Kismet + GPSDrive + MySQL + Python = Google Earth Wlan Map

Posted on August 18, 2005 by admin

Last week I decided to build a map of the wireless access point in the Town. It is not really easy to find the right tools, so I decided to write this little Howto.

To archive this goal you need severals tools:

Kismet

First install Kismet. You need a wireless card that support RFMon in monitor mode. I think Madwifi cards, and patched Orinoco are the only ones that support this.

Launch Kismet, and now check for a given AP that kismet know the best level..

If everything is ok, edit the kismet config file and set gps=try

GPSDrive

Download and install the latest CVS version of GPSDrive (I have some issues with the latest tgz and kismet). The next step is to have a GPS working with gpsd. Most GPS will work, I bought a cheap one with a USB cord on ebay.

Simply launch gpsd, and after gpsdrive. You should see the reception level in GPSDrive.

MySQL

To use Kismet + GPSDrive, you need to have a MySQL database. In fact GPSDrive will ask to kismet the new APs, and dump this informations in a MySQL db. You can find the create.sql in GPSDrive sources.

mysql -u root -p < ./create.sql

This will add a user : gast / gast

First try

Ok, now launch GPSDrive and set the ‘use SQL’ (or edit the config file), and quit.

Now to start the whole stuff:

Plug the wireless antenna (this is better for wardriving ;)
Plug the GPS
Launch gpsd (be carefull to have enought satellite in view)
Launch Kismet (it should tell you, it find the GPS…)
Launch GPSDrive (it should display a little kismet logo on bottom)
Now, you’re ready to go, walk down the street you should see new APs on the GPSDrive map.

http://www.brest-wireless.net/albums/Misc/full_gpsdrive.sized.jpg

After the trip: Google Earth

Ok, now you have a lot of points in your database.. And GPSDrive have a little troubles to display them.. After a little time, i decided to install Google Earth, and look at the way to add new points on the map..

This, is quite simple, all i need to do is to extract data form the SQL, and build a xml file that contain all the points. I decided to write gpsdriveToGoogleEarth.py. This quick and dirty script will generate a file ‘ap.kml’. Now simply launch Google Earth and open this file. You will see something like this:

http://www.brest-wireless.net/albums/Misc/google_earth.sized.jpg

The main issue for me, is that Google Earth doesn’t support Linux right now so I need to dual-boot.. But this provide a easy way to build the card without too much pain. And i can share the Google Earth file others guys simply.

WARNING

I do this only for the fun, so don’t try to hack wireless access point using this howto, this is not the goal !

– Enjoy

38 thoughts on “Kismet + GPSDrive + MySQL + Python = Google Earth Wlan Map”

Pierre D on August 18, 2005 at 5:38 pm said:

How impressive! Thanks for this illustrated howTo.

I would be very interested in doing this same experience around the place of Nation (in the east of Paris), just to see. From my flat, last time I checked, I could see 5 different wireless networks.

Could you give the model of your GPS? I was looking for a cheap one (Garmin eTrex for example) I could connect to my laptop but the price (even on eBay) was too expensive…
Jkx on August 18, 2005 at 7:26 pm said:
I bought a GPS without LCD that only plug to the laptop using USB. It came from China, and cost me 36.5 Euro (fedex included..)

Look at:
- http://search.ebay.fr/_W0QQfgtpZ1QQfrppZ25QQsassZaktronix
- http://www.brest-wireless.net/forum/viewtopic.php?id=18 (in french).
;)
Pierre D on August 19, 2005 at 9:14 am said:

Thanks for the tip
jb on August 28, 2005 at 1:51 am said:

“Any ideas why I would get a line 9 syntax error near unexpected token `(‘”

and

“line 9 ‘def h1():’”

Thanks for any help you can give.

JB
Jkx on August 28, 2005 at 3:17 am said:

Where ?
jb on August 29, 2005 at 12:46 pm said:

Line 9

def hl():

print “=” * 80
jb on August 29, 2005 at 2:58 pm said:

It apprears it is having a problem with the () symbols.
Jkx on August 29, 2005 at 5:09 pm said:

Are you sure to run with python gpsdriveToGoogleEarth.py ? (because this works fine)
JB on August 29, 2005 at 7:05 pm said:

That was my problem. I was not running python gpsdriveToGoogleEarth.py. I also experienced a probelm with kitmet detecting 70+ APs but gpsdrive only recorded 1 (wep Enabled) in the MySql database. Any ideas.
JB on August 29, 2005 at 10:28 pm said:

Where can I get a copy of v2.10pre3.

