Feedback requested on Global Allsky Map

[EricClaeys]

Thanks to everyone who helped test the Global Allsky Map. There are a lot of pins on the map, which is great!

I'd like some feedback on a couple things. When providing the feedback, please keep in mind that the purpose of the map is to show the location and when available, images from allsky cameras using Thomas' software.

1. How do you like the map? Are there any changes you'd like to see? Is it too difficult to use? etc. Please be specific.

2. Some people are using the map to display non-allsky images and links to personal/company/school pages, which isn't the intent of the page. We're also finding a lot of incorrect/broken links, so we're considering making the following changes, and I'd like your feedback:

   • There must be either 0 URLs (e.g., for cameras that aren't available on the Internet), or 2 URLs - one to the latest image.jpg file, and one to the Allsky Website (with the icons on the left side).
   • The picture URL must be on the Allsky Website. For example, if the Website is http://myallsky.com the picture's URL would need to start with http://myallsky.com and would probably be http://myallsky.com/current/tmp/image.jpg. This requirement should help keep people from putting up images of their cat or another non-allsky pictures. IP addresses instead of domain names like "myallsky.com" are fine.
   • The next version of the website (which I'm testing) will allow users to add a link to a website of their choosing, by simply adding the URL to the configuration file. Users will also be able to add a custom background to the website's home page via the configuration file. These changes will allow people to customize the home page.
   • The software on the Pi will check that the image URL and website URL can be reached from the Pi. It will also make sure the URL doesn't contain 192.168 which are IP addresses that don't work on the Internet. And it'll check that the image URL actually points to an image rather than a web page, and the website URL points to a web page and not an image. These changes should eliminate URLs that don't work.
   • Allow users to specify how many digits of precision in the latitude and longitude should be uploaded to the map. This will aid in privacy when users don't want the exact location of their camera to appear, but a "close" location. For example, I prefer not to have the exact location of my remote observatory appear on the map. A location within 1 or 2 kilometers is close enough.

[rce1086]

Sounds a good idea: see comments below…

Sent from my Apple device

On 13 May 2022, at 10:08, EricClaeys ***@***.***> wrote:  Thanks to everyone who helped test the Global Allsky Map. There are a lot of pins on the map, which is great! I'd like some feedback on a couple things. When providing the feedback, please keep in mind that the purpose of the map is to show the location and when available, images from allsky cameras using Thomas' software. How do you like the map? Are there any changes you'd like to see? Is it too difficult to use? etc. Please be specific. Some people are using the map to display non-allsky images and links to personal/company/school pages, which isn't the intent of the page. We're also finding a lot of incorrect/broken links, so we're considering making the following changes, and I'd like your feedback: There must be either 0 URLs (e.g., for cameras that aren't available on the Internet), or 2 URLs - one to the latest image.jpg file, and one to the Allsky Website (with the icons on the left side). The picture URL must be on the Allsky Website. For example, if the Website is http://myallsky.com the picture's URL would need to start with http://myallsky.com and would probably be http://myallsky.com/current/tmp/image.jpg. This requirement should help keep people from putting up images of their cat or another non-allsky pictures. IP addresses instead of domain names like "myallsky.com" are fine. The next version of the website (which I'm testing) will allow users to add a link to a website of their choosing, by simply adding the URL to the configuration file. Users will also be able to add a custom background to the website's home page via the configuration file. These changes will allow people to customize the home page. The software on the Pi will check that the image URL and website URL can be reached from the Pi. It will also make sure the URL doesn't contain 192.168 which are IP addresses that don't work on the Internet.

If you’re going to check for 192.168.0.0/16, then you should also test for 10.0.0.0/8 and 172.16.0.0/12 which are also “unroutable” private addresses: 169.254.0.0/16, allocated for IPv4 ‘link local’ use: 198.18.0.0/15, allocated for “benchmarking”: 198.51.100.0/24, allocated for “documentation”: 203.0.113.0/24, also allocated for “documentation”: 240.0.0.0/4 - multicast use. There are corresponding blocks of IPv6 addresses…

…

And it'll check that the image URL actually points to an image rather than a web page, and the website URL points to a web page and not an image. These changes should eliminate URLs that don't work. Allow users to specify how many digits of precision in the latitude and longitude should be uploaded to the map. This will aid in privacy when users don't want the exact location of their camera to appear, but a "close" location. For example, I prefer not to have the exact location of my remote observatory appear on the map. A location within 1 or 2 kilometers is close enough. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub, or unsubscribe. You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread.

[Wolfyann]

Hello, a good idea and nice improvements with these new features. But I have some problems to delete a camera. The update is very good in real time (just reload the map page) for all settings. But the deletion of an old camera does not always work (I waited more than 3 days.)
For example, I had set up a camera at the office, and I installed it later, at another location. I can't delete it, because the old camera replaces it on the map when I add the new location. In summary, if I update the location, I have both cameras displayed, and the older one cannot be deleted. But if I change for example the lens, the name or something else (while keeping the same Lat/Lon) it changes instantly on the map, but the setting to not show it on the map anymore has no effect. How to do it? regards.

[EricClaeys]

@Wolfyann Try the following:

cd ~/allsky/scripts
./postToMap.sh --delete --debug

and post the results.

When you set up the camera in the office, was it on the same Pi as the other location? If you add the map pin on one Pi, you can only delete it from that Pi, not another one.

