Michael Coslo wrote: > In finding the cure for Vista, I've installed Ubuntu Linux on my laptop. > It is turning out to be a tremendous OS, and it addresses one of my > major complaints of most flavors of Linux - that being whenever you try > to install a program, it takes you back to 1985 computing. > > Any Linux lovin' hams here that have any advice or suggestions on good > programs, such as logging, propagation or the other apps we like to have? The "Linux Hamradio Applications and Utilities Homepage" at http://radio.linux.org.au/ is probably the most comprehensive directory of Linux ham software. It's actively maintained and contains over 400 different software packages, sorted by categories like "logging", "morse", ... I'm using Linux (and FreeBSD) for all my ham radio needs, which is mainly logging (YFKlog for normal QSOs, YFKtest for contests) and (very rarely) some digital modes (gmfsk, fldigi). For some eyecandy, I am using xplanet to show me a world grayline map on my desktop background, with markers for all DXCCs (colour indicating cfmed/worked/needed). Of course, it's automatically generated by my logging software. Furthermore I have a small script running on my workstation here which automatically check for new mail and send me the subject line and sender in morse code if something arrives. There are very many little neat things you can do in an Linux/Unix environment with a short Perl/Python/Shell script, which is almost impossible under Windows. I started using Linux as my main OS about 4 years ago. Since then, a lot has changed, both with Linux in general as an operating system becoming more and more available for the masses, but also in availability of decent ham radio applications. And I am a little proud that I made my own, small contributions to this. By making my own software available under a free license and by submitting bug reports, patches and suggestions to the numerous authors of excellent Linux ham radio software. 73, -- Fabian Kurz, DJ1YFK * Dresden, Germany * http://fkurz.net/

I'm currently playing with Xlog and Xdx. Xdx is a cluster program which interfaces with Xlog. So far I like both. Stew ke4yh "Michael Coslo" <mjc5@psu.edu> wrote in message news:fgqhm8$153g$1@f04n12.cac.psu.edu... > In finding the cure for Vista, I've installed Ubuntu Linux on my laptop. > It is turning out to be a tremendous OS, and it addresses one of my major > complaints of most flavors of Linux - that being whenever you try to > install a program, it takes you back to 1985 computing. > > Any Linux lovin' hams here that have any advice or suggestions on good > programs, such as logging, propagation or the other apps we like to have? > > > - 73 de Mike N3LI - >

"Michael Coslo" <mjc5@psu.edu> wrote in message news:fgqhm8$153g$1@f04n12.cac.psu.edu... > In finding the cure for Vista, I've installed Ubuntu Linux on my laptop. > It is turning out to be a tremendous OS, and it addresses one of my major > complaints of most flavors of Linux - that being whenever you try to > install a program, it takes you back to 1985 computing. I'm afraid you will find that when you start installng many ham radio apps, you are still back to 1985. One of the reasons I'm kind of a fan of Fedora is that a number of ham related apps are part of the distro, and so install easily like those on Ubuntu. Those apps, tho, aren't your loggers and such, they are more the design apps that I happen to be interested in. It doesn't have Ubuntu's eye candy, though, and unfortunately, Fedora is intended to be the "bleeding edge" distro, so about as soon as you get it installed it goes out of support. On the other hand, after many attempts, they have heavy-duty security that is pretty painless. It took them quite a few releases to get there tho, and the other distros haven't even started down the path yet. ..

"Michael Coslo" <mjc5@psu.edu> wrote in message news:fgqhm8$153g$1@f04n12.cac.psu.edu... > In finding the cure for Vista, I've installed Ubuntu Linux on my laptop. Its about the only current operating system that will work properly on a laptop. Vista requires too much memory to work properly on a laptop. We use Linux on all our business laptops now. I would recommend trying the K desktop (distributed as "Kubuntu") because the K programs can handle DVD's and other things more easily. You can run K and Gnome and switch between them.

"Bill Horne" <telecom-digest@comcastQRM.net> wrote in message news:m6SdnfMdlsDZG6_anZ2dnUVZ_vqpnZ2d@comcast.com... > xpyttl wrote: > I disagree: any Linux distro can be made secure, and just because Redhat > has chosen "secure" defaults in Fedora doesn't mean that other distros > can't be set for security. I think you miss the point. Fedora/Red Hat have chosen to use a new security model called SELinux that is far more secure than the old Linux UID based model, but a LOT harder to make work without really getting in the way. Most of the other distros have this model available, but getting it configured so it isn't a major PITA is a pretty big deal. The system is a lot more granular than the legacy system, which means, among other things, that an attacker gaining root privileges still has very limited access to the system. With the old system, any sort of privilege escalation and its game over. That granularity means that there are a lot more things to twiddle, and a lot of thinking about what gets in the way and what doesn't. Fedora bit the bullet back in FC3 (seems like ages ago), and finally by FC6 it had reached the point where it could be fully turned on and not be constantly getting in the way. The thing about SELinux is that the compromise between useability and effectiveness isn't quite as stark as it is with the old UID system. You can have the system configured to be quite restrictive, and never notice that those restrictions are there. Getting all the policies set that way is no small project, however. Of course you could turn it on with Ubuntu, but you would spend months, if not years, getting it configured so it actually provided protection while not raising it's ugly head every time you tried to do something. Red Hat has spent three or four years sorting out all those settings, and the default settings for Fedora are now pretty good. ..

"Kc4uai" <bob_brock@verizon.net> wrote in message news:cSsZi.2901$CI1.360@trnddc03... > It also has a "run from the CD" mode that's kind of nice. You can run it > without installing anything and see what you think. If you don't like it, > just take the CD out. The Fedora project just announced a "spin" of Fedora called "Fedora Electronic Lab". This is a live CD loaded up with electronics stuff. Fedora includes a set of LiveCD tools to encourage custom spins. So far no ham app spin, tho. The problem with these Live CDs is that you still need to have a bit of Linux savvy if you want to use the Live CD and save some data. It isn't hard, but if you are using the Live CD to try out some Linux distro that can be a pretty big barrier to fully enjoying it. ..