Re: [avr-chat] Can't Install avr-gcc in FreeBSD

[Brian Dean]

On Sat, Aug 18, 2007 at 10:07:41PM +0200, David Brown wrote:

> Also, don't forget that you're somewhat spoiled by using FreeBSD - 

Almost certainly, yes.  But it is my choice to spoil myself, rather
than to choose a system that is not quite so easy. :-)

> - think about the poor folks running Mandrivia, Fedora, Mephis, or
> any one of the dozens of other popular Linux distributions with much
> smaller package repositories.  Who will make an avr-gcc package for
> them?  A single package format that works on a wide range of *nix's
> (or alternatively, a utility that automatically builds the required
> range of package formats) would mean that avr-gcc would be as easy
> to install on *any* *nix system as it is on any windows system.

Ah, yes, well in that case I would point them here:

http://www.bdmicro.com/doc/

See: "GNU CC Toolset Instructions"

:-) Building it the old fashioned way isn't all that hard on Unix-like
systems.

In all serious, I think we are in agreement.  There are lots of
reasons poeple choose the systems they use, even outside of work where
they may not even have a choice.

Certainly with FreeBSD or Linux, some things are very difficult or
impossible even.  Think about stuff like iTunes or syncing your
cell-phone contact list, or even just playing a DVD.  They are not as
easy as they should be.  But hey, we can sure download the GCC source
and cross-build the tools and have an AVR cross development toolset up
and running in no time.  Let's see your grandma do that. :-)

This is one of the reasons I like the MacOS X platform.  It is really
pretty much FreeBSD under the covers but you get the benefit of all
those other nifty things that should be taken for granted.  So you
have the best of both worlds - you can sync your iPod and cell-phone,
easily apply patches from Joerg for flex and byacc, and all the while
purchase the the Beatles on iTunes while watching SpiderMan on DVD. :-)

And for Eric, we can even run Windows on the Intel-based Macs using
either BootCamp or Parallels, for those times when nothing else will
do.  So Eric, since you are being courted by the dark side, why not go
Mac, and never look back. :-)

-Brian
-- 
Brian Dean
BDMICRO LLC
http://www.bdmicro.com/
ATmega128 based MAVRIC controllers