SparkFun Electronics Commentsurn:uuid:214d0e4e-f1b1-d287-ce26-ac5b4c9f82492024-03-28T17:39:46-06:00SparkFun ElectronicsMostThingsWeb on Open Source ALL the Things!MostThingsWeburn:uuid:e2662533-e12a-41ad-e3ad-eae9d24d58ec2012-01-08T15:09:51-07:00<p>I used to rehash memes...</p>
Bret Kuhns on Open Source ALL the Things!Bret Kuhnsurn:uuid:a2166e1f-e634-4800-faad-0724484dda7d2011-12-15T06:05:19-07:00<p>Y U NO LIST OPENLOG?</p>
ElGus on Open Source ALL the Things!ElGusurn:uuid:dd3433cf-bb7c-92dd-c74e-05c847c979132011-11-02T16:08:59-06:00<p>To me, open source is more a principle issue than a cost one.<br>
I've always had a love/hate relationship with EAGLE as it "seems" open because it has a free (limited) version but it is not, while on the other hand, it is such a common software!<br>
I totally see people's point of EAGLE being their preferred tool but often comparisons are only valid for the one making them. Kicad works for me (professionally and "philosophically") and I prefer it ... maybe if I had learned to use EAGLE first my opinion would be different, who knows.<br>
In the meantime, I "survive" having a crippled version of EAGLE just so I can use the ULP to convert libraries to Kicad format and work "properly" ;-)<br>
I share cjenkins' dream ... the one about Sparkfun using open source software for board documentation ;-)</p>
astinsan on Open Source ALL the Things!astinsanurn:uuid:3b40057e-45fb-20f2-ff52-9314b0a3c3042011-11-02T15:03:49-06:00<p>Love it, Love it, Love it</p>
sonictj on Open Source ALL the Things!sonictjurn:uuid:64372957-7b68-0a8b-c662-12dfd88f9b4e2011-11-01T20:06:36-06:00<p>Sparkfun uses EAGLE which is free for viewing any design, you just have to buy in to "make" bigger higher layer count boards. That's understandable. The guys at Cadsoft gotta eat too. Additionally if you just wanna do home development a standard license is only $125. That's nothing compared to Altium or Mentor Graphics etc.</p>
IllogicGate on Open Source ALL the Things!IllogicGateurn:uuid:e20310f5-270c-e0e7-cd96-a1e34038790c2011-10-28T17:53:02-06:00<p>Or you could just gimme a gold mine.</p>
cmcgonag on Open Source ALL the Things!cmcgonagurn:uuid:930e2165-c479-6ece-21f7-6af626dd99eb2011-10-28T15:09:27-06:00<p>I think you hit on precisely why Open Source sometimes isnt feasible. Right Now Today would you release all of your intellectual property (finances, code, documentation, vendor contacts, manuals, etc, just let us have read only access to your server) to the public? Probably not. We promise in the future we will open source, but why not right now?<br>
I love open source. My company sponsored the OHWS last year. However, in regards to breaking into a market, developing a business, ultimately there is probably some intellectual property you want to maintain so you can compete. Sparkfun is a different company, but I believe this post shows that while OS is awesome, it also can never truly be sustainable at the root of what is "open".</p>
AngusP on Open Source ALL the Things!AngusPurn:uuid:803aea29-d726-e6be-2761-264b2b674d0b2011-10-28T15:06:41-06:00<p>I wget what u did... :-P</p>
IllogicGate on Open Source ALL the Things!IllogicGateurn:uuid:5de5d440-a4f7-6d33-3cad-c88165db5c472011-10-28T08:23:45-06:00<p>Wait, what?</p>
Erik-Sparkfun on Open Source ALL the Things!Erik-Sparkfunurn:uuid:17a8bf02-d068-1c1d-58bc-7fd639a93e012011-10-28T08:22:53-06:00<p>It was edited - it talked about opensourcing Eagle, if my memory serves me right. The little asterisk (*) next to the timestamp indicates the user edited their post.</p>
Kevin Vermeer on Open Source ALL the Things!Kevin Vermeerurn:uuid:76ea5b73-034c-c72b-f2d1-2f8bab9571a62011-10-28T08:09:25-06:00<p>Either this was heavily edited, or all the other replies to this *(DBaron's) post are really for <a href="http://www.sparkfun.com/news/735#comment_49282" rel="nofollow">cjenkins' post</a>.</p>
