Wmspaceweather

Jul 20, 2023

DockApp that shows the weather at geosynchronous orbit

A dockapp that shows the weather at geosynchronous orbit. It gets data from the GOES satellites.


Wmspaceweather is a captivating FreeBSD port that falls within the astro category. It presents a unique opportunity to FreeBSD users who are keen on exploring the atmosphere beyond the blue dome we’re accustomed. This port, which translates to a widget app, is designed to show real-time space weather conditions. It telecasts different parameters, such as solar wind, solar flare probability, and planetary Kp index, from a satellite data feed. What’s more, it adorns your FreeBSD desktop with an artistic depiction of the Earth, surrounded by live stats on solar weather. This article will take you through a practical guide on using wmspaceweather and its numerous benefits.

FreeBSD is an advanced operating system for modern servers, desktops, and embedded platforms. FreeBSD’s Ports Collection supports over 32,000 applications. Each application port offers a quick and user-friendly way to download, install, and manage additional software on the FreeBSD operating system.

Getting Started with Wmspaceweather

To install wmspaceweather, you will need to have FreeBSD installed on your machine. You can install it using the following command

# cd /usr/ports/astro/wmspaceweather/ && make install clean

Alternatively, you can install via the binary package using the following command

# pkg install astro/wmspaceweather

A successful installation will give you a real-time monitoring tool that can offer insights into solar weather.

To launch wmspaceweather, use the following command

# wmspaceweather

Using Wmspaceweather

When you first run wmspaceweather, you will see an image of the earth illuminated from the Sun’s perspective, wrapped by a data ring that ticks off solar wind speed, solar flare probability, and the planetary Kp index. This is a user-friendly interface that can be understood easily even by beginner FreeBSD users.

As an added benefit, wmspaceweather updates data every 15 minutes, refreshing the display and providing new information about space weather conditions.

Integration with other FreeBSD Ports

Wmspaceweather can also be deployed alongside other FreeBSD Ports for a complete and comprehensive FreeBSD experience. For instance, if you’re interested in IT security, the nmap port [nmap]https//freebsdsoftware.org/security/nmap.html presents a brilliant tool. It enables admins to scan open ports on network devices.

Benefits of Wmspaceweather

  • Real-Time Updates Wmspaceweather provides regular data updates. This enables you to stay informed about the latest developments in space weather. This can be particularly beneficial for amateur astronomers, weather enthusiasts, or those concerned with how solar weather impacts satellite operations.

  • Easy to Use The port has been developed with user experience in mind. Even if you are a novice FreeBSD user, you will be able to navigate through wmspaceweather easily.

  • Enhanced Desktop Display Wmspaceweather adds an artistic imagination of Earth on your FreeBSD desktop, enhancing your user experience.

  • FREE The FreeBSD port is free to install and use.

In conclusion, wmspaceweather opens a window to the sky for you right on your FreeBSD system. It’s a fantastic tool that transforms your desktop into a solar weather station. So, if you are FreeBSD user curious about the events beyond the stratosphere, give wmspaceweather a try. You’ll find it offers a beautiful blend of ornamental and informational attributes. Get it, set it, and let the universe be just a glance away!


Checkout these related ports:
  • Xworld - Earth as seen from the direction of the sun
  • Xtide - Harmonic tide clock and tide predictor
  • Xplanet - Draw pictures of the earth textured by an image
  • Xphoon - Set the root window to the moon in its current phase
  • Xmoontool - Version of John Walker's classical moontool for X11/Motif
  • Xephem - Interactive astronomical ephemeris program
  • Xeartk - Small demo for tkgeomap
  • Xearth - Set the root window to the image of earth
  • Wmsun - Dockapp that displays the rise and set times of the Sun
  • Wmsolar - Dockapp that displays the Solar System viewed from the top
  • Wmmoonclock - Displays the phase of the moon, plus orbital data
  • Wmjupiter - Dockapp that displays information on Jupiter
  • Wmglobe - Neat xearth-like WindowMaker dockapp
  • Weather - Utility to provide current weather conditions and forecasts
  • Wcslib - Library for parsing/generating FITS headers