Andrius Tamulis wrote:
>
> Did noone see the posted url:
>
> http://www.execpc.com/~rdmiller/gnupic/
>
> Rick Miller has done a good job collecting many Linux friendly PIC
> programs. It does not seem to include a link to Nexus Computing, at
> http://www.eskimo.com/~nexus/, where the picprg2.2 resides. But I'll tell
> him. He has at least 4 coices each for assemblers, compilers, and burners,
> so download 'em all, install a half dozen parallel ports in you linux box,
> slap together some burner hardware, and have at it!

I saw Rick's web page a year ago. And as some one else just mentioned,
it appears to have become stagnate. I hadn't seen the Nexus page until
now. Brian's certainly got the right attitude: PIC's, Linux,
Enlightenment, and GTK+ - A helluva combo!

I think the reason that Rick's page has not taken off is because it is
simply a collection of autonomous packages. What's needed is a serious
integration effort. No one is particularly interested in starting
totally from scratch. I'm am NOT a Linux expert, but what I would
suggest is an initial project with these simple goals:

1) Select a GUI SDK. I would recommend GTK+ (the Gimp tool kit
http://www.gtk.org/ ) but there are others: Lesstif at
http://www.lesstif.org/ , and KDE at http://www.kde.org/ .

2) Design an IDE that integrates these three features:
  i) Editor. There are a number of them available.
 ii) Assembler for the mid-range core. Same for this.
iii) HEX generator. and this.

If a group of us can coordinate development efforts to accomplish this
goal then it will become feasible to suggest more aggresive goals:
Support low and high end cores, Simulator, Interface to Tait's
ubiquitous programmer, hacking PICstart (it's not as hard as it sounds),
create virtual peripherals (e.g. 2X16 LCD display, A2D converter, LED's,
etc...), C-compiler, BASIC compiler, FORTH (why not?), smart code
synthesizer (ala John Payson's magic BASIC program), and so on.
Certainly though, if anyone wants to develop or contribute in these
areas too, no one will stop them.

> As to a discussion list, what's wrong with this one?

 Hmm? Initially nothing. However, if the project takes off there will be
details discussed that will not appeal to most others (sort of like the
OT crap of late).

Scott
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