Demolishun on Open Source ALL the Things!Demolishunurn:uuid:9080af7c-7c69-9376-f84f-e3b94def248c2011-10-27T22:15:43-06:00<p>There advantages to a Debian based system:<br>
sudo apt-get install wontfreakinginstallsomeothercrapwithoutaskinglikeasearchbarinfirefoxwheniupdatejava<br>
sudo apt-get install willtellmewhenitwillblowawaymysystemandmakeallmyothercrapstopworking<br>
sudo apt-get install isgenerallyfromatrustedsourceanddoesntincludeallsortsofbadwormstrojansandviruses<br>
I know,I know, I am enjoying this waaaay toooo much! :)<br>
I just love *nix based systems. Because if you have a lapse of sanity you can always type: whoami</p>
Demolishun on Open Source ALL the Things!Demolishunurn:uuid:85409f8a-855b-1fa9-4e3b-bf4e8c6c3c2c2011-10-27T22:07:01-06:00<p>Ummm...I was thinking of some other "text editor"...<br>
Man, this thread has been the funniest I have seen in a long time. You guys that hand around here have a good sense of humor.</p>
Demolishun on Open Source ALL the Things!Demolishunurn:uuid:088e0870-3df7-0426-07d8-a92314044b982011-10-27T22:04:18-06:00<p>Some other <em>time</em>.</p>
Demolishun on Open Source ALL the Things!Demolishunurn:uuid:2dd6d873-d129-8b5f-e525-cf867f414c402011-10-27T22:01:55-06:00<p>...<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6B92nPs8lg" rel="nofollow">Captain Needa</a>.</p>
Yvan256 on Open Source ALL the Things!Yvan256urn:uuid:66dc1f17-4d25-3bcc-72a1-79b88b6150262011-10-27T21:22:49-06:00<p>"We don't want systems based upon gaming systems on the network."<br>
So... nothing from Microsoft, then? ;-)</p>
WizenedEE on Open Source ALL the Things!WizenedEEurn:uuid:6706627e-d4a7-db7c-777c-3a01d744009a2011-10-27T19:04:35-06:00<p>Yeah, well I tried it out and my computer got about twice as slow. Immediately started installing arch.</p>
IllogicGate on Open Source ALL the Things!IllogicGateurn:uuid:fc64a722-a991-b08d-fb86-01255b7e43832011-10-27T18:05:44-06:00<p>I said that t'was off the top of my head. Hey, that rhymes! Now you owe me a dime!</p>
IllogicGate on Open Source ALL the Things!IllogicGateurn:uuid:52443251-6819-ca70-a34a-14fa3bead6732011-10-27T18:03:49-06:00<p>Apology accepted.</p>
IllogicGate on Open Source ALL the Things!IllogicGateurn:uuid:af851638-15af-8221-e4cc-502927a6403a2011-10-27T18:02:38-06:00<p>Gaming systems?!?! OMG Ubuntu servers are not XBox 360s.<br>
You were right to put that guy in the rear view mirror.</p>
IllogicGate on Open Source ALL the Things!IllogicGateurn:uuid:1819b707-5146-185c-81b8-4e90984df4872011-10-27T17:58:21-06:00<p>This is what I just entered into the terminal:<br>
sudo apt-get install idioticcommentblocker<br>
Yeah, Ocelot might look like OSX, but it's different. I used to be a Mac nerd (and still am to a certain extent), but I like being able to customize my environment more.<br>
Linux is fuuun. Even though the distro I use might be "a wimpy cop-out for pathetic beginners". Hey, even 1337 u&3rh4xx0rs have to start somewhere!</p>
cjenkins on Open Source ALL the Things!cjenkinsurn:uuid:65123b70-59e3-b3d6-29b4-383ea0ef0afd2011-10-27T17:55:45-06:00<p>Yes, that was sarcasm, and very funny jeje<br>
FUD.EXE: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear,_uncertainty_and_doubt" rel="nofollow">Fear, uncertainty and doubt</a>, related to the makers of some operating system (hence the EXE). Also is the name of a malware :P</p>
WizenedEE on Open Source ALL the Things!WizenedEEurn:uuid:a6963e29-42c7-6c99-b1c8-7819b1c60cf92011-10-27T17:35:14-06:00<p>"Ubuntu 11.10"? You mean "Ubuntu OSX"?</p>
Demolishun on Open Source ALL the Things!Demolishunurn:uuid:3633a9c6-d541-115e-0df3-e91d3ef2d6ae2011-10-27T17:01:14-06:00<p>Chill_Bill,<br>
You made my day. :) I came up with that by looking at the word: "lin" for line editor and "nux" as implying *nix. Sorry for the confusion.<br>
Glad to see a fellow Linux Fanatic around here.</p>
