USB Universal Floppy Disk controller

[Eric Smith]

I wrote about Xilinx software:
> These are easily programmed using zero-cost development software you
> can download from the Xilinx web site,

der Mouse wrote:
> I'm not sure it's really fair to call running someone else's
> binary-only software "zero-cost".  That kind of risk is relatively
> expensive, in trouble and safeguards if all goes well, in putting the
> machine back together one way or another if not.

If I thought Xilinx software was going to do nasty stuff, I'd run
it in a virtual machine set up for that purpose.  Problem solved.
It takes me less than a minute to dup an existing virgin virtual
machine image for such purposes.

By your sort of definition, no software is "zero cost".  I was only
referring to the purchase price.  Perhaps "no charge" would be a
better term, or maybe you'd disagree with that too.  If you want to
talk "total cost of ownership", I'd be delighted to see examples of
other CPLD development software with lower TCO than the Xilinx stuff.

> If, as I fully expect to be the case[%], it's also software that runs
> only under closed-source licensed-for-$ operating systems, it's not

You expect wrong.  Xilinx software runs on Linux.  Officially only
on Red Hat Enterprise Linux, but it's actually nearly trivial to get
it running on Fedora Core, and shouldn't be too difficult on other
distributions.

The current downloadable "no-charge" release, 6.3i, runs on Linux
using Wine.  However, if you order a CD of WebPACK 7.3i (and pay the
shipping and handling fee), it includes a native Linux version,
which will also be available for "no-charge" download within the next
two weeks.

> anything like zero-cost, since it demands buying RTU the relevant OS.

I suppose if someone was handing out DVDs without requiring you to
pay for them, you'd complain that they weren't "zero-cost" because
you had to buy a DVD player or DVD-ROM drive to use them.

Eric