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Linux development - OS and IDE?

NickK

By NickK
in Discussions - Software

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NickK

NickK

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Now my background is unix in it's old flavours (I've programmed unix and linux before).. I've used Kubuntu in the past (5+ years ago).

So I'm looking for the best linux (thinking kubuntu again) 64 bit and then an IDE.. but which? Is linux still stuck in the age of vi and makefiles?

The OS version must have OpenCL 1.2 and OpenGL and allow my ATI 67xxM use under virtualbox.

Any suggestions?

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David Smith

David Smith

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I'm sure you will get lots of good info but just a warning, in my experience ATi video cards are a real pain to get working as AMD stopped providing support for driver development back in 2012. This generally means you are stuck with the open source driver which is often less than ideal. I gave up on a Radeon 4350 card and swapped it for a Nvidia because of this.

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GreatAttractor

GreatAttractor

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Nick, I can't offer advice regarding OpenCL and fullness (or lack of it) of OpenGL support on Linux, but my IDE of choice is Eclipse + CDT (https://eclipse.org/cdt/). It's come a long way (I've been using it for many years) and it's practically as comfortable as MS Visual C++ (integrated debugging is still more convenient in MSVC, but not by much). As for the distribution, I use Fedora (with KDE) since its beginnings and I'm satisfied with it.

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NickK

NickK

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Thanks folks there seems to be a few issues:

* AMD/ATI driver causing the problem on OS X - AMD know that but the warning is that it may take some time to fix (or do I read that that AMD/ATI has given up the ghost for GPU drivers completely..). Basically the AMD drivers simply decide not to work for some texture sizes - this is down to the runtime not anything in user space that simply returns without doing anything (that's the official AMD explanation).

* Further reading shows VirtualBox doesn't allow OpenCL for the host system..  CPU works but GPU doesn't .. nVidia have demonstrated this working.. not ideal but does mean I can develop it :).. there are costlier solutions for VMs that allow this.. but not free ones..

* mac mini I could use for native host is currently a Window 7 machine for job hunting use.. which means I can't afford to make a switch to a basic nVidia based system atm..

I used Eclipse in the past (for java work related projects). So I'll have a look at cdt again. Last time I touched Eclipse was .. 2005 time frame..

It's annoying as the GPU based development seems to be doing pretty well on the LR IIR.. giving about 0.005 seconds for 100 iterations.. only down side is that the thrashing of the GPU makes it difficult for anything else to get a look in :D

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NickK

NickK

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Wow.. kubuntu is very different.. and fast too.. I've setup the VM with 6 cores so that should help :D

Will have a look at blocks and eclipse. Took me a while to figure that muon took over from apt.. 

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JamesF

JamesF

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I use vim and Makefiles (or for oaCapture the GNU autoconf tools, which are a bit of a black art but are helpful for portability).  I can't get on with IDEs.  They just end up getting in my way.

James

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NickK

NickK

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Hehe.. I learnt to love IDEs.. the code I wrote that knits together east midlands electricity was written in vi.. last time I used Eclipse with Java was to knit together AT&T's mobile network.. the code base was large and IDEs made it soo much easier :D

Have you looked at CMake as an alternative to autoconf?

Thing is I'm used to Xcode.. which is development on rails.. but at least it uses gdb for the debugger :D

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JamesF

JamesF

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I've looked at cmake and if you're starting out from scratch it may well be just as effective, but having already built a working autoconf system I really couldn't see a compelling reason to change.  Most of the third party libraries I want to link against build using autoconf too, so it just makes life easier to go with the flow.

James

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NickK

NickK

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That's unfortunate.  I've found Virtualbox to be very stable on Linux.  Is it feasible to run it on the Mac Mini you have running Win7?  I believe there's a Windows version.

James

Good point - that's an option but.. the mini has an Intel chip.. may work but only small amount of shared system ram.. Virtual box is just hanging on OS X so it may be the only option.

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Gina

Gina

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I've just got the latest version of Linux Mint - an offshoot of Ununtu when they made a fork which I didn't like.  Many others didn't like the fork either and hence Mint was born :)  I have been using an early version for years.

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JamesF

JamesF

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I use Linux Mint 16 and I love it!   I have installed Cartes Du Ceil,  Stellarium, Kstars, Virtual Moon Atlas and Wx Astrocapture, they all work fine.

Give oaCapture a try sometime and let me have some feedback :)

I've tried this week to package it up in a .deb file, but I think I'm going to have to do a bit more work there first to stop it doing some unpleasant things.  If I can beat OSX into submission soon I might still get back to it for the next release though.

James

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Gina

Gina

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I would like to use Linux in my observatory but there are several functions/softwares involved.  For instance I need to do the following.

  1. Capture images from three Atik cameras
  2. Guide my EQ8 for the Lodestar guide camera
  3. Plate solve images and star patterns to get my scopes pointing in the right direction
  4. Sky map to see where things are and initial slewing
  5. Park the mount.

I currently use Atik Artemis Capture for image capture and camera control such as binning and cooling.  Plus when not triple imaging, control the Atik EFW2 filter wheel.  For guiding I currently use PHD v1.14.  Plate solving with AstroTortilla. Sky map CdC.  Parking with EQMOD ASCOM.

In the future I would like to employ automatic focussing.

Mostly Win 7 on an Asus laptop works well enough but quite often EQMOD ASCOM stops working and I loose guiding etc. plus occasionally guiding goes wrong and rapid slewing occurs.

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Gina

Gina

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Give oaCapture a try sometime and let me have some feedback :)

I've tried this week to package it up in a .deb file, but I think I'm going to have to do a bit more work there first to stop it doing some unpleasant things.  If I can beat OSX into submission soon I might still get back to it for the next release though.

James

I fully intend to try oaCapture James :)  But I'm guessing that this will not do everything I want.

I may set this up once I get my second pier imaging rig set up so that I don't need to take imaging time from my main rig.  2nd setup will have NEQ6 mount, original Lodestar guiding with OAG and Atik 314L+ mono CCD camera.  Maybe EFW2 or possibly a home made FW.

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JamesF

JamesF

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I fully intend to try oaCapture James :)  But I'm guessing that this will not do everything I want.

I may set this up once I get my second pier imaging rig set up so that I don't need to take imaging time from my main rig.  2nd setup will have NEQ6 mount, original Lodestar guiding with OAG and Atik 314L+ mono CCD camera.  Maybe EFW2 or possibly a home made FW.

It won't do everything you want, no.  It's far more targeted at planetary/solar system imaging than DSO, though I know you were talking about planetary at one point.  I'm just after all the feedback I can get :)

On the subject of home-made filter wheels (dragging the thread even more off-topic :)  I was wondering the other day if a neat solution might be to use a standard manual wheel and just make the electronics and other gubbins to automate it.  I'll leave that for another time though...

James

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Gina

Gina

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Ah I see.  Yes, I have expressed an interest in planetary imaging and this is still in my thoughts.

I expect to design and build a remote controlled filter wheel later on.  It will use an Arduino and small stepper motor plus optical position sensing.  A lot of it is already done but the "debayered and cooled DSLR with built-in FW etc. etc." project is currently on hold while I get my imaging rigs running properly.

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