[Elecraft] Firmware upgrades using Ubuntu 12.04

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

One of the comments attributed to Kernigan or Ritchie, forget which,
was "If I had known that it [Unix] was going to become a widely used
system instead of the narrowly targeted in-house tool first imagined,
I would have named programs and functions more carefully.  I was just
having fun with the names."

Unix-ish systems like Linux are remarkably non-intuitive, until you
have learned it.  It does not extend off anything else that is well
known.  It does not suit appliance-user level OS purchasers.  I have
used Unix and variants since 1973, and have watched 10 struggle to get
going for every 1 who got it easy.  The mental mindset of a person
commonly called a "computer geek" is very useful for learning Unix
variants.

There are many advantages to the Unix system. The only more scalable
system on the planet is IBM's mainframe ZOS, and even that now has a
complete "Unix services subsystem" as an integrated part of the OS.
Lot of huge stuff simply could not be done without it, including apps
I managed at SAS Institute before I retired.

BUT, it will never be the general population OS, and for good reason.
That doesn't make Linux good or bad, or OSX good or bad.  But a Linux
K3 utility will never be the mainline device as is the Windows
version.  But the Linux version is likely to be a favorite of a
professional who uses some Unix variant all day, and is just thinking
in that frame of reference when he gets home.

73, Guy.

On Tue, Jul 10, 2012 at 6:37 PM, Bill K9YEQ <k9yeq at live.com> wrote:
> Don,
>
> I couldn't echo your comments more perfectly!  I run it for fun but it is
> only an email handler and toy for me... besides I haven't the time.
>
> 73,
> Bill
> K9YEQ
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
>
> Let me give one OT "RANT", and then I will shut up on this subject.
> Suffice it to say that I have been extremely disappointing in all Linux
> distributions because of the lack of any organized support fort the users -
> the attitude seems to be "if you don't already understand the nuances of
> Linux, we will shame your questions and be very unhelpful.
> Check out the various forums and "FAQ" lists to verify this attitude.
>
> I have tried Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and Debian in the recent past, and have
> found that unless you wish to spend a loot of time in "geekdom study", the
> terms are cryptic and not logical acronyms, and  the user groups are useless
> unless one is already fluent in their brand of "geek-speak".
> Yes, I am computer fluent in Windows and peer-to-peer networking - I have
> worked with PCs since the Apple II days and the IBM PC DOS systems are no
> stranger to me, but the Linux groups are just not helpful at all to those
> who do not understand their peculiar cryptic language.
>
> In other words, there are no clear and concise instructions for Linux.
> The "Man pages" are supposedly the answer, but they offer geek-speak
> explanations for those who are not initiated and expert into the Linux brand
> of geekdom.
>
> I know, there are many who will disagree, but you will have to point me to a
> (non-on-line) manual that I can use as a reference book and is similar to
> those like "Mastering Windows XP Professional", Linux in any distro is just
> not going to "make the grade".
>
> For those who simply want to do email and surf the web, Ubuntu is great, as
> is Linux Mint - it has all the tools those users need, but for those who
> want to do such things as network a Linux workstation into a Windows peer to
> peer network, there is just not enough explicit information about how to set
> it up and make it work. Windows peer-to-peer is native, but with Linux, it
> is a complex "add-on" that I have not been able to master after several
> attempts with Samba configuration.
>
> I once thought Linux would be my road to salvation without buying
> Windows7 for 7 computers on my home network, but it just does not work
> consistently, so I guess I will have to spend the upgrade fees for Win7.
>
> So until Linux gives up its superior "I am geek and I want it to stay that
> way" attitude, it will never fly properly.  Ubuntu and Mint have come a long
> way in making installation easier, but there is a long way to go in
> usability.
>
> Linux will also have to give up using "cute" names for applications to make
> sense to users - for instance, Photoshop has a relevant name for photo
> editing, but GIMP might mean something like "geeky image manipulating
> program" to Linux fans, but it has no obvioous meaning to the average user.
>
> Until Linux "gets real" instead of continuing to be "geeky", it will never
> fly - meaningful names are important - at least that is my opinion
> - I equate abstract naming to "geeky", and by saying "geeky" it means
> exclusionary, and not to be understood by the general user.  And that is
> what is wrong with Linux.
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
>
> On 7/9/2012 11:38 PM, Dick Roth wrote:
>> FYI...to get to manage users and groups one needs to install
>> "gnome-system-tools".  This can be done via the gui Ubuntu Software
>> Center.  Once installed you can get to Users and Groups through the
>> Dash.
>
>
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