[TenTec] Linux, maybe someday, then NT-4

[Larry Kayser]

Greetings all:

>Sorry to continue this computer thread but I think it
>is important for HAMs to understand that there is a
>choice in Operating Systems and the Linux choice is
>becoming more and more viable

Yes there is a choice of some sort, maybe.  Linux is a limited
functionality, basically reliable unix that is with great effort achieving
the GUI level Microsoft had 5 or more years ago.  The development tools are
just not at the same maturity level as VB and they wont be catching up
anytime soon.  Linux is great for what it is and what it does best today.
(Some might question the maturity of VB and that is a fair and separate
discussion for another forum hi)

Any manufacturer would be nuts not to use VB for a product like Pegasus.
When one supports a full C or C++ development system for a project like
Pegasus the per line or probably more appropriately the per function cost
would be 5 to 10 times what it is for VB.  If you want to work with Linux
for a program to drive a Pegasus then please do so, trying to interest a
manufacturer such as Ten Tec who are scrambling to recover the Pegasus
development budget in a Linux program for Pegasus is a waste of time.  VB
has its problems, I and many others have cursed the way some things are done
such as musical chairs with .DLL's and other similar type things.

The Ten Tec provided software is at the very best a simple demonstration
tool for the Pegasus radio.  We need to remember this very carefully.
Software that does things new ways will come, we will see our radios in
different ways now that the physical front panel is gone.  Linux is one
possible tool for some developers.

A critical issue for the control Pegasus type of radio is speed of the
control program.  Linux has an advantage here as the system is small and
fast when compared to VB.  It is highly possible that a highly integrated
radio and station control and operating software package may find the speed
of VB inadequate for power users such as contest operators etc.  Linux may
well have a place in some future market segments for Pegasus like products.

For me, I would just like to be a fly on the wall at Yacomwood product
meetings as they agonize over how to respond to Kachina, Pegasus and ?   The
direction of HF products has changed, the only issues left are how fast will
the change accelerate and how will this change lead the way with mass
customization of how products work uniquely for every amateur radio
operator.  Some may struggle with this, but the manufacturing of front
panelless HF radios like Kachina and Pegasus may well bring a new era of
radio manufacturing back to the USA.  We live in interesting times.

For those who are on NT-4.  Give your system the three fingered salute (Ctl,
Alt, Del), then select Task Manager, then watch either the percentage of
resources used under Processes or the graphical performance to see what is
eating up  your real time.  My amateur radio stuff never exceeds 4 or 5% of
real time, performance is fast and reliable.  Any program that tries to use
more than 10% for amateur radio gets removed pretty fast and replaced with
one that behaves itself.  Much of the older amateur radio programs were
written for single user DOS environment and are resource hogs of the worst
kind.  I have one program from the old AEA organization that I keep as a
test and demonstration of how never to do things .  It consumes 100% of
NT-4, if you have one of these type of programs running, you have a problem
this is fixable with the "Start, Settings, Control Panel, Add / Remove
Programs" process.  Oh yes, I have COM5,6,7 & 8 looped back on each other
with a tiny program pushing 19200 through those ports at all times, all
under VB.  I use this to watch for bad behaviour of software I am working
on.  If any software gets greedy it is obvious very quickly.  A single
missing DoEvents in VB will show up instantly.

Good Luck

Larry
VA3LK



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