One of these is not like the other

Steve K9ZW

Really?

How do you figure?

These same questions (and respective answers) periodically reappear. 

Unless something has changed, the SmartSDR for Windows code had dependencies not easily available in the Linux world, and the flavors of Linux plus the usual "roll your own build" scenario made it a complex (read - expensive in manpower resources) option. 

The Mac/iOS world has viable options, and a couple development projects.  Personally for casual operating SmartSDR for iOS works well for me. 

The Window's choice is hardly my favorite (I tend to gravitate towards Mac's but have several professional and several personal systems running - mostly because in the end I am results orientated rather than method fixated) but the discussion of why Windows for SmartsSDR for the Flex-6000 series has gone on for years. 

Actually the Windows (then XP) vs Mac, vs Linux debate started well before the first radios went out for testing (my older 6700 is #11, so have been there).  FRS to gain access to the libraries and the installed equipment base they felt best presented their product went Windows.  Their call.

It is useful to request FRS to consider adding features and capabilities, though less useful to expect those requests to change a successful product line so deeply.

Ditto on why there isn't much in viable Android software for the Flex-6000 - the ROI and some technical limits seem offsetting.

BTW Martin seems correct that real heavy lifting is in the code that lives in the radio itself.  Would seem that would make additional client platforms easier, but it just doesn't seem to have worked out that way.  Maybe that .NET Framework and some of the other Windows quirks are reasonably emulated in Mac/iOS, but harder to implement and control in the Linux world?

73

Steve

K9ZW

Tim - W4TME

The HDMI issue has been addressed in the next release of SmartSDR for WINDOWS ;-)

James Whiteway

I've almost got used to it. But, don't take the fix out!

James Whiteway

Linux comes in many flavors. Other than a 3rd party developer building a native Linux version of SSDR, I don't see how it would be cost effective for FRS to write and maintain, a Linux version of SSDR alongside the Windows version. Plus, most, but not all, Linux users, seem to expect software written for Linux, to be freeware. Or, just really cheap. James WD5GWY

Tim - W4TME

There are a lot of answers here, but let me consolidate.

1.) There is an OS X client; dogparkSDR.  https://community.flexradio.com/flexradio/topics/w10-1803-update-4-30-18
Don writes great software and his support is excellent too.  There is no need for FlexRadio to reinvent what has already been invented.

2.) There isn't a usable Linux client after all this time because no one or group has actually written one.  There have been some efforts, but they start out with enthusiasm and then interest dies out. You'd think with all the Linux open-source advocates, that there would be a usable Linux client by now, but sadly, there isn't. 

3.) FlexRadio provides a Windows client because it is the correct business decision for the company.  If we had a team of 50 programmers, there might be a Linux client, but the ham radio market share of those who exclusively use Linux is really small and it can take tens of thousands of developer hours to produce a client, so for us, there isn't a positive return on investment - the NRE cost is too high.  And then there is the cost of support for those who dabble in Linux but are not proficient, and that is a legitimate business concern too.  

4.) And the HDMI issue reported on some M models has been fixed and will be in the next release of SmartSDR.

I think that about sums it up.