CG> What you say about QST and computers is true, but the
CG> problem with LINUX is the lack of ham applications.
I think that is an issue with Linux generally. Is there really a good word
processor, for example?
CG> Take my case, for example: I use some programs that conrol my
CG> HF rig and log DX, and I have some satellite programs that
CG> track the birds, point the antenna and tune the rig. Of
CG> course, I can use TNOS or LINUX for TCP/IP, but how about those
CG> other programs I paid good money for? I can't replace them
CG> with LINUX programs, yet. So what does one do? In my case, I
CG> end up wih one LINUX machine running TCP/IP and one Win95
CG> machine (or OS2 machine) with Windows/DOS programs for the rest.
First of all, Linux can emulate other operating systems to some extent. DOS
programs, even for antenna pointing, would probably work well under DOSEMU. If
the WINE project ever moves forward at a more than glacial pace, then it would
probably address a lot of these concerns in connection with Win32. Linux Wabi
is available from Caldera for the fairly reasonable price of $49.
The solution to device support for HF gear is that we should define a platform-
and vendor-independent standard for this purpose. There is no good reason why
every HF rig has its own proprietary scheme for remote control, and a simple
and extensible control language would be a valuable thing to develop.
I don't know how to get software vendors to support Linux. Certainly, if
platform-independent languages, especially Java, become more popular, this will
solve the problem neatly. Otherwise, the only way that vendors will support
Linux as a native platform is if the market demand becomes sufficient from a
critical mass of users, and doing so would be economically justifiable.
CG> What we need is a concerted effort to port some of the good
CG> commercial Ham applications to LINUX, Logic 5 for example.
CG> Also we need a central site for downloading free/shareware,
CG> and references to those commercial aps which have been
CG> ported to LINUX. Any suggestions on how to do this? 73's
I think that the Ham HOWTO has functioned well as a central resource. It is no
effort to get a product listed, and it is widely accessible on the 'net.
In terms of what can be done immediately, it seems to me that some sort of
minimal standardization effort should take place for rig and antenna control,
and that this rather simple exercise would benefit both Linux and non-Linux
users. After that, most of the ham software is run-of-the-mill logging or
satellite tracking software, and this already exists natively for Linux or
would be easy to port.
-- Mike, N1BEE