[DSP-10] DSP-10 under Puppy Linux: A potentially odd PC question.

[Courtney Duncan]

Bob, Mike, Jimmy, Roger, Kirk and Larry, (and/or anyone else who knows),

Per the reasons you give here, that the old PCs are getting old, I am about ready to acquire a new PC.

My Windows 98 PC that boots into DOS for DSP-10 is the only PC I still have and there are many reasons I need to move past it, a nearly 20 year old OS, hardware decrepitude, and modern networking needs among them.

Everyone else here and everything else we do is on Macs, believe it or not.  (It’s mostly e-mail….)

This Puppy Linux based breakthrough sounds great!

So, I’m about to get a new PC so I can retire this old Windows 98 box and want to get the right thing.  I have a few questions:

- It looks like you don’t have to wipe or install anything new to use Puppy Linux.  So, whatever OS comes on this PC isn’t really affected.  Is that true?
- Although the PC may have USB, the DSP-10 is still RS-232.  That means needing something like a Keyspan adapter, correct?
- I assume that I can print screen and capture screen and such from Puppy Linux, correct?
- The other applications I want to run here are DOS or Windows programs like the VK3UM EME calculator.  I assume things like that will run under a DOSBox?
- Do I need to be running DSP-10 3.96 Software, or is that upgrade independent from this or required by this?
- The link http://www.proaxis.com/~boblark/puppy-5.2.8_dsp10_5.iso from http://www.proaxis.com/~boblark/dsp10.htm from which one makes the Puppy Linux CD or stick appears to be broken.  Something wrong there?
- I notice that it has been 2-1/2 years since this was posted.  Is this still what people are using?  Are there other updates or hints?  In particular is 5.2.8 still recommended?

The most important question and the one that I posted this message primarily to ask is:

Is there some kind of modern, generic PC that would *not* be suitable for this use?  If I find a deal on E-Bay, for instance, or just go into Best Buy and come out in 45 minutes with something cheap, or someone just gives me a three year old PC that works is there something I should be looking out for, like CPU speed, memory capacity, ports, displays, or whatever?  (You can probably tell how old I am to even be asking questions like that.)  Is there a reason to use or not to use a laptop?  (I might want something potentially portable for other ham radio applications for instance.)

Thanks for your help, as always.  73, Courtney, N5BF




> On May 19, 2014, at 12:04 PM, Bob Larkin <boblark at proaxis.com> wrote:
> 
> Hi All,
> 
> KD7TS, W7CQ, W7SZ and I have been experimenting with running the DSP-10 under Linux.  This has usually worked well, with all timing issues that arose under MS-Windows being solved.  The Linux distribution that we have focused on is Puppy Linux, version 5.2.8, and the DOS interpreter is DOSBox.
> 
> It provides several features, including:
> * Modern PC can run this.
> * USB to Serial adapters can be used---COM ports are not needed.
> * You can run from either CD or USB memory stick without changing the existing operating system.
> * You do not use your hard drive at all.
> * Other programs can be run in separate windows, as you are accustomed to seeing.
> 
> All the pieces are referenced near the top of the regular home page (See "Run under Puppy Linux):
> http://www.proaxis.com/~boblark/dsp10.htm
> including an .ISO for the whole set of software. There are also screen shots, and a text file with general information.
> 
> Give this a try and report back here on your success or on problems!
> 
> 73, Bob  W7PUA
> 
> 
> 
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