Elecraft

OT: Open Source Code

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Bill Frantz

OT: Open Source Code

I must strongly disagree with Bob. Before I retired, most of my
career was spent writing code. This code became the property of
my employer, and when they went bankrupt, I could not access it,
support it, or use it. I never want to be in that situation again.

I will write open source code, but prefer to write public domain
code. My reward comes when people use my code for their own purposes.

I will also point out that much of the code that supports the
Internet is open source. For example: the Firefox browser, the
clang and gcc compilers, the apache web server, the openssl
encrypted transport layer suite, and the code that does basic
Internet routing. The Linux OS is open source. In amateur radio,
wsjt-x, cocoaModem, and N1MM are open source.

WE all benefit from open source software, and it exhibits the
amateur radio spirt of sharing.

73 Bill AE6JV

On 7/1/19 at 10:33 AM, [hidden email] (Bob McGraw K4TAX) wrote:

>No way would I write any computer code and make it open source.
>Thus I say if you want something different, then learn to write
>code. Oh, it only takes thousands of hours and many years
>experience. And someone wants it for FREE!!!!!!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill Frantz | Can't fix stupid, but duct | Periwinkle
(408)356-8506 | tape can muffle the sound... | 16345
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CA 95032

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Don Wilhelm

Re: OT: Open Source Code

Bill,

That is quite generous of you, and all those who provide public domain code.

Each of those software packages you mention run on a computer, and are a
complete package within itself. That is different than a situation
where firmware and software are tightly integrated.

This being the Elecraft reflector, (and I being a former of the Elecraft
support team) can say that support of the Elecraft gear would be a real
mess if the firmware were made either public domain or open source where
customers could alter the code.
Because the hardware function and firmware function are tightly
integrated, it is difficult to determine whether there is a hardware or
firmware failure.
If the code were to be open source or public domain, the first response
of the support team would have to be "download and install the official
firmware and try again. Support for non-Elecraft written code would be
a very costly venture for Elecraft.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 7/1/2019 5:13 PM, Bill Frantz wrote:

> I must strongly disagree with Bob. Before I retired, most of my career
> was spent writing code. This code became the property of my employer,
> and when they went bankrupt, I could not access it, support it, or use
> it. I never want to be in that situation again.
>
> I will write open source code, but prefer to write public domain code.
> My reward comes when people use my code for their own purposes.
>
> I will also point out that much of the code that supports the Internet
> is open source. For example: the Firefox browser, the clang and gcc
> compilers, the apache web server, the openssl encrypted transport layer
> suite, and the code that does basic Internet routing. The Linux OS is
> open source. In amateur radio, wsjt-x, cocoaModem, and N1MM are open
> source.
>

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Bob McGraw - K4TAX

Re: OT: Open Source Code

EXACTLY!

73

Bob, K4TAX

On 7/1/2019 4:35 PM, Don Wilhelm wrote:

> Bill,
>
> That is quite generous of you, and all those who provide public domain
> code.
>
> Each of those software packages you mention run on a computer, and are
> a complete package within itself. That is different than a situation
> where firmware and software are tightly integrated.
>
> This being the Elecraft reflector, (and I being a former of the
> Elecraft support team) can say that support of the Elecraft gear would
> be a real mess if the firmware were made either public domain or open
> source where customers could alter the code.
> Because the hardware function and firmware function are tightly
> integrated, it is difficult to determine whether there is a hardware
> or firmware failure.
> If the code were to be open source or public domain, the first
> response of the support team would have to be "download and install
> the official firmware and try again. Support for non-Elecraft written
> code would be a very costly venture for Elecraft.
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
>
> On 7/1/2019 5:13 PM, Bill Frantz wrote:
>> I must strongly disagree with Bob. Before I retired, most of my
>> career was spent writing code. This code became the property of my
>> employer, and when they went bankrupt, I could not access it, support
>> it, or use it. I never want to be in that situation again.
>>
>> I will write open source code, but prefer to write public domain
>> code. My reward comes when people use my code for their own purposes.
>>
>> I will also point out that much of the code that supports the
>> Internet is open source. For example: the Firefox browser, the clang
>> and gcc compilers, the apache web server, the openssl encrypted
>> transport layer suite, and the code that does basic Internet routing.
>> The Linux OS is open source. In amateur radio, wsjt-x, cocoaModem,
>> and N1MM are open source.
>>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> Message delivered to [hidden email]

Lyle Johnson

Re: OT: Open Source Code

In reply to this post by Don Wilhelm

FWIW the DSP source code for the KDSP2 was and has always has been open
source. Until the Elecraft web site update in the last several months,
and while the KDSP2 was an active product at Elecraft, the code was on
the website for free download. I recall perhaps four inquiries about it
over the 14 or so years it was posted, and most of those were in the
first two years. I somehow managed to keep up with all those inquiries...

The code is backed up on the web at several locations, you can easily
find with a duckduckgo search.

73,

Lyle KK7P

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Don Wilhelm

Re: OT: Open Source Code

Lyle,

Does that include the KDSP2 Firmware IC code? Or is it only the code in
your DSP-x module?

73,
Don W3FPR

On 7/1/2019 7:21 PM, Lyle Johnson wrote:

> FWIW the DSP source code for the KDSP2 was and has always has been open
> source. Until the Elecraft web site update in the last several months,
> and while the KDSP2 was an active product at Elecraft, the code was on
> the website for free download. I recall perhaps four inquiries about it
> over the 14 or so years it was posted, and most of those were in the
> first two years. I somehow managed to keep up with all those inquiries...
>
> The code is backed up on the web at several locations, you can easily
> find with a duckduckgo search.
>

Lyle Johnson

Re: OT: Open Source Code

DSP code only. The code in the AVR was not opened.

73,

Lyle KK7P

On 7/1/19 6:29 PM, Don Wilhelm wrote:

> Lyle,
>
> Does that include the KDSP2 Firmware IC code? Or is it only the code
> in your DSP-x module?
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
>
> On 7/1/2019 7:21 PM, Lyle Johnson wrote:
>> FWIW the DSP source code for the KDSP2 was and has always has been
>> open source. Until the Elecraft web site update in the last several
>> months, and while the KDSP2 was an active product at Elecraft, the
>> code was on the website for free download. I recall perhaps four
>> inquiries about it over the 14 or so years it was posted, and most of
>> those were in the first two years. I somehow managed to keep up with
>> all those inquiries...
>>
>> The code is backed up on the web at several locations, you can easily
>> find with a duckduckgo search.
>>

Nate Bargmann

Re: OT: Open Source Code

In reply to this post by Don Wilhelm

* On 2019 01 Jul 16:37 -0500, Don Wilhelm wrote:
> Bill,
>
> That is quite generous of you, and all those who provide public domain code.

Don, just a point of clarification. The titles that Bill mentioned are
not public domain but are released under copyleft licenses. An
explanation is too lengthy for this list. Suffice it to say, public
domain is not used by the Open Source community.

73, Nate, N0NB

--

"The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all
possible worlds. The pessimist fears this is true."

Web: https://www.n0nb.us GPG key: D55A8819 GitHub: N0NB
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