Products > Test Equipment
Open source lxi-tools v2.0 released
electrodacus:
--- Quote from: lundmar on March 15, 2022, 08:02:00 pm ---There is an experimental flatpak here https://github.com/lxi-tools/lxi-tools.flatpak but you will have to build and maintain it yourself because I have decided not to maintain a flatpak because flatpak is only designed for distributing single binary GUI applications and not command line tools, meaning I can't distribute lxi-tools fully featured via flatpak. Also, distributing stuff via flatpak is very slow because it has to go through reviews etc.
This is in contrast to snap which supports distributing multiple binaries of any type and it allows software maintainers to literally distribute new releases within seconds. Also, having made both a flatpak and a snap for lxi-tools, I find that snap is technically much better designed and easier to use than flatpak.
Sure, Canonical made some unfortunate political decisions regarding back end store support but I think those will be sorted out in the future if they want snap to become a success. Personally I'm more focused on the technical side of things and I find snap the best technical choice.
--- End quote ---
I understand your point. I'm just a particular case with particular preferences not even sure why I made the initial comment.
I looked a bit more in to the new to me standards and there is not much of a difference between flatpak and snap. Maybe Appimage was more like what I guessed flatpak is but not the case and even Appimage is not what I will have liked. I will have liked just a zip file that is decompressed and contained all dependencies and the executable file sort of like Blender was distributed last time I checked.
The problem with the current state of GNU/Linux is that if you want to use your computer for productivity like I do and have multiple software that took time to install and configure and then you need some time later another software that requires a newer version of some library updating that library my break one or more of your older software. I have no idea what the solution to this is but I will take more time to study this next year when I will likely upgrade the computer that should also last 10 years as this last computer I have based on i7-3370 and I'm not willing to install an OS more than 2x over that period so once every 5 years. As far as I see there is absolutely no innovation in either software of hardware to worth upgrading more often.
nctnico:
--- Quote from: electrodacus on March 15, 2022, 08:43:47 pm ---The problem with the current state of GNU/Linux is that if you want to use your computer for productivity like I do and have multiple software that took time to install and configure and then you need some time later another software that requires a newer version of some library updating that library my break one or more of your older software. I have no idea what the solution to this is but I will take more time to study
--- End quote ---
The solution is quite simple: include all libraries (from libc and onwards) & other binaries your software needs to run. That is how professional software makers distribute their software as well. That way there is very little chance that the software doesn't work due to a system library missing or being the wrong version. There is no other way around it but hard drive space is cheap anyway.
electrodacus:
--- Quote from: nctnico on March 15, 2022, 10:32:44 pm ---The solution is quite simple: include all libraries (from libc and onwards) & other binaries your software needs to run. That is how professional software makers distribute their software as well. That way there is very little chance that the software doesn't work due to a system library missing or being the wrong version. There is no other way around it but hard drive space is cheap anyway.
--- End quote ---
That is how I will prefer to do things. While it works it not an elegant solution due to the size of each application.
On the other hand I see super simple basic software or even drivers that for no reason is a half gigabyte download (that is the case for this basic spectrum analyzer).
I mostly do embedded software and from this perspective things are much simpler just a .bin file containing all that is needed. As for the source code that is distributed with all needed libraries as there also things change and not only that but become incompatible.
lundmar:
--- Quote from: electrodacus on March 15, 2022, 08:43:47 pm ---The problem with the current state of GNU/Linux is that if you want to use your computer for productivity like I do and have multiple software that took time to install and configure and then you need some time later another software that requires a newer version of some library updating that library my break one or more of your older software. I have no idea what the solution to this is but I will take more time to study this next year when I will likely upgrade the computer that should also last 10 years as this last computer I have based on i7-3370 and I'm not willing to install an OS more than 2x over that period so once every 5 years. As far as I see there is absolutely no innovation in either software of hardware to worth upgrading more often.
--- End quote ---
Do what I do. Always keep your work station up to date with latest version of your preferred Linux distribution to benefit from latest features and security updates(!). I develop embedded micro-controller firmware and complete embedded Linux stacks for various clients and when I need something to be available for many years I simply setup my work space (toolchain, tools, source repos, etc.) in separate VMs so I can always spin them up if I need to go back and make updates. This way I can make sure that my development environments for various clients are always preserved while enjoying a fully up to date Linux work station.
