antoniarodri@canarias.org wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> I've been all the afternoon looking on how to get into pic
> programming, I'm a linux user.
Great! So am I :)

> I've got already gnu pic and other tools downloaded and compiled,
> as I've also seen PICKit's from microchip.
> 
> My question is if is there any tutorial or document that explains
> how to do a PICKit-alike thing from scratch? I'm using a laptop so
> an usb interface would be a must.
You could build one. I personally just breadboard my stuff, and I use
Wouter's Wisp628 as a programmer. It's serial based, but you could
easily use it with a USB-serial converter.

> I've reading about PIC16F877, it's manual, and on the internet, read
> good things about it basically. Nowadays, is still a good election
> for a first pic experience? 
16F877 is OK, I use 16F876 and 16F877 a lot (876 is the 28-pin version).
As Wouter pointed out, one of the updated chips would also be a good
choice, and cheaper. If you want to use the newer 18F's, I'd go for a
18F4550 which has a ton of good stuff, including USB support.

> Also been asking myself the whole evening what software is used for
> pcb desing and printing from linux? I know postscript, and probably
> with the help of sodipodi and tex one could do somecing nice, though
> there might be some proper option for doing this, just curious about
> it.
I use gEDA for schematic design and netlisting, and then use gsch2pcb to
 keep changes synchronised with the pcb (which is designed in a program
(sortof aptly) named pcb, see pcb.sf.net). They seem to be the best
open-source tools available. The process usually goes like this: design
schematic in gschem (part of gEDA), transfer using gsch2pcb, design pcb
in pcb, keep changes synchronized from gschem using gsch2pcb, and then
export to postscript or gerber from within pcb, and print or send to fab.

-- 
Hector Martin (hector@marcansoft.com)
Public Key: http://www.marcansoft.com/hector.asc

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