[Ham-Linux] Free software (was png/gif stuff)

[Bryan Fields]

On Saturday 18 January 2003 10:58, Jim Smith wrote:
> On Sat, 18 Jan 2003 09:26:13 -0600
>
> Bryan Fields <kb9mci@qsl.net> wrote:
> > Now if hams could only have open standerds.
>
> Concerning what?  Ham radio in general, software used to control radios
> or something bigger?

The various VOIP interlink formats.  You have IRLP, Echolink, radiolink, and 
WIRES.  There are no open standerds, plus as it stands now IRLP is not free 
software.  IRLP looks like it's the best one, but since it is not free how 
can we be sure it's secure?  

Look even in this months qst, there is a 6 page article on development in VB.  
VB is not free, the VB libs are not free, and it is inherently buggery 
software.  Portability of code is not possible with VB.  

The arrl should not be encouraging the development of non-free software.  
Doing so leads to dead code, and shoddy software.  Most ham software is 
written by one or two people, if they loose intrest, die, or decide to take 
the project in a new direction, you can be left with software that has no 
chance of ever being improved or supported.  Look at all the hams that still 
use a dos box because they need to run software from 1990.  This does not 
happen with free software.

Our club had a repeater controller made by PCRC at one time.  It was a full 
length card that ran in a 386. It was new in 1992.  We noticed some bugs in 
the software, which they fixed properly at first.  they stopped supporting 
and relicing new code in 1998.  This caused may probems for us as their code 
just went nuts some times. The audio processing was done by a sound blaster 
card, and it would not work with any other type of sound card.  It has become 
allmost imposable to find sound blaster cards now, rendering this controller 
useless.  If this was free software, it could have been maintained even after 
they went out of business.

This is why we need free and open technology in the ham market.

73's
-- 
Bryan Fields, KB9MCI
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