[Linux-ham] Calling for Introductions

[Norman Young]

OK, I'll have a go at this as well.  

I am Norman Young, KA4PUV.  I have been licensed since 1980, and am currently an extra class.  I live in Franklin County, NC, about 25 miles east of Raleigh.  My "day job" is general counsel to the Wildlife Resources Commission.  As for hamming, I am active in my local club, the Triange East Amateur Radio Association, and am one of the two VE Team liaisons.  My radio interests range from ragchew to QRP to emergency activities, and I also like to play with PSK, mostly on 20.

I signed up for this group a few years back when I becam interested in exploring Linux.  My first foray into linus was the Knoppix CD, but I wanted to get Linux on a dedicated machine just to learn how it works.  I ordered a set of Debian Woody CDs and put them on a Pentium 133 machine with a 2 gig HD.  I finally got it to work, even though the machine lacked sufficient memory, speed or drive capacity to really run well.  However, my biggest frustration in installing was that every time I tried to install, if I did not get something right, I had to start over from the beginning.  I assumed that there had to be a better way, but trying to figure it out was something altogether different. 

I am very comfortable with DOS and I found that much of the terminal based Linux was very similar to DOS.  I had little trouble with the commands.  What I did find annoying was the need to try to tweak settings in several different locations to accomodate a new program.  I guess I am spoiled with Windows installer.  : )   Also, after a few weeks, I stopped the project, mainly because I could not get my modem configured to go online.  My bottom line is that once you get a desktop configured and learn how to work with Debian packages, Linux has a lot to offer, but since I couldn't get online on that machine, I gave it up.

Lately, I have become interested in putting Linux on a flash drive, and I have also been interested in trying it using a virtual machine.  I have also seen something called "CoLinux" (http://www.colinux.org/) that looks interesting as well, although it looks as if it still has some bugs to be worked out with XP.  After my Debian experience, I am not ready to try to set up a true dual boot system, but I don't like the temporary nature of Linux on a live CD, so this looks good.

I say all of that just to say that I'd like to hear more about the experiences of other hams have had in setting up a Linux machine.  I can't imagine that I am the only one who is not a Linux expert out here, and I'd like to see how others have fared,  what they use, and how it works for them. 
.  
One other thing from the soapbox.  As far as I am concerned, one of the best things to come out of theLinux movement is the great open source software that has been ported to Windows, such as Celestia, OpenOffice.org, Firefox, and Stellarium.  I understand there is now a group working on an Open Sorce Windows-compatible OS as well.  This, IMO, is the spirit of Linux for the rest of us.  

73,
Norman

> Date: Fri, 19 May 2006 14:02:49 -0400
> From: "Tanner Lovelace" <kb4tye at arrl.net>
> Subject: [Linux-ham] Calling for Introductions
> To: "Amateur Radio meets Linux" <linux-ham at trilug.org>
> Message-ID:
> 	<b1415490605191102n66a77230gc867cb79fce70852 at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
> 
> Greetings,
> 
> A few years ago, when Kevin, N8VNR asked me to setup
> a mailing list for him for ham radio and TriLUG, I decided
> to call it "linux-ham at trilug.org" in the hopes of perhaps
> attracting a larger audience.  Well, from a few recent posts
> I see that it has and we have over 50 people on the list now,
> including at least one subscriber from New Zealand!,
> So, I'd like to call for introductions.  Please tell us who you
> are, where you're from, what license you hold, why you
> subscribed, what you'd like to see from the list, and at least
> one other random thing about you.  I'll go first.
> 
> Hi, my name is Tanner Lovelace.  I'm from Durham, NC
> in the United States (where trilug is based).  I hold a
> US Amateur Extra class license.  I've been licensed
> for over 20 years now.  I subscribed to the list to have
> a place to talk about ham radio stuff with my linux
> friends.  I'd love to see this list talk more about
> modern ham radio topics like Software Defined Radio (SDR),
> Voice over IP (VoIP), and other interesting stuff,
> all working with Linux, of course.  And, finally, as
> my random fact, I'll mention that I (and my wife, KI4BZG, too)
> am very interested in weather.  My wife and I both
> volunteer with our local Skywarn weather spotters
> and spent time doing volunteer radio communication
> after Hurricane Isabel hit North Carolina a few years ago.
> 
> Ok, so how about you? :-)
> 
> Cheers,
> Tanner Lovelace


Wrong is wrong even if everybody is doing it, and right is right even if nobody is doing it. - Augustine