Demolishun on Open Source ALL the Things!Demolishunurn:uuid:a2c0638b-5b34-e377-7268-98d17d600afd2011-10-27T16:52:46-06:00<p>Ah, I get it now. Yeah, people have been using this stuff for years without a clue to what has taken place over the years. Sorry I misread the intent of your post.<br>
I was in a meeting with IT at an a previous employers and was defending the fact that I had an Ubuntu server. The IT department manager literally said, "We don't want systems based upon gaming systems on the network." All the IT people in the room that worked for this person gasped like they could not believe how ignorant their boss was. All my engineering counterparts were shaking their heads.<br>
Edit: I forget to mention they predominately used Redhat for their servers with that IT department.<br>
So even people who are supposed to be in "the know" sometimes don't get it either.</p>
sgrace on Open Source ALL the Things!sgraceurn:uuid:f8521b26-2a9a-f128-8082-20be0571b64b2011-10-27T16:35:56-06:00<p>He was being sarcastic.<br>
Also, you forgot CentOS and Fedora, which are the free version of RedHat.</p>
jakkjakk on Open Source ALL the Things!jakkjakkurn:uuid:f21616f1-d9d4-38fa-40f6-300ca2e780042011-10-27T16:25:16-06:00<p>What I really meant by that was that I'll use open source for small projects, but once I start to build something complex every time I try and go down the open source route I get driven crazy with how shoddy a lot of it is built, how much I have to modify to get it to do what I want and how much time I have time I spend working on a sub problem instead of the real problem that I want to solve. I'd pick Windows over Unix any day. I'd also pick Visual Studio over any other open source java GUI that I've found. If I was going to mass produce something I wouldn't put an open source piece of hardware in there because it's not designed for exactly what I'm doing.<br>
I also don't think android is really open source. Google makes money off the Android Market Place which wouldn't be operating unless it had Android so they're playing the famous give away the Razor and sell the blades market strategy. And without the heavy backing of Google Android wouldn't be anything.</p>
IllogicGate on Open Source ALL the Things!IllogicGateurn:uuid:da7b2231-5535-3b78-7bcf-4799be1918cd2011-10-27T15:53:45-06:00<p>Hey SF, can we get a -1 button? Linux is NOT a text editor! I'm running Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot and it's holding up my browser so that I can write this rebuttal. Linux is a catch-all term for open source operating systems that are based on Unix. Linus Torvalds wrote the first version and Ubuntu is a particular distribution of Linux (or "distro").<br>
Some common distros (This is VERY incomplete, it's just from memory):<br>
* Debian<br>
* Knoppix (based on Debian)<br>
* Ubuntu (based on Debian (a lot of distros are))<br>
* Puppy Linux (can be run from RAM and based on Knoppix)<br>
* Damn Small Linux<br>
* Red Hat family (commercial distro <strong>xP</strong>)<br>
* Linux Mint<br>
Each distro often has several "flavors" (different desktop/window managers such as GNOME, KDE, xfce, etc. or versions based on another distro, or smaller, or faster, or meant to run on netbooks, etc.), but this is getting long and I'm probably putting Wikipedia out of business.<br>
Try not to be so narrow-minded.</p>
Frencil on Open Source ALL the Things!Frencilurn:uuid:d6a74545-0f75-31ad-b5cc-eb03f9ee30292011-10-27T15:04:50-06:00<p>I don't always rehash memes, but when I do, I do it on the SparkFun home page. =)</p>
TLAlexander on Open Source ALL the Things!TLAlexanderurn:uuid:ffd8d063-e489-8128-a3f0-fb6c0c97c9792011-10-27T14:52:38-06:00<p>Yay all of the things!<br>
These are the best kinds of open source projects anyway. One company supports it directly, ensuring it doesn't die, but since its open source other people can contribute if needed. Everyone wins!</p>
