Tools for Linux
 

I'm the new owner of an Asus netbook loaded with Ubuntu Linux. I intend to use the computer as a tool for easing myself into Linux, in preparation for dumping Microsofy when they stop supporting XP. Id also like to use the computer as a prtable platform for audio analysis and PCB layout. Are there any suggestion for appropriate programs? Id especially appreciate a line on anRTA/spectrum/distortion analyzer suite for Linux. I'd be willing to use an outboard USB audio interface to get around any deficiencies of the sound card inside the machine.

I've had good luck with several usb audio cards in linux (I haven't used windows in almost 5 years now) so do a little googling and you should be able to find one no sweat. I also use eagle (cadsoft.de) for schematic and pcb layout and it works very well. Kind of a steep learning curve if you've never used it before but it is incredibly powerful and I have yet to find something it can't do.

Also, install the wine windows emulator if you haven't already. It does a phenomenal job of running windows programs, so if you have some old windows only utility that you are really attached to odds are it will run.

baudline, Octave, and Sox should take care of most everything.

In the Ubuntu Software Centre there are two realtime spectrum analyzers called jaaa and japa. White/pink noise can be generated with Audacity.

You can run REW under Linux (with Java installed) for acoustic measurement, including RTA.

The list of software is endless. #1 is "Spice" it's very useful. Eagle CAD runs on Linix but there are open source programs too. gEDA, xcircuit, and others Googel can find for you

Buy you audio interface from aplace that sells to musicians and recording engineeers NOT for games and home entertainments, These tend to have very good preamps and gain knobs calibrated in dB.

One interesting tool is GRC that is part of the gnu radioo project. It works for audio too
Josh Knows | GNU Radio Companion GRC allows you to build software like a FFT display with drag and drop

LTspiceIV, PSUDII, and Express PCB all run fine under Wine in Ubuntu Linux.

Front panel designer now has a debian port that can be installed in Ubuntu 32 or 64 bit that also works just fine.

Old dos eda and cad programs generally seem to work OK in either dosemu or dosbox. (Orcad specifically)

I also run windows XP Pro in Oracle's non open source version of Virtual Box, and all software works fine - what doesn't are things like the iPod when attempting to connect to iTunes. Modified scripts on the linux side so far have not resolved issue. It has connected on occasion, but not reliably.