[PLUG] National Instruments Labview for Linux...

[Rodney W. Grimes]

> Does anyone know about this software?  It is proprietary and I bet it's
> expensive.
Yes, I used it long ago, before windows 7 even existed.
And yes, it is expensive, but not relative to the equipment
it is usually controlling.

> The software allows connection to a network analyzer which
> is used for RF tuning.  Labview 2010 works with Windows 7 down to
> Windows 2000.  I have a copy of that to work with.  Thing is, it's
> difficult to get Windows 7 activated these days where Microsoft is
> planning on cutting off support for 7 soon.

Windows activation should continue to work for ever, they do not
cut that off when they cut off support.  They cant, there is crap
out there that still runs XP.

And even though windows XP is out of support believe it or not
windows update still works on it, so I do not expect that you
are going to have issues with windows 7 for at least 2 years,
and probably another 5.

>  At least Windows 2000 is
> pre activation crap and pre Microsoft can get on your computer without
> warning at any time.  I bet when ReactOS stabilizes that labview will
> work with it.  That may be a decade from now sadly :-(

You can slic activate Windows 7, if your bios has a slic string in it.
If you need long term Windows 7 running you can pick up dual core
Dells that have Slic activated windows 7 pretty cheaply now adays

> 
> Apparently, the linux tgz installer supports CentOS 7, though I'd
> prefer an RPM to a tgz.  Come on National Instruments, use the system's
> package manager if you are charging $1k+ per installation.

Try to sit on the other side of the fence, do you have any idea
how many different package managers there are?  Do you have any
idea what it is like to pkg for Linux?  I've recently seen some
good video's on just why vendors do not support Linux well, one
is that it is a <3% of the desktop market, and when you divide
that by 50 distro's its just an impossibly small slice for ROI.

The rant here should be "come on Linux", get unified!

> A network analyzer is a highly modified Windows PC typically.  One of
> the analyzers at work is an E5071B with Windows 2000 Pro on it.  To
> give you an idea, these network analyzers aren't cheap.  Spending $4k+
> on one is not uncommon, so you don't replace them often.

$4k?  I was use to dropping $100'sk on a NA, and about $500K on
what went in a single rack to do parametric testing.  Labview is
often used to control millions of dollars worth of test equipment,
National Instruments knows that well.

> 
>           -- Michael C Robinson
> 
> Aside:  Not all PCs have touchscreens where Windows 8, 8.1, and 10 are 
>         designed for touchscreens.  Windows 10 is a privacy nightmere 
>         because of the we can muck around on your computer in the EULA.
>         National Instruments labview 2018 will work on Windows 10, but
>         Windows 10 seems more like a consumer product than an 
>         industrial instrument platform.
> 
>         Would anyone want Windows 11 if they could keep the computer
>         hardware, switch to Linux, and get a refund for the Windows 
>         license?  Microsoft has crossed a line, but computer builders
>         by and large build Windows PCs.  If only the ReactOS project
>         would move faster.
> 
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-- 
Rod Grimes                                                 rgrimes at freebsd.org