[chirp_users] Help needed, can't write to Yaesu FT-60

[chirp.cordless at xoxy.net]

> I don't see a big learning curve for Linux....


This response will turn into the followup I mentioned.

I've been hacking C on unix for a living since 1983. BSD, System V,
and Solaris. Starting with a VT100 and csh on a VAX. I still use vi, out of
preference, for small memo files. And older OSes longer than that.
I retired from Sun Microsystems in 2006.

I'm very comfortable on the command line - one of the reasons I have
a Mac. I'm not much on real sysadmin or network stuff, but I can follow
instructions, and have a pretty good idea what they're doing.

And I've even created a canned live-CD and booted into linux on my Mac,
for an unrelated issue where the vendor couldn't (yet) get something
working under OSX.

The learning curve is with creating a USB or SD-Card live image.
Google around, it seems that this is very hard to do on a Mac,
a lot of people asking how, nobody providing a clear recipe.
I get the feeling it's possible, but I don't see a clear path to get it done.
Yes, there's a dd command.  But it seems tough to convince the Mac
EFI that the USB volume is bootable, although a CD or DVD is straightforward.

Since your instructions required installing other software (drivers and Chirp)
besides the stock linux iso, how exactly do I do that when booted on a
read-only filesystem? Particularly the drivers; I could *run* chirp from a mounted
USB stick after downloading. I could figure out how to add stuff to a boot image
and repackage an iso - like I said, learning curve. Or sort out the bootable
USB stick problem. Maybe I'm missing something there, but I still see a
lot of trial and error in front of me.

And I'll repeat this from my earlier mail: for what?
Suppose I can get it working under linux. Then what?
My preference is to program my FT60 within OS X. If buying a different cable is
the best way to get there, why spend my time sorting out these live CD issues?
If that were impossible, and my alternatives were linux or Windows, or debug why
the Prolific cables don't work in the hopes of being able to fix that somehow,  I'd be
all over it. But I thought (apparently correctly) I just had a bad cable(s) issue.

Getting more into linux is on my long list; like others, I'm disquieted by some
of the directions Apple has been going since the iPhone got bigger than Mac.
I won't ever use Microsoft products (look at my employment history),
so linux may be where I'm headed. Too bad, I liked having a system that
both runs shrinkwrap software (think TurboTax) and gives me a unix shell
on the same screen. And 90% of the time, the Mac gui and built-in apps
is a pleasant place.

I know this isn't your day job, but If you really want to help Mac users with linux,
then provide a live CD image with the other pieces already present.
Or explain to me how I add software to a read-only filesystem, maybe
I'm confused.

Thanks and regards,

-dan


On Sep 28, 2012, at 2:11 PM, D.J.J. Ring Jr. - n1ea at arrl.net <+chirp+cordless+7d3f38247a.n1ea#arrl.net at spamgourmet.com> wrote:

> I don't see a big learning curve for Linux.
> 
> You can put up CHIRP in about five minutes from the LIVE CD. You add the PPA giving the command line - cut and paste - and you have CHIRP.
> 
> You do have to find out the correct usb device number if your connecting via usb.
> 
> I could help you with that.  Mac and Linux are cousins except on Linux we still have much more functionality with command line which gives us some awesome raw power.
> 
> DR
> David J. Ring, Jr., N1EA  Radio-Officers Group -- Join CW email list -- Historic Morse Recordings 
> Gopher Hole:  gopher://sdf.org/1/users/djringjr/ (native or with Firefox's Overbite extension) or via http to gopher gateway
> Chat  Skype: djringjr  MSN: djringjr at msn.com  AIM: N1EA  icq: 27380609
> 
> =30=
> 
> _______________________________________________
> chirp_users mailing list
> chirp_users at intrepid.danplanet.com
> http://intrepid.danplanet.com/mailman/listinfo/chirp_users