot's a GPS receiver's location on the
Google Maps website.

In order to work, you need a network connection, an attached GPS receiver, and
the GPS daemon (gpsd).
"""
import os
#import subprocess and SU
import gps
import dbus
import sys


def test( ):
    """ Step 1: Test for the existence of a running gpsd, test for the existence of an open network connection, and test for a firefox process.
    If any fail, give an error message, don't try to recover. FUTURE: Could also use DBus to test for firefox and gpsd."""

    process_list = os.popen('ps -e')    # os.popen is deprecated in favort of subprocess.Popen
    #process_list = SU.Popen(['ps','e'], stdout=SU.PIPE).stdout.read()  
    gpsd_existence_flag = 0
    firefox_existence_flag = 0
    for line in process_list.readlines():
        if line.count('gpsd') > 0: gpsd_existence_flag = 1
        if line.count('firefox') > 0: firefox_existence_flag = 1

    if not gpsd_existence_flag:
        print ("gpsd is not running. Use 'gpsd -b /dev/ttyUSB0' to start it, and then try again.")
        sys.exit()       
    else: print ('Checking...found gpsd')

    if not firefox_existence_flag:
        print ("firefox is not running. Please start it and try again.")
        sys.exit()
    else: print ('Checking...found firefox')

    bus = dbus.SystemBus()
    nm_item = ('org.freedesktop.NetworkManager')  # This string gets used a lot
    nm_path = ('/org/freedesktop/NetworkManager')
    nm_device = ('org.freedesktop.NetworkManager.Device')

    list_of_interface_paths = dbus.Interface(bus.get_object(nm_item, nm_path), nm_device).getDevices()

    found_network_flag = 0
    for interface_path in list_of_interface_paths:
        one_interface = dbus.Interface(bus.get_object(nm_item, interface_path), nm_device)
        if one_interface.getLinkActive():   # True if there is an active network on this interface
            if one_interface.getType() == 2: # 0 unknown, 1 wired, 2 wireless
                print('Checking...found the wireless network') 
                found_network_flag = 1
            elif one_interface.getType() == 1: 
                print('Checking...found the wired network')
                found_network_flag = 1
                
    if found_network_flag: return
    else:
        print ("cannot find a network connection. Please connect and try again.")
        sys.exit()    


def get_position_fix( ):
    """Step 2: Get a position fix from gpsd."""
    session = gps.gps('localhost','2947')  # Open a connection to gpsd
    session.query('p')                     # Get the location fix 
    lat = session.fix.latitude
    lon = session.fix.longitude
    print ('Location is ' + str(lat) + ' latitude and ' + str(lon) + ' longitude.')
    return (lat, lon)


def show_map(lat_lon_tuple):
    """Step 3: Submit the position fix to Google Maps. Note that the parentheses '()' in the URL must be escaped '\' to work.
    Sample URL format: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=37.771008,+-122.41175+(You+can+insert+your+text+here)&iwloc=A&hl=en"""
    url_string = ('http://maps.google.com/maps?q=' + str(lat_lon_tuple[0]) + ',+' + str(lat_lon_tuple[1]) + '+\(You+Are+Here\)&iwloc=A&hl=en')
    os.popen('firefox ' + url_string)
    return

# Run this script as a standalone program
if __name__ == "__main__" :
    test()
    location = get_position_fix()
    show_map(location)