I'm pretty much of a Linux newbie. I saw your article on writing a Perl script for using the Garmin eTrex GPS receiver in Linux Magazine, issue #69 / August, p74. I have a Garmin eTrex, and I want to try my hand at what you did. I have seen all the listings on the web, and I briefly read article, but I'm not sure exactly how to start. I'm using a small distro called Puppy Linux. My system does have Perl on board, as well as a compiler.
Can you lay out a general step-by-step for me? I think I have to go to CPAN and get some modules. I'm not sure which ones I need or what the procedure is for getting them. I do understand I need to download GPSBable from web page first. Where do the listings get installed?
Anyway, I would appreciate any help from you.
Don DeGregori
| LM |
The Perlmeister writes...
Sure, no problem. To install the Perl modules necessary to run the scripts, follow the directions in: http://www.cpan.org/misc/cpan-faq.html#How_install_Perl_modules
If you take the script dist, for example, listed in: http://www.linux-magazine.com/Magazine/Downloads/69/Perl/dist you need the CPAN modules YAML and Geo::Distance. Once they're installed, you need to make the script executable, for example:
chmod +x dist
Then it should run just fine with:
./dist
Hope this helps!
With the proliferarion of Linux variations confronting a newbie, could it be feasible to run an article, or perhaps a series of articles, highlighting the reasons behind each variation. I'm talking about a series of reviews, although not with an "Editor's Choice," but preferably with input from the distro creators themselves stating their objectives and why they consider the distro necessary.
I'd be interested to know what they intended to achieve, which particulars features were the focus of the upgrade, and how close the distro is to achieving its overall goals.
Stan Hutchinson
| LM |
Thank you for your suggestion! Each Linux distribution has slightly different goals, and I agree that it is a good idea to focus on those goals when reviewing the distro.
Often we do provide this information in our reviews, as well as in our description of the Linux Magazine DVDs. It is sometimes a matter of just knowing what facts to watch for. Some distros emphasize simplicity for home users, while others focus on stability and long term maintenance for enterprise systems. Some are "community" distros, which are produced by volunteers or non-profit foundations, and others are created by companies and intended as commercial products.
But even the distros serving the same users may have some differences. Important features that may define a distro include the installer, the package format, the upgrade process, and the management utilities. We typically try to refer to these kinds of differences when we review a Linux system.
Once you get past these important distinguishing traits, it is worth pointing out that much of the software included with Linux distributions is actually more or less identical. You might, however, find small differences in the versions of the applications contained in these distros. That is one reason why we like to provide a "Highlights" box with our DVD description showing the version numbers for some of the most popular applications.