I would also love to see TR ported to Linux. There are, however, some
issues that make it really hard.
1) Linux (like WinNT and Win2000) is a multi-tasking OS. DOS is a
real-time OS. When TR runs on DOS, it has total control over the hardware.
Were it to be a Linux program, it wouldn't - it would access the hardware
through the kernel's virtual devices and would get only those CPU cycles
that the kernel allows it to have. This could be disasterous for CW
operation.
2) I understand that portions of the TR code that deal directly with the
hardware are highly-optimized Intel x86 assembly code. There is an x86
assembler for Linux (parts of the kernel are written in assembly) but it's
not clear how portable it would be in the multi-tasking environment.
3) The rest of TR is written in Pascal. There is a Pascal compiler for
Linux, but I have no idea how well supported it might be, as Linux itself,
and almost every Linux application, is written in C.
4) TR is a big program. Porting anything that big would be a lot of
work.
Having said that, a port to Linux might be easier than a port to Windows,
which would be a much bigger change.
Looking at the really long-term future of the application, it's unlikely
that DOS will cease working as an OS on x86 hardware in the next ten or twenty
years. My biggest concern would be that hardware might change (i.e. USB
completely replacing traditional serial ports and never becoming supported by
DOS.)
On Fri, Jun 30, 2000 at 08:42:06AM -0600, Doc Evans N7DR wrote:
>
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
>
> On 30 Jun 00, at 6:35, n3gmw@aol.com wrote:
>
> >
> > Please add my vote to those wanting a version in Linux. I've been wanting
> > to convert to Linux but haven't because I'm not sure if I can stand to
> > lose some of my favorite programs. TRLog being one of them. Also be nice
> > if it supports USB (universal serial bus not upper side band) ;-)
> >
>
> A couple of off-the-top-of-my-head comments about this, and they're
> probably worth what you're paying for them:
>
> 1. I believe that TR is written in a sort of objectised Pascal, so porting
> it to something like Linux would be a major pain.
>
> 2. USB support in the Linux kernel is pretty poor. (One is tempted to say
> non-existent.)
>
> 3. I've been deeply disappointed by Linux. No matter what the hype says, I
> have found it to be not at all ready for prime time. The kernel itself is
> great, but to try to change anything is to ask for trouble, and most of the
> applications are a long way behind their Windows counterparts. Sad but
> true, at least from the vantage of this ex-UNIX sysadmin. (A typical
> example, although it has nothing to do with TR but just happens to be fresh
> on my mind: I spent more than an hour yesterday trying to figure out how to
> enter a single accented character into KLyX.)
>
> 4. I'd _much_ rather that Mr. Tree spend his time improving TR than porting
> it. Perhaps if people are sufficiently desperate for a port, Tree could
> come to some sort of arrangement with a third party to do the port for him,
> but that (of course) is entirely up to him.
>
> Doc N7DR
>
>
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
> Version: PGP 6.0.2 -- QDPGP 2.60
> Comment: Key obtainable from servers: ID 0x6184B81D
>
> iQCVAwUBOVyxvf2CFbFhhLgdAQEl2gP/WYhMX8f6Pru5rT2+ZEwRqiYRs+kFgziv
> zu/Jqrbre4tAUsAwU0j9LSP0MGM70u1xxKbHwb4Cn78mSipTMF3Fx2MB0JYTL14n
> 5pvu6o4F2mFCnEW5tAwJ/BR+Pv4Ir0JWnTAwWP9v7MkA1ccg2thH4zQtVuav07J5
> EcAEStFa0fk=
> =DsZ5
> -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------
> D.R. Evans N7DR / G4AMJ N7DR@arrl.net
>
> "Palindor" has been republished:
> http://www.sff.net/people/N7DR/drevans.htp
> ----------------------------------------------------------
>
> --
> FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/FAQ/trlog
> Submissions: trlog@contesting.com
> Administrative requests: trlog-REQUEST@contesting.com
> Problems: owner-trlog@contesting.com
> Feature Wishlist: http://web.jzap.com/n6tr/trwish.html
>
--
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kenneth E. Harker "Vox Clamantis in Deserto" kharker@cs.utexas.edu
University of Texas at Austin Amateur Radio Callsign: WM5R
Department of the Computer Sciences President, UT Amateur Radio Club
Taylor Hall TAY 2.124 Maintainer of Linux on Laptops
Austin, TX 78712-1188 USA http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/kharker/
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/FAQ/trlog
Submissions: trlog@contesting.com
Administrative requests: trlog-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems: owner-trlog@contesting.com
Feature Wishlist: http://web.jzap.com/n6tr/trwish.html
|