Stellarium 0.19.0 (Snap/Ubuntu)

[Nightspore]

I've just downloaded the Stellarium 0.19.0 snap from the Ubuntu repo.

 

 

I ran the older repo version for years and I've run Stellarium on Windows for over ten years and at least six years on Linux (I only run macOS, Ubuntu, Android and Chrome OS now).

 

 

It seems to run OK on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS although I had one freeze which needed a reboot.

 

 

I can't permanently change background pictures and it reverts to the default landscape every time I open it. I also don't seem to be able to convince it to save some settings. I can toggle meteor showers on/off but they always return on re-opening Stellarium. It does save most settings though. I only use Stellarium to plan sessions so I don't drive a scope or anything with it.

 

Does anyone else run 0.19.0 on Linux?

Edited May 3, 2019 by Nightspore

[Nightspore]

OK .... figured how to change background. ?

 

[Nightspore]

 

Well, it’s been a couple of days since I switched the bog-standard repo Stellarium 0.14.3-1 for the 0.19.0 snap. I was initially reluctant to update 0.14.3 with the Terminal as it was working well and I think that Stellarium has suffered for a bit from feature creep in many recent releases. The most infamous being the great rendering engine upbork that seriously didn’t play well with the Windows BIOS clock (Stellarium 0.12.0). Not that the Windows BIOS clock ever had any accuracy to begin with of course, but it would push the system clock a minute forward every time Stellarium was launched. Eventually I uninstalled Stellarium from my Win 7 desktop and replaced it with SN7 and CdC.

 

 

Fortunately I now live in a liberated and completely Windows free environment (hurrah!). UNIX clocks work properly and Ubuntu is no exception.

 

 

Stellarium 0.19.0 has a few added features over 0.14.3 although it is still basically the same Stellarium I used ten years ago. I’ve not had much experience with snap packages and I discovered that the VLC snap was a little bit buggy in that its icon would often mysteriously disappear from the launcher and there were some problems in playing DVD’s. The Stellarium snap package seems a little more stable so far. Admittedly it did freeze once and I had to reboot the computer, but that isn’t totally unknown with Stellarium on Linux in my experience.

 

I’ve always liked Stellarium and the fact that it’s freeware only endears it more to me. I think this snap package could work out.

[Nightspore]

Some more little bugs ... when using Ctrl + G (on Windows & Linux, Command + G on macOS) to go to a particular planet the 'Use associated planet and position' automated background change function worked once and then didn't work again.

 

 

This then portrays the sun setting in the east on the Martian landscape. I'm pretty sure the sun rises in the east on Mars. I don't know if this bug is just peculiar to the snap package or not.

 

 

If the 'Use associated planet and position' box is unchecked again and you change the background manually it goes back to normal. The more realistic impression of the Martian moons are good though.