[aprssig] Xastir install issues

[Curt, WE7U]

On Tue, 29 Nov 2005, Bill Diaz wrote:

> Horror stories abound concerning the time spent trying unsuccessfully trying
> to get CygWin and XAstir installed.  The typical solution offered by the
> Xastir promoters is to subscribe to the XAstir mailing list.

Just curious, where do you go for OpenTracker questions, Tinytrak
questions, UI-View questions?  Perhaps the SIG appropriate to the
piece of hardware or software?


> Give me an exectuable that will
> install Cygwin, and an executable, ready to run version of XAstir and I will
> install it immediately.  To my knowledge this is simply not possible today.

Then your knowledge needs a bit of updating.  There are two versions
that I know of that can install onto Windows directly from CD.  One
of those can be done via network install as well.  There are other
versions, thinking of Herb's Hamshack CD here, that can bring up a
Linux/Xastir setup in memory from a CD, not touching your hard drive
at all.  It's a good way to try things out.

See http://www.xastir.org, then click on the binary downloads link.

The rest of the posting wasn't much worth responding to:  It's
heading towards OS-wars, and there's no reason to bring that into
the SIG now, is there?

Xastir runs on more operating systems than any other APRS app (with
the possible exception of Java-based apps).  Something wrong with
that?  Perhaps you feel that you have a right to complain about APRS
apps that you pay for, but in Xastir's case, you didn't.  Nobody
did.  It's free!  The developers can do what they want with it, so
can the users (within the license terms).  All of the source code is
there, and always will be.  As "The Bill" would say, a proper exit
strategy.  You know it's not going to disappear on you.

If you have complaints about the Xastir install on Windows, I'll say
the same thing I always do:  Take it to the Xastir mailing list.
That's where you can do some good and improve the install for the
next guy.  This sig is the wrong place to bring it up.  Most people
here don't run it.  Many of the Xastir developers probably don't
read this sig.  You're filling up the inboxes of people who don't
care about it.

--
Curt, WE7U.   APRS Client Comparisons: http://www.eskimo.com/~archer
"Lotto:    A tax on people who are bad at math." -- unknown
"Windows:  Microsoft's tax on computer illiterates." -- WE7U
"The world DOES revolve around me:  I picked the coordinate system!"