[NTLUG:Discuss] Distro Recomendation

[Bryan J. Smith]

Stan Gatchel <sgatchel at psltech.com> wrote:
> SuSE. 'nuff said.

What does the hardware detection of a full "host" OS have the
first thing to do with the needs of an embedded Linux
solution?

Let me step back here a bit ...

If someone would have said they were using Embedded NT, 2000
or XP, then _maybe_ a full Linux distro is a choice for the
target.  So it could be possible the host and target are the
same.

But someone said Windows CE (possibly Pocket PC), which is a
whole different ballgame for the target.  Now you're talking
something like maybe MontaVista Hard Hat Linux, some
uCLinux-centric toolbase or maybe even a non-Linux, GNU
targetted platform like LynxOS, VxWorks, etc...

The target, and the toolset(s) built around that target is
going to define the host OS, or the host development
environment at the very least.  This has _zilch_ to do with
choosing a full up Linux distribution.

So, once again, I will ask ...

What is the target platform?
What is the target application?
What are its limitations?

If you just want to throw a distro at the engineer and say
"here, go figure it out," he's going to say, "that's a great
nice little desktop you gave me, now what do I do with it?"

And if you say, "oh, you use KDevelop" he'll just come back
with "KDevelop doesn't have a target for our platform, so
what do I get now?"

Your host development environment is going to be driven by
what the target is, the toolset build around that target,
possibly run-times, debuggers and other development and
testing capabilities, etc...  It may very well be that the
host development environment can and does run atop of SuSE
Linux.

But the choice of SuSE Linux has _zilch_ to do with what
might be required.  Which is why the answers and discussions
I've seen in this thread has _zilch_ to do with meeting the
needs of the embedded Linux engineer, which is going to
quickly send him into a "stop talking about Linux being cool"
attitude.


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