[aprssig] Latest Xastir Release: 1.4.0, 09/16/2004

[nc8q]

Sorry for top posting, but this is a general comment.
I very much wish that software developers and maintainers
would place a link to 'minimum system requirements' along
with all the other links on the main web page.  It is so 
frustrating to find interesting software, download it,
configure it, find missing package errors, get them,
re-configure,..., then find out that it requires some
hardware greater than what one has.

 So, I'm off to find the requirements of 'xastir'.

After downloading xastir-1.4.0, reading the README,
then reading the INSTALL, I find that 'xastir' requires
(1)Motif or OpenMotif or Lesstiff.
On my system, I found two files; 
/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/config/Motif.tmpl
/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/config/Motif.rules
does this indicate that my system complies with (1) above?
(2) 'xastir' also requires 'pthreads'
"#locate pthreads" returns nothing.
Google/linux doesn't seem to return anything informative about
'pthreads' and my distribution, Slackware (v9.1).

I do seem to have the 'msgfmt' and 'xgettext' requirements
mentioned in 'INSTALL'.

Are there other requirements mentioned elsewhere in the
documentation (or unmentioned) ?

Is there a 'xastir-newbie' or 'xastir-install' mail list?

So, I've not yet made it through the software requirements.
I fear that the hardware requirements will be equally evasive,
covert, and obtuse.
Any hints or tips are welcome.

Regards, Chuck
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Curt Mills" <archer at eskimo.com>
To: <aprsnews at lists.tapr.org>; <aprssig at lists.tapr.org>
Sent: Thursday, September 16, 2004 11:45 PM
Subject: [aprssig] Latest Xastir Release: 1.4.0, 09/16/2004

> 
> Latest stable release happened today.  Download it at:
> 
>     http://www.xastir.org
> 
> Runs on Windows/FreeBSD/MacOSX/Solaris/Linux.  Did I forget any?

Yes, what hardware...minimum|recommended: 
CPU, RAM, HD space, video|monitor resolution...
libraries, Xwindow version, KDE, Gnome, icebox, fvwm, twm...
kernel 2.x.x, glibc2, ...
 
> Supports 124 map formats plus weather stations, GPS'es, TNC's, and
> internet connections.
> 
> Can be used as moving-map program in your car including street
> address lookups and ham callsign lookups.  This version also
> supports keeping track of other Garmin RINO users if you hook up a
> RINO to Xastir in order to feed you the data.
> 
> As always, zero charge.  Comes with full source code.
> 
> -- 
> Curt, WE7U. archer at eskimo dot com