LinuxICE

volospian · 16 Apr 2008 at 08:26

Anybody using this yet?

http://www.linuxice.com/

volospian · 16 Apr 2008 at 08:56

But FreeIce is only a front end to windows, isn't it?

volospian · 16 Apr 2008 at 09:16

Hmmm, the idea behind LinuxICE is that it is a distro specially built for ICE, while freeice still has windows running along behind it.

I think I'll knock up a spare PC and run them both one after the other, see which runs fastest/smoothest.

I just ran freeice on my workstation and it ran like a mangy dog

volospian · 16 Apr 2008 at 09:18

moss said:
I dont have an incar pc, but if I did, i'd stick with windows, its so much easier to live with/setup IME.

Yes, but if we all stuck with what was easiest, we'd still be living in trees eating berries with the other monkeys.

Just because it's easiest, doesn't mean it's best.

volospian · 16 Apr 2008 at 09:28

SiHH said:
a lot of people want simplicity and convenience though.

True, but if I'm going to the trouble of setting up hardware, building it into a car, integrating the display intot he dash, spending out for a GPRS card, GPS reciever, etc. etc. why would I then say "Oh, stuff it, windows is the easiest, so I'll just top off all my hard work and expense with that, even if isn't the best thing to use."

If something is worth doing, is it not worth doing to the best of your ability, using the best equipment you can afford, to provide the best results you can achieve?

volospian · 16 Apr 2008 at 09:35

SiHH said:
Exactly and LinuxIce wont give you that

neither will freeice, from what I've seen of it

volospian · 16 Apr 2008 at 12:09

Confused said:
I've been running XP on my CarPCs since it came out, previous to that I was using 98SE.

Not once, in that entire time (remember XP came out, what, 2001/2002?) have I had a fault with it that is caused by the operating system. Bad drivers or 3rd party software, or more likely my own bleedin' fault, yes - but not once has Windows itself caused me an issue!

Windows has the greatest support for a CarPC environment and for good reason - it's quite easy to program for, there's a wide range of available hardware and software, and it is a good base operating system.

*shrugs* I've been administering Windows servers for many years, and I have never had a server crash that cannot be traced to third party code. And I never see the need to reboot them every week or whatever either. Much that is said about windows is said by those that have little experience of it, like many things really, TVR's for example.

However, I would still rather run a "leaner" OS than a minimum standard Windows (or a minimum standard Linux) install for a car PC, if one is available.