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

[Nate Bargmann]

Since you followed up to my post, Bill, I will clarify that I was only
speaking from the developer's perspective on "simple" for compiling on
the common 64 bit AMD/Intel platform and i386 (i486, i586, i686)
platform.  That said, the two pieces of software I develop do not rely
on the differences between the 32 and 64 bit architectures and therefore
are an "easy" recompile.  Unless someone wishes to step up as a beta
tester for either project, I do not expect people to be compiling their
packages even though I put a lot of work into cleaning up Hamlib's build
system a couple of years ago and it about as easy as it could get.  For
that the distributions provide their own package managers that will
install precompiled software and take care to assure that all
dependencies are correctly installed and managed.  There is very little
"DLL hell" on a supported Linux distribution as shared library
dependencies are carefully managed, at least on Debian and its
derivatives (Ubuntu, Mepis, Siduction, etc.).

Things like USB-serial devices are a pain as they are not consistently
named across system restarts and some under-the-hood work is necessary
to overcome that and a persistent port name can be presented to user
software on Linux systems.  I've had Windows do the same thing by naming
an adapter COM5 one time and COM8 the next and something else some other
time so that complaint is a wash.  OTOH, the Linux kernel includes
drivers for both Prolific and FTDI devices which are very stable for
each chipset, so it's a matter of plugging the USB-serial adapter in,
figuring out the port name, and away you go.  No searching for drivers
of questionable quality in the dark corners of the Web for some
knock-off adapter.

Recall also that while most will agree the K3 is a high performance
radio, there are enough complaints about the UI that some that would be
interested stay away and buy competing products.  Some hold their nose
and put up with the K3's UI because of the performance, and still others
have no issue with the UI and simply use it as they've learned (I fall
in the last camp).  In many respects Linux UIs share the same response.

Modern systems are complex and perceived user simplicity is a result of
someone else dealing with the complexity beforehand and elsewhere.

73, Nate N0NB

-- 

"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://www.n0nb.us