game, game. repeat.

How to GPS on OpenBSD

Fri 11 August 2017 #Code

I’ve heard tell that the WWAN module lodged inside my laptop can give me my coordinates on planet Earth. I thought I’d see if it was true. Fortunately, a number of brave souls have blazed the path, I needed only to rediscover it.

Funny side note

Did you know that your super modern WWAN module uses 1980s-era modem commands to control it? You know, AT…OK, blah blah blah. Who knew, right?

Let’s do this

  1. Buy and install an Ericsson H5321 WWAN module in your Lenovo X200 running coreboot. The X200 and coreboot part isn’t strictly necessary, but neither is OpenBSD nor life, yet all of the above are a good idea.
  2. # pkg_add gpsd gpsd-X11 socat jq
  3. Download and run gps_on.
  4. Download and run gps_location.
  5. Wait 10 minutes while the WWAN module ponders life and acquires a GPS lock. YMMV…it may take infinity minutes, depending on how your WWAN module and the GPS satellites feel that day. But that’s ok because the X200 is a hypercomputer, so it will go by fast.
  6. Bask in the glory of your location.
  7. Donate $1 to GPSD and $1 to OpenBSD. It’s a good habit to get into after you bask in glory.