Bug 461545

Summary: Use KDEConnect as NMEA source and to contribute to MLS
Product: [Applications] kdeconnect Reporter: Carlo <cirlo_ca>
Component: commonAssignee: Albert Vaca Cintora <albertvaka>
Status: CONFIRMED ---    
Severity: wishlist CC: ilikefoss, postix, uwu
Priority: NOR    
Version First Reported In: unspecified   
Target Milestone: ---   
Platform: Other   
OS: Linux   
See Also: https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=424159
Latest Commit: Version Fixed/Implemented In:
Sentry Crash Report:

Description Carlo 2022-11-07 11:22:28 UTC 
Mozilla Location Service is an open geolocation service based on publicly observable cell sites and Wi-Fi access points. Its proprietary counterpart is GLS (Google Location Service).

It is quite widely used and (up until recently) worked well thanks to people contributing to the service thanks to Mozilla's applications: Mozilla Stumbler[1] and Firefox Mobile (Fennec version). However, since Mozilla Stumbler was retired [2] and Firefox Mobile was updated to Fenix [3] there is no easy way for everyday users to contribute to MLS. Indeed, ~1.5 years later we are starting to see bad reports from MLS [4].

I thus think that integrating into KDEConnect the option to use the phone as a source of NMEA sentences may allow to:
  1. get a better location of the connected PCs, to be used for application requiring a ~good precision
  2. have a trusted and open platform, better than alternatives that are proprietary, abandoned and badly integrated with Linux systems [5]
  3. contribute, if the user wants, to Mozilla Location Service. The contribution could be done/enabled either from the phone or from the connected PC

Sources:
[1]: https://github.com/mozilla/MozStumbler
[2]: https://discourse.mozilla.org/t/retiring-mozilla-stumbler/75206
[3]: https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/fenix/issues/1253
[4]: https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/geoclue/geoclue/-/issues/166
[5]: https://jillybunch.com/sharegps/
     https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jillybunch.shareGPS
Comment 1 Carlo 2022-11-09 00:18:35 UTC 
over at Mozilla they also seemed enthusiast to built such an infrastructure!
source: https://github.com/mozilla/ichnaea/issues/1926
Comment 2 Albert Vaca Cintora 2023-04-11 18:18:10 UTC 
It seems geoclue [1] is a simple enough DBUS protocol that we could implement. I won't have time for it in the following months, but it doesnt' seem a lot of work if someone is looking for a simple task to implement :)

[1] https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/geoclue/geoclue/-/wikis/home
Comment 3 Carlo 2025-01-09 22:17:34 UTC 
fyi: MLS is now down, but compatible services are now popping up (e.g., https://beacondb.net/).

NeoStumbler is also a comaptible android app for contributing to beacondb
Comment 4 John 2025-02-24 18:19:24 UTC 
(In reply to Carlo from comment #3)
> fyi: MLS is now down, but compatible services are now popping up (e.g.,
> https://beacondb.net/).
> 
> NeoStumbler is also a comaptible android app for contributing to beacondb

NeoStumbler is also available on F-droid, which is great!
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/xyz.malkki.neostumbler.fdroid/