Bill Daniels wrote:

Apparently, there are a few people out there working with Linux for
gliding
applications. (Thanks for the links) Maybe it's a good thing.
Yes, there are. I am one of them.

I keep thinking that the potential user base in this space is so small
that if the PDA based apps split it, there won't be all that much profit
to
support a commercial business - especially with a price war. So, we are
back to the hobbyist/enthusiast hacker who tends to like Linux/GPL anyway.
This person just wants some recognition for expertise and contribution
made. Gliding software might make a good resume entry.
It does, actually. I am currently in contact with a potential employee who
seems to be very interested in my work. I'm not sure what you are
suggesting though, that I am undermining the commercial glidersoftware
business?

Should someone take up the challenge, I'd like to see something along the
lines of an x86 based (lots of small, cheap, powerful, highly
configurable, 12V boxes like those from Via) with the in-flight software
developed on a
very small, hard real-time Linux kernel with an API like DIAPM RTAI. This
removes all the constraints of the PDA platform. (Somehow, I just don't
think a pocketable device designed for to-do and a contact lists is a
great platform for advanced soaring software, even if they are widely
available.)

This approach offers the chance to do the entire panel in a gliding
specific "glass cockpit" with a screen size that's actually big enough to
read at a glance.
Problem is: these devices a
-too powerhungry
-too hard to install in a cockpit.

I am working on an application called Cumulus on the PDA platform. But, it's
easy to port to x86. In fact, most of the development work is done on x86.

André
projectleader of Cumulus