--- name: "gps" section: "1" platform: "linux" package: "gpsd" version: "3.27.5-1" release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/gps" --- # gps(1) Overview of gpsd clients and helpers ## NAME gps - Overview of gpsd clients and helpers ## SYNOPSIS Clients: **cgps** \[OPTIONS\] \[server\[:port\[:device\]\]\] **gegps** \[OPTIONS\] \[server\[:port\[:device\]\]\] **gps2udp** \[OPTIONS\] \[server\[:port\[:device\]\]\] **gpscsv** \[OPTIONS\] \[server\[:port\[:device\]\]\] **gpspipe** \[OPTIONS\] \[server\[:port\[:device\]\]\] **gpsplot** \[OPTIONS\] \[server\[:port\[:device\]\]\] **gpsprof** \[OPTIONS\] \[server\[:port\[:device\]\]\] **gpsrinex** \[OPTIONS\] \[server\[:port\[:device\]\]\] **gpssubframe** \[OPTIONS\] \[server\[:port\[:device\]\]\] **gpxlogger** \[OPTIONS\] \[server\[:port\[:device\]\]\] **lcdgps** \[OPTIONS\] \[server\[:port\[:device\]\]\] **ubxtool** \[OPTIONS\] \[server\[:port\[:device\]\]\] **xgps** \[OPTIONS\] \[server\[:port\[:device\]\]\] **xgpsspeed** \[OPTIONS\] \[server\[:port\[:device\]\]\] **zerk** \[OPTIONS\] \[server\[:port\[:device\]\]\] Helpers: **gpscat** \[OPTIONS\] file-or-serial-port **gpsctl** \[OPTIONS\] **gpsdctl** action device **gpsdecode** \[OPTIONS\] **gpsdebuginfo** **gpsfake** \[OPTIONS\] **gpsinit** \[OPTIONS\] **ntpshmmon** \[OPTIONS\] **ppscheck** \[OPTIONS\] device ## DESCRIPTION **gpsd** is a daemon for managing GPS receivers, GNSS receivers, AIS receivers, and more. Over time it has agglomerated a number of diverse clients that communicate with **gpsd** for various tasks. ### CLIENTS Each of the **gpsd** clients connects to a **gpsd** daemon to use the data in various ways. See the sections ARGUMENTS and OPTIONS for more information on the clients. **cgps** curses terminal client for gpsd **gegps** Google Earth client for gpsd **gps** Overview of gpsd clients and helpers **gpscsv** dump the JSON output from gpsd as CSV **gpsdecode** decode GPS, RTCM or AIS streams into a readable format **gpspipe** tool to connect to gpsd and retrieve sentences **gpsplot** tool to dynamically dump plot data from gpsd **gpsprof** profile a GPS and gpsd, plotting latency information **gpsrinex** Read data from gpsd convert to RINEX3 and save to a file. **gpssubframe** tool to dump subframe sentences from gpsd **gpxlogger** Tool to connect to gpsd and generate a GPX file **lcdgps** LCD client for gpsd **xgps** X client for gpsd **xgpsspeed** X speedometer for gpsd ### HELPERS The **gpsd** helpers can be used for administration of **gpsd** systems. **gps2udp** feed the take from gpsd to one or more aggregation sites **gpscat** dump the output from a GPS **gpsctl** control the modes of a GNSS receiver **gpsdctl** tool for sending commands to gpsd over its control socket **gpsdebuginfo** Generate a gpsd debug dump of your host. **gpsfake** test harness for gpsd, simulating a GNSS receiver **gpsinit** initialize CAN kernel modules for GPSD **ntploggps** log gpsd data **ntpshmmon** capture samples from gpsd or other ntpd refclock sources ### LIBRARIES Programmers can find additional information on the **gpsd** here: **gpsd\_json** gpsd request/response protocol **libgps** C service library for communicating with the GPS daemon **libgpsmm** C++ and QT class wrappers for the GPS daemon **libQgpsmm** C++ and QT class wrappers for the GPS daemon ## OPTIONS The **gpsd** clients share a few common options: - **-?**, **-h**, **--help** Print a summary of options and then exit. - **-V**, **--version** Print the package version and exit. ## ARGUMENTS By default, clients collect data from the local **gpsd** daemon running on localhost, using the default GPSD port 2947. The optional argument to any client may override this behavior: **\[server\[:port\[:device\]\]\]** **server** The optional host name, IPv4 address, or IPv6 address of the **gpsd** daemon to connect to. If the server specification contains square brackets, the part inside them is taken as an IPv6 address and port/device suffixes are only parsed after the trailing bracket. The default is localhost. **port** The optional TCP port of the daemon to connect to. The default is 2947. **device** The optional device name to be watched. Some possible cases look like this: example.com Connect to the default port 2497 on example.com, trying both IPv4 and IPv6. example.com:2317 Look at port 2317 on example.com, trying both IPv4 and IPv6. localhost::/dev/ttyS1 Look at the default port, 2947, of localhost, trying both IPv4 and IPv6 and watching output from serial device 1. 71\.162.241.5:2317:/dev/ttyS3 Look at port 2317 at the specified IPv4 address, collecting data from attached serial device 3. \[FEDC:BA98:7654:3210:FEDC:BA98:7654:3210\]:2317:/dev/ttyS5 Look at port 2317 at the specified IPv6 address, collecting data from attached serial device 5. ## ENVIRONMENT Most of the **gpsd** clients check for the environment variables **GPSD\_UNITS**, **LC\_MEASUREMENT**, and **LANG**. Maybe more. **GPSD\_UNITS** is checked if no unit system is specified on the command line. It may be set to 'i'. 'imperial', 'm', 'metric', or 'n', 'nautical'. **LC\_MEASUREMENT** and then **LANG** are checked if no unit system has been specified on the command line, or in **GPSD\_UNITS**. If the value is 'C', 'POSIX', or begins with 'en\_US' the unit system is set to imperial. The default if no system has been selected is metric. ## RETURN VALUES The **gpsd** clients return simple success or failure codes: **0** on success. **1** on failure ## SEE ALSO [**gegps**(1)](/gegps/1.md), [**gpsctl**(1)](/gpsctl/1.md), [**gpsdebuginfo**(1)](/gpsdebuginfo/1.md), [**gpsprof**(1)](/gpsprof/1.md), [**gpsfake**(1)](/gpsfake/1.md), [**gpscat**(1)](/gpscat/1.md), [**gpspipe**(1)](/gpspipe/1.md), [**xgps**(1)](/xgps/1.md). [**xgpsspeed**(1)](/xgpsspeed/1.md) [**libgps**(3)](/libgps/3.md), [**libgpsmm**(3)](/libgpsmm/3.md) [**gpsd**(8)](/gpsd/8.md) ## RESOURCES **Project web site:** \ ## COPYING This file is Copyright 2013 by the GPSD project\ SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-2-clause