John
Jkx on August 30, 2005 at 9:31 am said:

I get the same issue (only one AP in gpsdrive). You need the latest CVS snapshot to fix this (not the 2.10pre3)
JB on August 30, 2005 at 12:40 pm said:

Is it possible you can email or post the CVS snapshot with instructions to fix the issue. It would be much appreciated.
Jkx on August 30, 2005 at 12:49 pm said:
This bug is fixed in the CVS (it only exist in the .tgz)

To download it. simply follow the GPSDrive doc at http://gpsdrive.kraftvoll.at/download.shtml
```
export CVSROOT=:pserver:anonymous@cvs.gpsdrive.cc:/cvsroot
cvs login [press enter - there's no password]
cvs co gpsdrive 
```
JB on August 30, 2005 at 4:23 pm said:

Blank password does not work. Any ideas.
JB on August 30, 2005 at 10:58 pm said:

After installing the CVS update it is no longer writting to mysql. I have run make uninstall on all and reinstalled pre2. What advise can you give on getting it installed right. Fedora Core 4 is the platform.

John
jkx on August 31, 2005 at 12:18 am said:

Simply install this in a different place. with a ./configure –prefix=/opt_for_example
monaralto on September 1, 2005 at 9:15 pm said:

ªLJMªLM
Jkx on September 2, 2005 at 8:29 am said:

I found this tutorial about the KML (Google Earth) file format.

http://www.keyhole.com/kml/kml_tut.html
Philippe on September 24, 2005 at 6:36 pm said:

I kind of got inspired by your project here:

http://www.niquille.com/kismet-earth/
HCSCharles on October 3, 2005 at 12:41 pm said:

Would the person who originated this post consider emailing me. Would like to discuss hiring your obvious talents to setup a laptop to achieve the results in the images above.

Charles
HCSCharles on October 3, 2005 at 12:41 pm said:

Would the person who originated this post consider emailing me. Would like to discuss hiring your obvious talents to setup a laptop to achieve the results in the images above.

Charles

info@hcsdatarecovery.com
shammi on November 11, 2005 at 2:25 pm said:

thi is very nice
Anonymous on November 27, 2005 at 12:01 pm said:

capullos

esto es una puta ierda
mix on January 10, 2006 at 6:22 am said:

awsome guys im going to go out and buy a usb gps tomorrow
this is great
Ryan on September 21, 2006 at 6:56 am said:

fyi, there is now a version of google earth for linux
Jester on October 19, 2006 at 11:26 pm said:

…Yeah… Leave em a warning telling them NOT to hack… that’s really gonna avert anyone from trying…
Graeme on January 18, 2007 at 8:33 pm said:

I’m also suffering from a problem mentioned above.

GPSDrive registers one WEP as a waypoint and then doesn’t bother with the rest. I can’t get the CVS solution to work as described. I enter the password in as blank and then nothing happens. It just sits there! Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Graeme
l33tb33r on April 1, 2008 at 9:37 pm said:

I run a certain programe with a gps device.
I find the cooridnates change often.
Yet the gps and the device it has logged is stationary.
In other words, min location & max location can change by over 200 meteres & more & differnt times of the day or lenght of time the gps has been running.
Any sugestions..
efremigio on July 27, 2008 at 12:42 am said:

Hi, I modified your python script to work with the new gpsdrive mysql table. I hope you do not bother: http://www.efremigio.es/gpsdrive-y-google-earth/

At the moment avaliable only in spanish.

Thank you.
Will Blakey on October 2, 2008 at 5:51 pm said:

after running kismet, gpsdrive will not load. here’s the shell output:

SQL: connected to localhost as gast using geoinfo
Creating main window

kismet server found
Using Mapnik config file: /usr/share/gpsdrive/mapnik/osm.xml
Read 503 POI-Types from /usr/share/gpsdrive/map-icons/icons.xml
Error while using mysql
Table ‘geoinfo.wlan’ doesn’t exist

google search on ‘geoinfo.wlan’ turned up absalutaly nothing.

please help

thanks
Will Blakey on October 2, 2008 at 8:05 pm said:

just looked at the shell output from kismet:

WARNING: Disabling GPS logging.
WARNING: Could not open waypoint file ‘~/.gpsdrive/way.txt’ for writing: No such file or directory

I checked, and that filepath DOES exist.

?
Will Blakey on October 2, 2008 at 8:21 pm said:

and this from gpsdrive:

wlan_rebuild_list: Error in query: Table ‘geoinfo.wlan’ dosen’t exist
admin on October 4, 2008 at 3:41 pm said:

Will, you need to create the database (check the MySQL section of this post)
Will Blakey on October 10, 2008 at 10:10 pm said:

Well , I reinstalled Ubuntu, and at least now kismet is working.

Then i did the create.sql bit and i’m getiing:

connection to host=/var/run/postgresql dbname=gis user=root password= connect timeout=4 failed
FATAL: Ident authentication failed for user “root”

When i run gpsdrive
Will Blakey on October 10, 2008 at 10:21 pm said:

oh ,i ran “geoinfo –all”, and even reinstalled mysql and postgresql as well.
paul on January 23, 2009 at 3:07 am said:

hi what wireless device did you use i dont think mine is supported what have people used that they know will work
Dennis on June 4, 2009 at 4:50 pm said:

What an innovation, guys like you are needed in the world.
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Jkx@home

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