If you let me know which pin to delete, I can test it out. I'd need some information that is unique to that pin, for example, the location or something else.

[Wolfyann]

Thanks for your answer.
I don't know where find the computer's pin Id.
The script return this:

_postToMap.sh: Deleting map data.
Executing:
curl --silent -i -H 'Accept: application/json' -H 'Content-Type:application/json' --data '{
"website_url": "DELETE",
"machine_id": "4a2d905062564ed3a1fdfc05a7025f2f"
}' 'https://www.thomasjacquin.com/allsky-map/postToMap.php'

Returned:
HTTP/2 200
date: Thu, 21 Jul 2022 12:16:27 GMT
server: Apache
x-powered-by: PHP/8.0.12
content-type: text/html; charset=UTF-8
via: 1.1 varnish (Varnish/6.3), 1.1 varnish (Varnish/6.3)
vary: Accept-Encoding
x-cache-hits: 0
x-cache: MISS
accept-ranges: bytes
content-length: 8
age: 0

DELETED_.

Yes, I'm working with the same Pi to finish my prototype. This is regarding the pin located in France.
Owner: Obs.BR; Location: Gaillon,Fr; Camera RPiHD; Lens: f 0.87mm, Computer: Raspberry Pi 3 B+

[EricClaeys]

@Wolfyann Interesting. Aren't you in France?
When I looked for a camera with a Pi machine_id of 4a2d905062564ed3a1fdfc05a7025f2f, it's an ASI290MC camera in Brighton IL, near St. Louis, belonging to Chamberlain Observatory. Its data was updated on the map server today.
We were told the machine_id is unique to every Pi, but apparently not.

Your camera in Gaillon has a machine_id of 77e438ada7684cac82556e73f2d8ba46. Its map entry was last updated July 13 and doesn't have an Allsky Website or image defined (I assume it's on your Pi that isn't accessible from the Internet?).

[EricClaeys]

@Wolfyann I contacted the person that has machine_ID 4a2d905062564ed3a1fdfc05a7025f2f, and that's definitely what his Pi is returning. But so is yours, although yours returned a different number a week ago.

Would you please cat /etc/machine-id and let me know what it says?

[EricClaeys]

Until we get this resolved, please do NOT turn on Show On Map since it'll overwrite the other user's information.

[Wolfyann]

Well , My machine Id return 4a2d905062564ed3a1fdfc05a7025f2f (/etc/machine-id) ...
I don't understand where is the mistake ! During the last winter I'd already done some test, and since I've reinstall completly to upgrade from buster to bullseye (last week). I've shutdown the camera now due rainy days now.
I hope I'm not wasting too much of your time, and if I can help offset your work on this project it would be my pleasure.

[EricClaeys]

@Wolfyann No problem with my time. I enjoy helping.
I looked at the manual page for machine-id and it definitely says the ID should be unique to a Pi, but it's not in your case.
Would you please change the machine ID? Try the following by using a text editor to edit /etc/machine-id. Change the first character to a 5. You may need to reboot.
Then update the map data.

Do you want me to delete your pin for the other machine_id? I assume that's the one you couldn't delete.

[Wolfyann]

Ok I'll change manually th ID for my camera in few hours.
Yes please, you can delete the pin actually in map, I can't do it.

[EricClaeys]

@Wolfyann It's deleted. Let me know how changing the /etc/machine-id file goes.

[Wolfyann]

Ok, many thanks. I'll update the ID soon and reload it on map in the time.

[EricClaeys]

@Wolfyann
Before you make the change would you please do this?

cat /etc/machine-id
sudo cat /var/lib/dbus/machine-id
ls -l /var/lib/dbus/machine-id

Thanks much

[Wolfyann]

Ok, I'll do this tonight. I will have to change the sensor because the current one is not sensitive enough. So I can do all the tests :)
I'll send the result in the same time

[Wolfyann]

Hi, here the result :

$> cat /etc/machine-id
4a2d905062564ed3a1fdfc05a7025f2f

$> sudo cat /var/lib/dbus/machine-id
4a2d905062564ed3a1fdfc05a7025f2f

$> ls -l /var/lib/dbus/machine-id
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 15 4 avril 14:17 /var/lib/dbus/machine-id -> /etc/machine-id

I'm waiting before to change something.

[EricClaeys]

@Wolfyann Thanks.
The /var/lib/dbus/machine-id file is basically a pointer to the /etc/machine-id file, so when you change /etc/machine-id and do a "cat" of both files, they will again display the same results. This is what I hoped to see.

Let me know how it goes changing /etc/machine-id. I suggest you reboot after changing the file.

[Wolfyann]

well I done it :
$> cat /etc/machine-id
$> 5a2d905062564ed3a1fdfc05a7025f2f
$> sudo cat /var/lib/dbus/machine-id
$> 5a2d905062564ed3a1fdfc05a7025f2f
$> ls -l /var/lib/dbus/machine-id
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 15 4 avril 14:17 /var/lib/dbus/machine-id -> /etc/machine-id

I'm waiting for my new sensor before to update on map, unforntunatly my order has just been canceled... I'm searching for another retailers

[EricClaeys]

@Wolfyann Any update on changing machine-id file? The other user would like to update his map entry, but can't until your ID changes.

[EricClaeys]

@Wolfyann Thanks. I'll let the other user know.

[EricClaeys]

Closing Discussion. I obtained the feedback I was looking for.