Re: [Gumstix-users] no /etc/gumstix-release

[Jonathan R. <jer...@ya...>]

Hey Brad -

Let me say first that I appreciate the niche that gumstix fills, in that it provides significant and flexible capability for a reasonable price.

>>What do you mean by instability of the configuration? Do you mean the
>>software build for filesystem and/or kernel? Or, are you referring to
>>the hw?

Regarding the hardware configuration, the addition of the MMC socket on the netDUO board increased the price, and complicated my packaging design, because it requires more ground clearance than I had designed orginially.  Also, for the 4V DC converter, the diameter of the plug was reduced from 3/8" to about 3/16".  This luckily didn't render the housings that I had manufactured obsolete, but the fit is not as tight anymore.  Some hardware changes, like the increase from 4 to 16 Mb of flash, were welcome.

>>What do you see as being wrong with the changing of the bootloader,
>>converter and build environment?

Regarding software configuration management, I realize that software developers (of whom I am obviously one) deal with configuration changes all the time.  But changing bootloader and toolchain paradigms (splitting the kernel from the filesystem, moving to openEmbedded) are significant shifts.  The bootloader change caused me signficant heartburn.  I found a workaround (thanks to Dave), but now I am warry every time I order connex boards, because I wonder what new changes will have been added that will break my configuration.

>> And, if you leave gumstix, what would you replace it with?

Obviously ordering in quantity will allow me to have the hw & sw configured however I want (at the factory), so I probably won't change any time too soon.

Jonathan


----- Original Message ----
From: Brad Fuller <bra...@gm...>
To: General mailing list for gumstix users. <gum...@li...>
Sent: Wednesday, July 23, 2008 2:01:35 PM
Subject: Re: [Gumstix-users] no /etc/gumstix-release

On Wed, Jul 23, 2008 at 1:10 PM, Jonathan Rhoads <jer...@ya...> wrote:
> Just a general comment.  I have been working with gumstix for three years, (still using 2.6.11) and I find the extreme instability of the configuration to be problematic.  In the three years since I started, the build environment, the bootloader, the netDUO configuration, and the 4V dc converter have all changed.  I have used gumstix as the basis of my product (www.surfwithconfidence.com), and will wean myself off of gumstix as soon as it is practical.


Can we investigate your complaints a little bit more, Jonathon?
What do you mean by instability of the configuration? Do you mean the
software build for filesystem and/or kernel? Or, are you referring to
the hw?
What do you see as being wrong with the changing of the bootloader,
converter and build environment? Software is always changing and we
developers are accustomed to that (in fact, we often cause it!). Can
you explain a bit more?

And, if you leave gumstix, what would you replace it with?

thanks for your answers!

brad

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