TLAlexander on Open Source ALL the Things!TLAlexanderurn:uuid:f3f63210-046c-c2d6-cf44-42857b0e89052011-10-27T14:45:12-06:00<p>Yeah, I'm looking forward to that too!<br>
Right now sending someone one footprint is difficult. I'm hoping that with XML, we can just merge a single footprint into a library no problem. I have some footprints in my personal library that people would want, and plenty they wouldn't. I'd like to be able to share some!</p>
Frencil on Open Source ALL the Things!Frencilurn:uuid:6b140a7c-2a6c-2dfe-23b6-41d9fe1286cf2011-10-27T14:37:20-06:00<p>Preaching to the choir here, Demolishun. What I mean to say by open source being newly explored territory is in reference to mainstream "traditional" businesses. The companies and organizations you rattled off get it, and despite some of them being major players that is still hardly a plurality of business entities worldwide today.<br>
If I had a nickel every time I tried to explain our motives for open source to others in the business community who just looked at me funny and wondered where the money would come from I'd already be living in my solid gold moon fortress. The tide within our sphere turned long ago but that transition is only just beginning in wider circles.</p>
Demolishun on Open Source ALL the Things!Demolishunurn:uuid:e17ca121-1c54-f295-136e-fdc6791037662011-10-27T14:17:20-06:00<p>Frencil,<br>
Where have you been these past years?<br>
Even major companies like Microsoft and Apple have parts of their code bases rooted in open source. The first TCP/IP stack for Windows 95 was pulled right out of what is now FreeBSD. The kernel for the OSX is from FreeBSD. Every major Unix shares code base roots with FreeBSD. That is 20 to 30 years worth of some form of open source being involved in the computer industry! Then there is Google. Google owes its existence to OSS technologies. Similar story with Facebook and I am sure others. All based on OSS tech to a major degree.<br>
cjenkins,<br>
"Android, Linux, Apache, Arduino, PHP, MySQL, LibreOffice, Python, Ubuntu"<br>
Yes, those are all small projects compared to FUD.EXE. FUD.EXE even says so in the the About box so it must be true. :)<br>
What exactly is Linux? Is that some sort of *nix based text editor? ;)</p>
cjenkins on Open Source ALL the Things!cjenkinsurn:uuid:40fc1ea0-7b0b-7798-2bf3-21d86c3a81252011-10-27T14:14:36-06:00<p>BTW this post is just great, congratulations to you guys, you're awesome.<br>
I have my personal dream that someday Sparkfun is going to use a free Software CAD for their boards, like KiCAD. Someday... someday. I understand the implications of this, for your business and customers, believe me, but respectfully I think it's a double standard to create free hardware in proprietary software, especially when you expect the world to learn, reuse, reinterpret and improve the knowledge. Michael Ossman, creator of the Ubertooth One, created and awesome board with free Software, so I think the technical capabilities are there.</p>
cjenkins on Open Source ALL the Things!cjenkinsurn:uuid:5be565e3-f278-c3b2-fb66-41a1dbadbc892011-10-27T13:59:24-06:00<p>I'm sure I've read that somewhere already... oh wait yes, this are the traditional arguments proprietary Software companies has been using against free software for so long... come on... do you really believe that? So.. Android, Linux, Apache, Arduino, PHP, MySQL, LibreOffice, Python, Ubuntu, etc, are "small" projects?</p>
Frencil on Open Source ALL the Things!Frencilurn:uuid:99a076c6-0625-79bc-7259-3e55dd46024a2011-10-27T13:57:01-06:00<p>Jakkjakk, I don't quite understand your point about project scale and reinventing wheels. Certainly it could be argued that much of what we're building internally, software-wise, is reinventing a wheel that's been built several times over but that can be argued regardless of whether we open source it (to say nothing of the uniqueness of our wheel that no other wheels have).<br>
