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

Sat, 18 Jan 2003 21:43:46 -0500

Missed the reflector....opps
----- Original Message -----
From: "Lawrence Dobranski" <[email protected]>
To: "Bryan Fields" <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, January 18, 2003 5:33 PM
Subject: Re: [Ham-Linux] Free software (was png/gif stuff)


> Check out the article I wrote for QEX back in January/February 1999 on
> Amateur Radio Application Programming Interfaces.
> Unfortunately work and personal issues took me away from the project.
>
> A bit of the web site still exists at
http://www.qsl.net/va3lgd/hamapi1.htm
>
> Lawrence
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Bryan Fields" <[email protected]>
> To: "Jim Smith" <[email protected]>
> Cc: <[email protected]>
> Sent: Saturday, January 18, 2003 3:22 PM
> Subject: [Ham-Linux] Free software (was png/gif stuff)
>
>
> > On Saturday 18 January 2003 10:58, Jim Smith wrote:
> > > On Sat, 18 Jan 2003 09:26:13 -0600
> > >
> > > Bryan Fields <[email protected]> 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
> > ____________________
> >   1:46pm  up 3 days, 10:17,  1 user,  load average: 0.30, 0.15, 0.10
> >
> > All generalizations are false, including this one.
> > -- Mark Twain
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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>