StellarMate

[SkyHiker]

StellarMate OS by Ikarus is a version of KStars for the Raspberry Pi with binary releases, release updates and clients for mobile devices (Android and IOS). BTW KStars stands for KStars and Ekos, the celebrated telescope control program for Linux. Check out the indilib website for more information about KStars.

I previously used Astroberry but noticed that their releases were not always up to date. At one time I needed a bugfix that had already been released in the source code and ended up figuring out how to build from source. It works fine but is not for everybody, and a few months from now I might have forgotten how I did it (had I not written notes).

StellarMate OS is a cheap product. I paid $49 for the Raspberry Pi version. For $59 you can get a version for a mini PC. There is also a ready-made StellarMate X Controller for $299 on hardware that is claimed to be 4x faster than a Pi. As far as I can tell I can install KStars on any Pi I like. For the mobile client I had to go through a one-time menu that checks the purchase I believe, so that may tie a single license to a particular mobile device (I am not sure and cannot check because it was a one-time action).

StellarMate OS is useful for people who want a version of KStars that is easy to install and to update pretty close to the latest source code. You log into the account that you created when you bought it, then go to the orders page and click on Ekos to find a list of releases and platforms. It does mean that you have to re-flash the SanDisk card, so any customizations will be lost. Just take a note of what kind of customizations you did so you can easily replicate it.

The customizations that I did was mostly about changing the networking from the stellarmate hotspot to having the Pi be a client for my router. I also changed the DHCP for ethernet and WiFi to static addresses. I did that through Raspbian itself using the network manager invoked from a right-click on the networking icon in the upper right of the screen. Connecting an ethernet cable drops the WiFi connection; it is restored after disonnecting it. When using VNC you have to reconnect after each time you do such a thing.

The way I use KStars is by logging in remotely to the Raspbian OS desktop using VNC. I use TightVNC but other VNC clients should work too. This makes it possible to use Windows, Android, IOS or any other desktop or mobile platform OS. I tried the Android client that comes with it but found it harder to use than KStars on the Raspbian desktop via VNC. It might be useful in the future especially because of its live stacking feature.

I recommend StellarMate OS for the reasons mentioned, hopefully this will make it easier for others to try KStars.