[aprssig] Before You Install Windows 10 (Or even if you don't want to) Read This

[KF4LVZ]

On 2015-09-17 06:17, Paul Bramscher via aprssig wrote:
> Thanks for the head's up, I found that hidden Win 10 folder (4+ GB) on
> my Win 7 system also.  I didn't ask to download that.
> 
> Some recent updates (affecting Win 7, 8, ?) ruined compatibility for
> CD-based games that my son plays, SimCity 4 among them.  One day it just
> stopped working.  Under Win 7, I've turned off automatic updates and
> uninstalled at least one of them.  In addition to the
> privacy/security/adware issues, I wonder how hospitals, the military or
> other critical infrastructure could adopt an operating system that might
> spontaneously make some application non-functional or stealth download
> large amounts of data.

Large entities use onsite testing of updates prior to deployment.
Windows enterprise versions can be configured to acquire updates from a
locally operated internal server rather than Microsoft directly.  The IT
department can then test a new update on a test system and, if nothing
fails, put the update on their internal server to push to the production
systems.  If an update causes problems, they can hold it back until the
issue is fixed from either end (Microsoft or the third-party program).

> 
> But I do Linux professionally, and have been reducing the number of
> Windows-based programs I rely on for many years.
> 
> I wish APRSIS can be ported to Java or somesuch.  Probably we should
> take stock of legacy Windows ham radio software that remain popular by
> active hams today, and build some sort of chart of functionality.  Find
> out where the overlaps are, and what new platform-independent or Linux
> based projects might come out of that.


Try Xastir, it will compile on most platforms (including Windows if you
use Cygwin).


> I'm also hoping that Kenwood starts to release memory management,
> firmware upgrade, and control software in OS-agnostic binaries.

Memory management is a documented protocol and is a basic protocol.  If
you can talk to a serial port then you can manage the memory in the
radio.  You could write a program in the language of your choice to do this.

Control is similar with a documented protocol for nearly every function.
 Again, fairly easy to write up an interface in the language of your choice.

The firmware upgrade is a bit harder since that isn't fully documented.
 You'd have to find out what the trigger sequence is to start the radio
listening for the data and then know how the data is sent from the
firmware file to the radio (blocks, checksums, etc.)