[ct-user] Is CT development dead?

[Ken Wolff]

I discussed this with N6TV at Dayton, and yes CT development for DOS is 
dead. I thought I had an old hard drive with DOS, the complier and 
libraries in the closet. None of them would boot DOS. I can still 
compile CTWin, although it won't run on my development machine, Windows 7.

K1AR and I still use CTWin for our multi-two efforts on a couple of old 
XP machines. It is possible, but not probable I could make a new version 
of CTWin if K1AR and I need something fixed. I keep the CT website alive 
as a convenience to existing users, or someone with old DOS hardware who 
wants to try CT. CT is free precisely because I want to avoid any 
obligation to fix bugs or add features.

I have used Win-Test at K3LR and KL7RA. I recommend it to anyone who 
likes the CT command set and behavior..Win-Test accurately emulates all 
the CT features and adds its own feature set.

I am not going to release the source code to the public domain because 
it is dense, obtuse code.. It requires an obsolete version of the Watcom 
compiler, the 4GW 32 bit dos extender and the commercial PC/TCP package. 
CT was the first C program I ever wrote in 1986. A few years later I 
converted it to C++ without a good understanding of object oriented 
concepts. This is "spaghetti code" and would be re-factored by anyone 
good enough to work on it. At least two programmers I know and respect 
took this code and tried to move forward. They both gave up.

73, Ken K1EA


Bob Wilson, N6TV wrote:
> I can't speak for Ken, but he's here in Dayton this weekend.  He said, half
> jokingly, that he's not even sure if he still remembers how to recompile the
> program.  If you're waiting for him to make enhancements, well, don't hold
> your breath.
>
> As far as releasing the source code, all I can say is that I'm a
> professional programmer, and I got a brief look at the CT source code once.
> Maintaining or porting all that C++ code it is not going to be an easy task
> for anyone.  It's hard enough for Ken to do it.  It really tied to DOS and
> it's not going to be easy to port it to Linux, MacOS, or anything else.
> Even the Windows version (CTWin) only runs in "character mode."
>
> By far the best solution for unhappy CT users is to migrate to Win-Test,
> since the interface is basically a copy of CT.  I used CT for years, but I'm
> a 100% Win-Test user right now (except for most state QSO parties, which
> Win-Test does not support).  I use N1MM in the CQP, but Win-Test for
> everything else.
>
> You can try the demo version of Win-Test for free:
>
> http://download.win-test.com/v4/demo/
>
> I'll be happy to answer any questions about Win-Test, but please use the
> Win-Test Reflector, not the CT Reflector.  More info on subscribing to the
> Win-Test reflector may be found here:
>
> http://www.win-test.com/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=1720
>
> 73,
> Bob, N6TV
>
> On Thu, May 13, 2010 at 10:12 PM, Nate Bargmann <n0nb at n0nb.us> wrote:
>
>   
>> * On 2010 13 May 11:39 -0500, Charles W. Shaw wrote:
>>     
>>> Hi,
>>>       Regarding development, I would be perfectly happy if CT is just
>>> kept current regarding changes necessitated by contest rules and
>>> entry requirements.  I like it now and am old and set in my ways I guess.
>>>       
>> Hi Charles,
>>
>> I agree and if there were periodic updates I would not have brought this
>> up.  Seeing as CT is going on 2 years without an update, time is passing
>> it by.  If the source code would be available *someone* would keep it
>> alive or could pick it up whenever the mood struck.
>>
>> 73, de Nate >>
>>
>> --
>>
>> "The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all
>> possible worlds.  The pessimist fears this is true."
>>
>> Ham radio, Linux, bikes, and more: http://n0nb.us/index.html
>>
>>     
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