Re: [Gpsbabel-code] Garmin/linux problem

[Robert L. <rob...@us...>]

> I don't think I realised there was a distinction between a file format =

> and a serial format..
> but it becomes a little clearer when I read the fine print in the docs =
:-)

Imagine that. :-)

It won't make you feel better, but just to highlight what might seem like=
 an
inconsistency (but really isn't), the "magellan" format is both a serial
format _and_ a file format, because it happens to be identical to what ge=
ts
laid down ont he SD cards for the Meridians.

> So I need to fetch data from a garmin device but store it in a file =

> format (ie non-garmin)
> then later, if needed, put it back on the device by using the garmin
format?

If that's your goal, yes.   If you want to store it on a host, you have t=
o
choose a format that's representable on a host.

> Normally (on Unices), the file name could indicate a file or device but=
 =

> here the format
> specifies that the filename is really a serial device..

the -i/-o arguments specifies the format.   The format may be a serial
protocol (that may require bidirectional communications, retries, etc.) o=
r a
plain old stream of bytes.   =


> Hm.. what do I do if I have, say, downloaded a waypoint file using =

> gpspoint and I want
> to convert it to another format? It looks like I have to re-upload it t=
o =

> a suitable device then
> download it using  gpsbabel..

gpspoint isn't any of the 5 dozen-ish formats we support.

The whole point of this "specify the inputs and the outputs explictly" is=

precisely so you DON'T have to bounce things through interim formats.

If you want to read a gpsutil file, merge it with a cetus file, then outp=
ut
the results to a garmin on one serial port and a magellan on another seri=
al
and to a mapsource file, you can do that.

> What I had in mind was to download track data from my garmin, edit or =

> filter it as necessary
> then put it back on the device but I didn't realise I had to go through=
 =

> a second format for
> storage. Thanks for the clarification and the great program.

That's correct.  "garmin" isn't a format that's representable as a file.

I'd never expect anyone to stumble upon this, but for a hint which format=
s are
really really files and which are really really serial protocols, you can=
 take
a peek at examples like:

(robertl) rjloud:/home/robertl/src/gpsbabel
$ ./gpsbabel -^2 | egrep '(garmin|mapsource)'
file    rwrwrw  mapsource               Garmin Mapsource
serial  rwrwrw  garmin          Garmin serial protocol