[Elecraft] Elecraft's linux utilities - somewhat OT, or maybe not

[Sam Morgan]

I have mixed feelings about the recent trend to 'demand' Elecraft 
release their utility pgms for linux in 64 bit versions, in addition to 
the 32 bit versions they already release.

Here are a couple of thoughts....

In most of my readings on different radio related forums as well as 
email groups, IMO the trend for computers used by the majority of hams 
in their shacks are the of the older 32 bit models. I say that based in 
part on the hue and cry about having to retire their XP machines and how 
stressed they are that they will have actually go out and to buy a newer 
(64bit) computer to use beside their $3k to $5k rigs. <g>

Instead of adding to the Elecraft software guys load by asking them to 
build tailor made releases, when IMO their time might be better spent 
working on the coding for the many firmware upgrades we have requested 
for each of their growing list of products.....

Maybe some of the more knowledgeable *nix gurus on the list, could 
contribute a Distro specific howto write up for installation on their 
favorite operating systems (distros). Send it in and let Elecraft post 
the info on the pages in a paragraph right below the Linux utility links.

===
Something like K1JT has done for WSJT-X at the bottom of this page:
http://www.physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/K1JT/wsjtx.html

<quote>
Linux: Thanks to AC6SL and KA6MAL, packages for v1.1.1 r3520 on Ubuntu 
12.04, 12.10, 13.04, 13.10 are available at 
https://launchpad.net/~jnogatch/+archive/wsjtx

         Ubuntu Linux installation instructions:

1. If you have not obtained packages from this PPA (Personal Package 
Archive) before:

$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:jnogatch/wsjtx


2. To obtain the latest version from this PPA:

$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install wsjtx

3. You should also download kvasd and put it in the same directory as 
executable binaries wsjtx and jt9.  Normally (after running the script 
/usr/bin/wsjtx once) this directory will be $HOME/.wsjtx
</quote>
===

===
Or how about creating a PPA (Personal Package Archive) (complete with a 
how2 use it) and sharing their work with the folks at Elecraft so they 
can add those links. Like John Nogatch did here:
https://launchpad.net/~jnogatch/+archive/wsjtx

===

===
Another good example of what I would like to see, would be the multi 
distro help links found for Fldigi contributed by other found at the 
bottom of this page: http://www.w1hkj.com/download.html

where you will find links to:
<quote>
Puppy / NBEMS How-To-Install
	
RPMS for Open SuSE: Maintained by DL8FCL
	
COPR for Fedora Maintained by Richard Shaw
	
Open SuSE Spec files:Spec File Site
	
Centos Spec files: Index of Centos NBEMS redhat SPECS
	
Debs for Ubuntu:
	https://launchpad.net/~kamalmostafa/+archive/fldigi
	How To Install from Kamal's PPA

Past versions of software
	Berlios archives
	
Wiki for fldigi etc.
</quote>
===


<rant on>
When I started using linux in 1994 or so, folks didn't go around 
demanding others do stuff for them, instead they *ask* what they could 
do to learn how to do it for themselves. In response the more 
knowledgeable folks ask what they could do to help create how2's so 
others could learn to do it for themselves. Seems the current batch of 
linux users have shifted from the point of helping themselves and 
others, to where they now *demand* _others_ 'do it for us' because they 
'owe it to us'.
</rant off>


-- 
GB & 73
K5OAI
Sam Morgan