Hi,

I have a LOT of questions about Linux, but the MOST important to me is the distro that has the ham radio proggies in it so I can use it with my Icom 706 MarkII-G.

I do plan to use Digipan, PSK-64, BPSK and J-65 digital modes. I'm running for the present a Dell 2400 with WIN EcksPee I hear that since HRD was taken over, they are having "problems" with the commercial version (6.?)

Now, the question is which distro has the ham software and is easy to install and use. I'm medically retired and my liver puts out too much ammonia an causes me to 'forget' or not understand what I read or hear..

The Dell 2400 has 2 CD's. One is just a 'player' the other is a burner/player/re-burner. They are in the case, but not hooked up, so I will have to download the Linux version on to a 4 gig, thumb drive and install it on a "blank" 120 mb hard drive to be swapped out when ever I want to run WNDBLOW$, which should be very little.

Are there any "suggestions"?

Thanks for LQ^QKing,
Regards,

Don/KA5LQJ
Grid: EM-32
10/10 International
QCWA
Area 5 Wx Group
SkyWarn certified for 30+ years

KA5LQJ de KA9WGN/8

Slackware has some ham radio software in the distribution, but I believe you have to specifically install those. Other distros like Debian, Fedora, Mint, and Ubuntu, should have some ham radio software in their repositories. If pinned down to choose one specifically for YOU (not necessarily for others), it would be Ubuntu or Xubuntu.

This site should help you: Linux in the Hamshack: http://lhspodcast.info/

Debian has the most packages (30,000, maybe I think). I don't know any ham-radiocentric distros. I made an incomplete list of amateur-radio oriented software, so you could get an idea of what's in Debian:

abinit - A package for electronic structure calculations
abinit-doc - A package for electronic structure calculations
aces3 - Advanced Concepts in Electronic Structure III
acfax - Receive faxes using your radio and sound card
antennavis - antenna radiation pattern visualization software
arduino - AVR development board IDE and built-in libraries
arduino-mk - Program your Arduino from the command line
ax25-apps - AX.25 ham radio applications
ax25mail-utils - hamradio utilities for fbb
ax25-tools - tools for AX.25 interface configuration
ax25-xtools - tools for AX.25 interface configuration -- X11-based
baycomusb - Drivers for the HB9JNX packet radio usb modem
callgit - lookup callsigns at qrz.com
cassbeam - A program for Cassegrain antenna modelling
chirp - Configuration tool for amateur radios
cl-rlc - Common Lisp RLC Circuit Simulator
cqrlog - Advanced logging program for hamradio operators
cutesdr - simple demodulation and spectrum display program
cwirc - X-Chat morse plugin
dicomscope - The OFFIS DICOM Viewer
d-rats - Communications tool for D-STAR amateur radio
eagle - Printed circuit board design tool
education-electronics - Debian Edu electronics related applications
fbb - Packet radio mailbox and utilities
fbbdoc - Documentation for fbb, the packet radio mailbox
fccexam - Study tool for USA FCC commercial radio license exams.
fldigi - digital modem program for hamradio operators
fritzing - Easy-to-use electronic design software
geda - GPL EDA -- Electronics design software (metapackage)
geda-examples - GPL EDA -- Electronics design software (example designs)
geda-utils - GPL EDA -- Electronics design software (utilities)
geda-xgsch2pcb - GPL EDA -- Electronics design software -- gschem -> PCB workflow GUI
gerbv - Gerber file viewer for PCB design
gmfsk - MFSK, RTTY and other digital mode terminal for HF/amateur radio
gnucap - GNU Circuit Analysis package
gnuradio - GNU Radio Software Radio Toolkit
gnuradio-doc - GNU Software Defined Radio toolkit documentation
grig - graphical user interface to the Ham Radio Control Libraries
gsmc - Smith Chart calculator for impedance matching
hamexam - Study tool for USA FCC amateur radio (ham) exams.
hamfax - Receive/send radio facsimile transmissions with Soundcard/PTC-II
hamradiomenus - hamradio menus for GNOME and KDE
hwb - The Hardware Book
icom - Software control for ICOM radios with CI-V interface
idjc - graphical shoutcast/icecast client
kicad - Electronic schematic and PCB design software
klog - KDE ham radio logging program
klogic - digital circuit editor and simulator for KDE
ktechlab - circuit simulator for microcontrollers and electronics
libax25 - ax25 library for hamradio applications
libgeda38 - GPL EDA -- Electronics design software (library files)
libgnuradio-atsc3.6.1 - gnuradio atsc functions
libgnuradio-audio3.6.1 - gnuradio audio functions
libgnuradio-comedi3.6.1 - gnuradio comedi instrument control functions
libgnuradio-core3.5.3.2 - gnuradio core functions
libgnuradio-core3.6.1 - gnuradio core functions
libgnuradio-digital3.5.3.2 - gnuradio digital communications functions
libgnuradio-digital3.6.1 - gnuradio digital communications functions
libgnuradio-pager3.6.1 - gnuradio pager radio functions
libgnuradio-qtgui3.6.1 - gnuradio Qt graphical user interface functions
libgnuradio-trellis3.5.3.2 - gnuradio trellis modulation functions
libgnuradio-trellis3.6.1 - gnuradio trellis modulation functions
libgnuradio-uhd3.6.1 - gnuradio universal hardware driver functions
libgnuradio-video-sdl3.6.1 - gnuradio video functions
libgnuradio-wavelet3.6.1 - gnuradio wavelet functions
libhamlib2 - Run-time library to control radio transceivers and receivers
libhamlib-doc - Documentation for the hamlib radio control library
libhamlib-utils - Utilities to support the hamlib radio control library
libvolk0.0.0 - gnuradio vector optimized functions
linpsk - program for operating PSK31/RTTY modes with X GUI
linsmith - a tool to generate Smith Charts
minimuf - program to predict high frequency propagation data
morse - 'Morse Classic' is a morse-code training program for aspiring radio hams
multimon - Linux Radio Transmission Decoder
nec - NEC2 Antenna Modelling System
necpp - NEC2 Evolution Antenna Modelling System
node - Amateur Packet Radio Node program
owx - utility to program Wouxun dual-band handheld radios
pcb - printed circuit board (pcb) design program - meta-package
python-libhamlib2 - Run-time library to control radio transceivers and receivers
qantenna - Qt based program for viewing antennas as described by NEC files
qsapecng - symbolic analyzer and solver of linear analog circuits
qthid-fcd-controller - Funcube Dongle controller
qucs - Quite Universal Circuit Simulator
quisk - Software Defined Radio (SDR)
radio - ncurses-based radio application
soundmodem - Sound Card Amateur Packet Radio Modems
tempest-for-eliza - demostrate electromagnetic emissions from computer systems
tk2 - Tk GUI for the ICOM IC-R2 receiver
tk5 - Experimental Software for the ICOM IC-R5 Receiver
tkgate - Event driven digital circuit simulator with Tcl/Tk
tucnak2 - VHF/UHF/SHF Hamradio contest log version 2
twclock - Clock program for hamradio operators
twlog - Logging program for hamradio operators
wsjt - weak-signal amateur radio communications
xcircuit - Draw circuit schematics or almost anything
xdx - DX-cluster tcp/ip client for amateur radio
xlog - GTK+ Logging program for Hamradio Operators
xnec2c - calculate and display radio antenna properties
xnecview - NEC structure and gain pattern viewer
yagiuda - software to analyse performance of Yagi-Uda antennas

Hope this helps. I pray that your health improve.