20 years ago, even 10 years ago, ham radio software was dominated by Windows applications.
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20 years ago, even 10 years ago, ham radio software was dominated by Windows applications. If you were using Linux (or one of the BSDs), there were certain things you couldn't do. For years, I kept some desktop computers around just for running ham radio software. Pointing this out to other radio amateurs was frustrating because nobody seemed to care. (I assume it was because people took it for granted that ham radio gear would cost a fortune anyway, so why would they even consider free software?)
This changed dramatically when the #RaspberryPi was released in 2012, as it made it possible to run cheap RTL-SDR dongles exclusively on Linux. This trend skyrocketed with the release of FT-8 and the WSJT-X software in 2017. So the shift was marked by the breakthrough of the new digital modes and the arrival of the maker scene.
But as I have since realized, this does not represent a general breakthrough of non-proprietary and open standards. Young hams want me to discuss their projects in Discord channels or with other dubious means of communication, such as Telegram. (Where I would find a wiki or a forum on Lemmi much more obvious.)
Pointing this out to younger radio amateurs is frustrating: because nobody seems to care.
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20 years ago, even 10 years ago, ham radio software was dominated by Windows applications. If you were using Linux (or one of the BSDs), there were certain things you couldn't do. For years, I kept some desktop computers around just for running ham radio software. Pointing this out to other radio amateurs was frustrating because nobody seemed to care. (I assume it was because people took it for granted that ham radio gear would cost a fortune anyway, so why would they even consider free software?)
This changed dramatically when the #RaspberryPi was released in 2012, as it made it possible to run cheap RTL-SDR dongles exclusively on Linux. This trend skyrocketed with the release of FT-8 and the WSJT-X software in 2017. So the shift was marked by the breakthrough of the new digital modes and the arrival of the maker scene.
But as I have since realized, this does not represent a general breakthrough of non-proprietary and open standards. Young hams want me to discuss their projects in Discord channels or with other dubious means of communication, such as Telegram. (Where I would find a wiki or a forum on Lemmi much more obvious.)
Pointing this out to younger radio amateurs is frustrating: because nobody seems to care.
@es0mhi I too have felt the frustration. I think all we can do is keep using FLOSS and insist others do the same.
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@es0mhi I too have felt the frustration. I think all we can do is keep using FLOSS and insist others do the same.
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20 years ago, even 10 years ago, ham radio software was dominated by Windows applications. If you were using Linux (or one of the BSDs), there were certain things you couldn't do. For years, I kept some desktop computers around just for running ham radio software. Pointing this out to other radio amateurs was frustrating because nobody seemed to care. (I assume it was because people took it for granted that ham radio gear would cost a fortune anyway, so why would they even consider free software?)
This changed dramatically when the #RaspberryPi was released in 2012, as it made it possible to run cheap RTL-SDR dongles exclusively on Linux. This trend skyrocketed with the release of FT-8 and the WSJT-X software in 2017. So the shift was marked by the breakthrough of the new digital modes and the arrival of the maker scene.
But as I have since realized, this does not represent a general breakthrough of non-proprietary and open standards. Young hams want me to discuss their projects in Discord channels or with other dubious means of communication, such as Telegram. (Where I would find a wiki or a forum on Lemmi much more obvious.)
Pointing this out to younger radio amateurs is frustrating: because nobody seems to care.
Curiously, I've noticed this amongst my fellow amateur radio enthusiasts locally. The open source ethos and philosophy hasn't seemed to make inroads into my local ham community. And I find this strange because I see total alignment between the amateur radio service and the hacker and open source worlds.
However, there is hope. In my club, there is a growing interest in Linux. I hope to help spread the word about LInux, but the PHILOSOPHY of Linux and the open source movement...
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@es0mhi I too have felt the frustration. I think all we can do is keep using FLOSS and insist others do the same.
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R relay@relay.infosec.exchange shared this topic
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20 years ago, even 10 years ago, ham radio software was dominated by Windows applications. If you were using Linux (or one of the BSDs), there were certain things you couldn't do. For years, I kept some desktop computers around just for running ham radio software. Pointing this out to other radio amateurs was frustrating because nobody seemed to care. (I assume it was because people took it for granted that ham radio gear would cost a fortune anyway, so why would they even consider free software?)
This changed dramatically when the #RaspberryPi was released in 2012, as it made it possible to run cheap RTL-SDR dongles exclusively on Linux. This trend skyrocketed with the release of FT-8 and the WSJT-X software in 2017. So the shift was marked by the breakthrough of the new digital modes and the arrival of the maker scene.
But as I have since realized, this does not represent a general breakthrough of non-proprietary and open standards. Young hams want me to discuss their projects in Discord channels or with other dubious means of communication, such as Telegram. (Where I would find a wiki or a forum on Lemmi much more obvious.)
Pointing this out to younger radio amateurs is frustrating: because nobody seems to care.
@es0mhi I'm not in the HAM scene, but I recognise this mentality from other circles too. It usually comes with highly dismissive attitude towards open source in general, which is often seen as inferior copies of the "proper" products. It's even more absurd when the equipment ages and the proprietary programs just die out or cut support for older hardware. Then we have the old beards running XP machines just to support their otherwise well working equipment.
