[Elecraft] S: Re: Elecraft Utilities

[Doug Person]

X86 processors are now being placed on Arduino sized boards.  There are 
also full X86 computers as small as an over sized dongle. The Raspberry 
Pi is a beautiful piece of engineering.  But, it is only a matter of 
time before you can buy an X86 in a similar package running Windows 10.  
Microsoft has already released Windows 10 for Raspberry PI and the Intel 
Edison is just the first shot at bringing X86 down to the Pi level.  
It's probably just a matter of months before you can choose a Pi or an 
Intel equipped X86 equivalent.

That said, jumping on the Pi train might be short-lived trip.  It's 
probably possible to diddle the compiler settings and get the Utilities 
working on Pi.  But, are there really enough interested parties to make 
that worth while?  Hard to say.

Meanwhile, I love my little Pi boxes and continue to be amazed at what 
they are capable of.

Doug -- K0DXV

On 4/9/2016 5:52 AM, Kevin Stover wrote:
> Well....
> Elecraft have decided to do neither for the time being so....
>
> On 4/9/2016 3:20 AM, Andy McMullin wrote:
>> Don,
>>
>> Just to clarify. The Raspberry Pi uses a range of completely standard 
>> Linux operating systems EXCEPT that it does not use the X86 range of 
>> processors. It uses the ARM range instead. It does not need to 
>> “emulate” Linux in all aspects — it IS Linux in all aspects. 
>> Applications that are correctly compiled work just like those for 
>> other Linux systems. For example, the standard FLDIGI source for 
>> Linux just recompiles under Linux on the Raspberry Pi and then works.
>>
>> The designers of the Raspberry Pi are unlikely to rework their 
>> hardware to use a different processor — especially when the ARM one 
>> powers so many smartphones and other modern devices and the X86 one 
>> is hamstrung by needing to retain backwards compatibility with a 
>> design from over 30 years ago.
>>
>> On the other hand, for the Elecraft Utilities to work on the Pi, all 
>> that would be required would be to compile the Linux source BUT for 
>> the ARM processor rather than the X86. Either Elecraft could do it 
>> or, as was suggested, they could release the source and (almost) 
>> anyone could do it.
>>
>> —
>> Regards
>> Andy, G8TQH
>>
>>
>>> On 8 Apr 2016, at 23:32, Don Wilhelm <w3fpr at embarqmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> To ask Elecraft to provide Utilities for any and all small operating 
>>> systems is unreasonable IMHO.  The mainstream OS of Windows, Mac and 
>>> Linux *are* supported, but recently there have been a number of OS 
>>> variants that have appeared on the horizon (and there are likely to 
>>> be more to come) and that includes the Rasberry Pi, and several 
>>> other 'computers' that have recently appeared on the hobbyist market.
>>>
>>> Just because the most recent device can do RS-232 (or USB) 
>>> communications does not mean it should be individually supported by 
>>> hardware manufacturers.  It would be more productive to encourage 
>>> those writing software for those devices to request that they 
>>> emulate Windows, or Mac, or Linux in all aspects so one could use 
>>> the applications written for those mainstream OS versions to run 
>>> without problems on whichever platform those "hobby" devices may be 
>>> using.
>>>
>>> If the Rasberry Pi OS becomes stable over time, and is in use for a 
>>> significant percentage of the Elecraft community, then it may 
>>> eventually be supported on its own,  but for the time being, as I 
>>> understand the Raspberry Pi, its OS is a version of Linux, but not 
>>> everything works like the main Linux platform -- so until you can 
>>> convince the Raspberry Pi developers to create a version of its OS 
>>> that is compatible in all respects to Linux, you will not have 
>>> success.  The market penetration for Raspberry Pi is just not great 
>>> enough at this time for manufacturers to create software that will 
>>> run on it.  Much to the dismay of those who have Raspberry Pi 
>>> running and controlling their ham stations.
>>>
>>> 73,
>>> Don W3FPR
>>
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