The nature of open source in the business sense for large-scale projects is one that's fairly new and still being explored. There's a lot of good info out on the nets regarding this (<a href="http://fgiasson.com/blog/index.php/2011/10/17/open-sources-projects-as-a-pool-of-resources/" rel="nofollow">Fred Giasson's</a> recent musings provide a great summary).<br>
In general though I must respectfully disagree that open source as a concept is limited to small/mid-scale projects. Open source is a tool like any other and when applied to a project of any size can make or break it. It all depends on how it is applied that makes all the difference.</p>
Erik-Sparkfun on Open Source ALL the Things!Erik-Sparkfunurn:uuid:788a5fa8-b330-e89a-4904-353a2c1fbf392011-10-27T12:18:32-06:00<p>Would you say that the different Linux distributions are small or medium sized? Or are you talking strictly hardware here?</p>
jnoble on Open Source ALL the Things!jnobleurn:uuid:33215e01-9156-e701-11ae-f6caed256e9c2011-10-27T12:07:25-06:00<p>I tried to upvote this...no lie. I could not figure out why I couldn't for a solid 5 seconds.</p>
jakkjakk on Open Source ALL the Things!jakkjakkurn:uuid:07114896-ffa3-e7c8-9c7d-583a1f7bf2dc2011-10-27T11:50:56-06:00<p>I love open source stuff. VLC Media player in my opinion is the best media player out there and it's open source. But usually open source only works well for small and medium sized projects. Start getting into large projects and it starts to fall apart because either you have to recreate the wheel or you have to modify an existing wheel that may or may not exactly fit into what your doing, plus if you get stuck there's limited support. Open source works for hobby projects and things like that, but lets see them open source a 20" LCD Monitor or something.</p>
MikeGrusin on Open Source ALL the Things!MikeGrusinurn:uuid:0d85f2f1-7ec8-1023-14f4-0fa4eff10dfd2011-10-27T11:42:55-06:00<p>We do indeed: <a href="https://github.com/sparkfun/SparkFun-Eagle-Library" rel="nofollow">https://github.com/sparkfun/SparkFun-Eagle-Library</a></p>
sgrace on Open Source ALL the Things!sgraceurn:uuid:12ea75dd-b918-d56c-f02b-b1b8a5fd34f72011-10-27T11:34:06-06:00<p>If I remember correctly, doesn't SFE have a GIT repo for the Sparkfun.lbr that people can branch off of and make their own footprints for ICs?</p>
MikeGrusin on Open Source ALL the Things!MikeGrusinurn:uuid:33b47baa-7ad7-e037-05fd-34c51e58a3b02011-10-27T11:03:02-06:00<p>We're looking forward to EAGLE's upcoming migration to XML, which should open up all sorts of data-manipulation possibilities.</p>
MichaelK on Open Source ALL the Things!MichaelKurn:uuid:7f3eee34-9b99-17fd-0957-b85fb605b22b2011-10-27T10:45:05-06:00<p>Indeed. While Eagle is enough for most hobbyists working on small-ish PCBs, it isn't exactly open-source and the free version has some deliberate limitations.<br>
While there some conversion tools out there, having an official SparkFun parts library for a fully open-source package like gEDA would be really cool. And same for the various product schematics.</p>
sgrace on Open Source ALL the Things!sgraceurn:uuid:ee9cee93-d7a5-a54d-a927-39728dc6d6102011-10-27T10:38:23-06:00<p>I assume you're talking about EagleCAD. The software itself is free, but limited. SFE does not produce EagleCAD at all, it is Cadsoft. If you want EagleCAD Open Sourced, talk to the folks at Cadsoft.</p>
sgrace on Open Source ALL the Things!sgraceurn:uuid:63c6cf62-4ff5-fab8-db39-08fa4a8eba182011-10-27T10:37:30-06:00<p>I don't want to live on this planet anymore.</p>
DBaron on Open Source ALL the Things!DBaronurn:uuid:b25e5942-3bb2-4db2-dda8-233e96e081242011-10-27T10:12:08-06:00<p>Great job. Keep up the good work.</p>
Bunk on Open Source ALL the Things!Bunkurn:uuid:8961db82-da18-bd06-14f4-dc6fe08705912011-10-27T10:09:18-06:00<p>reddit is leaking memes again</p>