To me it is absolutely inconceivable to run a 5 or 10 year old Linux system as my daily driver work station. We have very different views of what warrants an upgrade. I would argue that security and bug fix updates alone justify keeping everything up to date but more importantly there are sooooooo many components of the Linux ecosystem that are constantly evolving making your Linux experience so much better. I mean, it's 2022 and this is the time for running technologies like Gnome/Wayland, the new pipewire audio framework, systemd, vulkan, and the other zillion application/library updates etc. If you stick with an old Linux distribution you are asking for trouble and get a lesser Linux experience and you are in essence opting out of using a lot of new software. To me, that is a terrible strategy.
electrodacus:
--- Quote from: lundmar on March 16, 2022, 03:09:46 pm ---
Do what I do. Always keep your work station up to date with latest version of your preferred Linux distribution to benefit from latest features and security updates(!). I develop embedded micro-controller firmware and complete embedded Linux stacks for various clients and when I need something to be available for many years I simply setup my work space (toolchain, tools, source repos, etc.) in separate VMs so I can always spin them up if I need to go back and make updates. This way I can make sure that my development environments for various clients are always preserved while enjoying a fully up to date Linux work station.
To me it is absolutely inconceivable to run a 5 or 10 year old Linux system as my daily driver work station. We have very different views of what warrants an upgrade. I would argue that security and bug fix updates alone justify keeping everything up to date but more importantly there are sooooooo many components of the Linux ecosystem that are constantly evolving making your Linux experience so much better. I mean, it's 2022 and this is the time for running technologies like Gnome/Wayland, the new pipewire audio framework, systemd, vulkan, and the other zillion application/library updates etc. If you stick with an old Linux distribution you are asking for trouble and get a lesser Linux experience and you are in essence opting out of using a lot of new software. To me, that is a terrible strategy.
--- End quote ---
The equivalent of your separate VM for long therm projects is my computer as I'm my own client and I only have one long therm project (multiple devices but in the same series).
Access to different computer hardware is more difficult or in some cases impossible from a VM.
I'm off grid in the middle of nowhere with a fairly low speed internet connection 2Mbps both up and down so always updating the OS is not a great option plus I consider security to be higher with the auto updates disabled.
There are no bugs in anything that I use (there may be but not affecting me). I see nothing that can make my experience better with newer software.
I do get your perspective as that is how I will work 10 to 20 years ago (always having the latest Linux distribution and testing multiple new distribution each year and also change the hardware fairly frequent).
Even my phone is on Android 4.4 and now on third battery (replaceable battery model) and have no intention to replace it unless it fails (recently I got another similar model with replaceable battery and Android 9 in case this one fails as it is my main and only internet connection).
Phone is used as a phone and access point only thus newer version will have no advantages as I do not need any other futures.
My wife has a newer Chromebook tablet with support until 2028 and the inability to control when update happens or if you even want to do that seems to me a much higher security risk (you have no control over your own device is like you do not even own it).
And software will do nothing to protect you if hardware is compromised as it is the case with all recent x86 and most ARM. Maybe my next computer will be an IBM Power 10 based assuming I can find something next year.
A good recent example in therms of security is the Airthings Wave that I purchased about a year ago and now it is a paper weight.
It measures radon gas, CO2, temperature, humidity, pressure.
In order to use it it requires you to register the device first update the firmware and then you can connect trough the app over bluetooth.
The app requires GPS to be enabled so exact location is known and it will upload data to cloud. I was going to immediately send it back but I noticed that I can use it on that (backup phone I have if I turn OFF WiFi so any outside connection). It worked I think for about 6 months this way and then it stopped allowing me access to device and required a internet connection in order to continue to have access.
There is no way to clear the internal logged data (logged in the device not just the phone) and so as soon as I will connect this to internet it will make an update and upload all logged data to Airthings cloud. Since I'm not willing to share the data I can no longer use the device at all.
Even selling to someone else is not an option as the device was already registered that includes my details and exact GPS location and so if someone else will register (assuming it is even allowed) the 6 months of logged data will still be in the cloud.
You may think that is not an issue to share this data but I obviously disagree. Just the CO2 levels alone can reveal a huge amount about the way you live so how long you are at home how many people in the home when you are opening the windows, when you sleep (just to name a few) and in combination with all other sensors it can provide an almost unrestricted access to your life.
Sorry for the super long rambling. I was triggered by the "security updates"
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