Cheap or free PCB CAD S/W & schematic capture

On Mon, 17 Jan 2011 13:41:31 +0000 (UTC), Dylan Smith

[of gEDA]

gEDA looks the best option so far. I'm far, far too lazy to start
writing special scripts unless I have to, though.

So far, I've got Windows 7 and Debian Lenny loaded. The basic
dual-boot went remarkably easily: just install Windows and then
install Debian disc 1. I'm probably not making best use of the two
HDDs but I'll only worry about that if either system really crawls.

What hasn't gone well has been enabling Internet access: Win7
complains about a modem error, even though the other PC works fine.
I haven't tried Debian yet. It might just be me getting my passwords
etc. confused, or maybe it's using DHCP that's hard-coded to a
particular MAC or something like that. Actually, I might
install/fire-up Wireshark and have a look, but I'll try out Virgin
Media's help first.

It's a minor problem because I won't generally be using the second PC
on-line to start with; it would simply make uploading stuff a bit less
fiddly. Oh, and registering Windows would be easier.

 

Try debian first.
If debian works (which it should) at least then you know to concentrate on
the windows side of things rather than the router.

Not to mention downloading things from the debian repositories.
--
| | Windows95 (noun): 32 bit extensions and a |
| | graphical shell for a 16 bit patch to an 8 bit |
| Andrew Halliwell BSc | operating system originally coded for a 4 bit |
| in |microprocessor, written by a 2 bit company, that|
| Computer Science | can't stand 1 bit of competition. |

 

Just noticed this on my work PC as well. It _does_ export Gerber
files:

http://www.freepcb.com/

--
Ivan Reid, School of Engineering & Design, _____________ CMS Collaboration,
Brunel University. Ivan.Reid@[brunel.ac.uk|cern.ch] Room 40-1-B12, CERN
GSX600F, RG250WD "You Porsche. Me pass!" DoD #484 JKLO#003, 005
WP7# 3000 LC Unit #2368 (tinlc) UKMC#00009 BOTAFOT#16 UKRMMA#7 (Hon)
KotPT -- "for stupidity above and beyond the call of duty".

 

Well, when I said, upload, I actually meant download.

Anyway, sorted it last night.

Wireshark in Windows revealed a mix of IPv4 & IPv6 packets, many of
the latter seeming to be the PC (I didn't bother decoding the address)
bleating out the same query over and over again. Taking a wild guess
(I know even less about v6 than I do about v4), I just disabled v6 on
the NIC, and it sprang into life.

I also found that the cable modem has to be power-cycled whenever I
swap over PCs; it then takes a minute or so to wake up. My guess is
that it (or maybe an upstream server) retains the DHCP lease even if
the PC is disconnected and it can't cope with more than one at a time.

I then tried Debian: after enabling the NIC and ensuring that it was
set to use DHCP, that "just worked", too. I've still to sort out the
package manager setup: it keeps asking me to insert CDROMs. At work we
get a nice installation disc that has all this stuff pre-configured.

 

OK, ta. If I don't get on with gEDA then I'll give it a look.

 

I love it when a plan comes together

 

Just wait till you do the apt-get update to fucked bit.

 

Haven't had a problem yet at work, though to be fair I've only been
using Debian for a year or so: prior to that my workstation was a
Fedora box.

 

It's like Ronseal. It does what it says on the tin. Testing is often a bit
shaky and can in fact be a bit testing. Stable is stable indeed, but is a
little late in getting the nice toys.

I don't really get on with RPM based flavours. All a matter of taste. I have
had Debian systems around the house for more than "eek!" years now. Which
makes me feel old.

 

Yeah, I chose Lenny because I'm not one for the bleeding edge myself.
I have yet to be frustrated by a a lack of toys.

Debian's kind of grown on me.