[NTLUG:Discuss] Re: Distro Recomendation -- your target and its support defines your host platform

[Bryan J. Smith]

Johnny Cybermyth <djcybermyth at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> I've been able to convince the lead engineer at my company
> to evaluate embedded Linux over windows CE for memory
> management reasons.  He has heard good things about Linux,
> but has never used it.

It's more than just memory management.  GNU targetted
platforms now _dominate_ mission critical applications.  They
have ever since NASA made its $400M toy car rover over a red
desert.  ;->

WinCE/PocketPC is a horrificly poor example of virtually no
real-time, no stabiliy, no sustainability.  It is basically
for interactive systems where the consumer believes it needs
the Windows branding, and the device will sell to such.

> Today he comes in asking for my recommendation for a
distro.

A distro for what?

The "host" development platform?
The "target" development platform?
Possibly a "run-time" development platform (in the absence of
or augmentation/partner/debugger with/to the target
platform)?

Are the host and target the same platforms?
Or are they different?

> He was also asking about the presence of a compiler with
> a visual program builder.  I told him I'd give him some
> distros to play with on Monday, but I'd like some
> suggestions from you guys.

The question surrounds ... what he is targetting?
And for what end-device application?
What is the end device, what does it do, what is needed?

That is your main constraint.
Everything is built from that.

> I immediately thought a KDE-based distro with KDevelop
> would be the best candidate, so SUSE is what I'm leaning
> toward now.  I'm a GNOME user myself, but it seems that
> there are more "polished" apps available for KDE than
> there are for GNOME.  Anyone agree or disagree?

What is the target platform?  If the provider of that target
platform recommends a specific development environment and
does not support KDevelop, then I'd say distro selection
matters little.  What matters is what that development
environment is supported on.

Sure, you can throw a lot of freedom software at him.  And
he's quickly going to get lost and say "I just want the
solution I use to target X platform to do Y."  If you can
tell me what the target platform is, what it does, etc..., I
can give you 2,000x a better answer.

Distro selection is the least thing on my mind as an embedded
engineer.

> Chris also mentioned that SUSE had great hardware detection
> which I would place as a high priority given that this is
> an evaluation run. 

An evaluation of what?
The hardware detection of the "host" platform?
What does that have to do with the "target" platform?

> Bad experiences and perceptions weigh the same as facts
> under these circumstances.

Can't help you much without knowing the first thing about
your "embedded application."  It's worse than saying
"Personal Computer."  ;->



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