[Xastir] aprs data in a database

[jdw at eng.uah.edu]

Jeff Barlow said:
> I don't get this. If those things will run Linux and X (which is
> my understanding), why would it matter what GUI toolkit you run
> on top? What am I missing, here?

I may be about to take this discussion in a quasi-religious direction. (:

Maybe they don't _want_ to dump all their current applications and run
linux, but would like to run xastir?

The point is not to _exclude_ people who won't (or can't) run linux, the
point is that the tools in use are available freely, and free usually
means unix.

There are some shortcomings to X11 (I understand a Unix great said
"sometimes you can fill a vacuum and it still sucks" in reference to X -
was it Ritchie?).  If the project is looking at migrating to a different
set of tools, and one option is a GUI toolkit that allows easy use on not
only our "native" unix but on lesser platforms as well, wouldn't that be a
good thing?

I certainly would like to see an easy to install Windows xastir. For one
thing it would make our balloon chases easier.  Most of these people will
use APRS exactly once. We  can't justify completely reinstalling their
laptop to use a linux app one time.  If we get really good software like
xastir so that it's easy for computer illiterates to put on their windoze
box, that will help not only win new hams and APRS users, but give
existing users a much better alternative to UI-View.

The only bad thing about moving away from X is losing the ability to fire
up a remote client.

-Jason
kg4wsv