Jumped into the Linux world today with a "live session" install of Mint 13 64 bit with the MATE desktop. This move was brought about by the need to edit NGS geoid model files to run on a Linux box running Trimble TopPIT. Support comes from Germany with a delayed response time, instead of waiting for them to "make" us a Geoid12 model, I figured I would give the four page procedure outlined in the manual to take a NGS ASCII geoid file into something the software can read a shot. All the commands to do this are UNIX, wish me some luck 🙂
This particular distro is pretty cool in that you can run it live without a partition of your existing hard drive and it even includes a dual boot choice, all removable by just uninstalling the program from Program Manager from within WIN7. Pretty cool way to get your feet wet. I am actually posting this from Firefox that comes as a part of the Mint install. Only thing so far I haven't got up and running is my Bluetooth / mouse, thankfully the laptop trackpad works.
SHG
Awesome! I run pinguy as my flavor of choice and know that mint is another great one. Enjoy the freedom of doing whatever you want and reading whatever file types your heart desires.
Hey Shelby
It might be easier to simply switch over to using all Trimble software. I can give you the geoid12a files for the coterminus US if you switch. 😉
John, thanks for the generous offer, BUT it will take more than that to get me to switch 😉 I actually already have the geoid12 file from Trimble installed in the "Trimble" Applanix software, the piece of software I am talking about is Trimble in name only, like a bunch of other stuff they have acquired and actually takes a different format for the geoid file that was dreamed up by the German company they purchased rather than using the standard Trimble format for geoid files.
I will have to say if a guy was the typical home user, this distro of Linux would be about turn key, came with an "office" package, browser, etc. Plug and play until you want to start adding surveying software 🙁 , BUT overall looks pretty straight forward, fast load time, clean look and feel AND if I was just using for personal stuff, I could see very easily switching.
SHG
