Predict will run without a TLE file - you won't see any predictions
I just double-checked this, and I still find that if there is no tle file and none pointed to with a -t switch, it will die as Kent described below. Namely, it will send you to the new user screen and then exit when the info is entered. (Unfortunately, it exits
with
the terminal in a funny state.) In my experience, it does this on a fresh install with apt-get on Ubuntu, or with a build install
(using
root).
Has anyone noticed this using a self-compiled installation?
This is a frustrating loop for the user, since he or she can reasonably expect that the data is entered after the first attempt, and furthermore the qth file can be found in the ~/.predict
The program is (for some reason) exiting before the .qth file is being written.
Predict ignores data in the TLE file before the TLE data, so if you get your TLE as a meil message you don't need to remove the headers
Perhaps predict is written to ignore the headers of a mail message, but not the comments that appear in the nasa file?
It should ignore headers in any TLE file used to update its database. However, it expects its .tle data file to be clean.
I hope it is understood that I'm documenting this because I like predict and consider it a wonderful arrow in AMSAT's quiver. Indeed, since it might be a potential AMSAT'er's first encounter
with pass
prediction -- given that it is part of the debian world -- I think
we
should ensure that it is very easy to use. Furthermore it cross-compiles like a dream: as I've said elsewhere it works identically on a Nokia N800; and another member of this list got it to run on the gumstix platform.
Understood.
Normally, PREDICT will install an old .tle file that comes bundled with PREDICT's source code under a new user's directory the first time the program is run. The user is then encouraged to update the Keps using any of PREDICT's TLE file updating mechanisms before operating the program.
PREDICT was last released almost 2 years ago. The problem you describe appears to be fairly new. Obviously something has changed in the world to cause this to occur, and it isn't PREDICT. ;-)
73, Bruce VE9QRP
73, de John, KD2BD
Visit John on the Web at:
http://kd2bd.ham.org/ . . . .
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