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But that is a poor analogy. It is more like if you receive a stolen computer and all work you do on that machine is then destroyed by the real owner of the computer. No, even that doesn't cover it. If you received an email from someone who received an email from someone using a stolen computer, and they destroyed all your email files, that would be a better analogy.

There is no excuse for being this "viral" in response to misuse of thier software. Innocent people lose their license and all support. That's not business, that is just plain evil and is ***exactly*** one of the main reasons that people are moving to open source.

Rick

I am reading it alright but I have a feeling that we are living on different planets in this respect. And the FDA and FAA are living on my planet :-)

Wow, interesting. I have numerous clients but have yet to encounter one that uses open source tools. Still hoping that this changes, like it must have started with your client.

I have just recently tried Linux. Kicked the tires for about two months but in the end went back to Windows. One reason being that a lot of stuff here in the lab won't work with Linux. The handling of data files ain't my cuppa tea either but that's just personal preference. One thing I must say is that Linux (Ubuntu in my case) seems more robust than Windows. Only two crashes the whole time. Installing software is also much more straightforward with Synaptic.

One very practical way is to use linux and a copy of windows running in VirtualBox. You can then gradually migrate your usage to linux, retaining windows for the few places you really need it. Things like USB programmers and instrumentation work for me (so far).

Ironically, I find Windows under VirtualBox to be far faster then the "real thing". Must be the combination of not needing a virus checker, not needing so many applications and being able to instantly roll back to a "clean" state. If you have to write any windows software it's great for testing too.

Right now I have it the other way around. VirtualBox on a Windows XP machine and Ubuntu being a guest OS on VirtualBox.

With Linux being the core OS I'd run the risk that an application tied deeply into hardware won't work or some device driver ain't available for Linux and then I'd be toast. Plus all my clients run Windows so it's best to stay current there.

How did you manage to get the dreaded Gates-Blessing when installing XP in VirtualBox?

By installing Windows 2000... :)

I do have installs of Vista and XP too but I only use them for testing software. They get zapped back to pristine afterwards each time.

I haven't had comments from customers regarding open source EDA tools, but I certainly have several customers who use open source office tools (i.e., OpenOffice - other open source office tools are pretty obscure). That suits me - I've used OpenOffice since it was early Star Office.

And of course I have several who use gcc of various flavours, and all sorts of open source utility programs (whether or not they think about them as being open source is a different matter).

I also run XP as the main OS, with different systems under VirtualBox (Ubuntu for AVR32 development, Debian for network utilities, W2K for testing). W2K is definitely the best choice for windows in a virtual machine - it's more stable than any other version (except perhaps NT

It's viral in the sense that the entire file will become tainted. If someone then imports your file into theirs, their file then becomes tainted.

No, it's not at all similar.

If I take my car in for repair, and the garage uses a stolen screwdriver to fix it, I wouldn't expect my car to get confiscated.

That's not nice. But the same thing can happen whenever you accept electronic data from shady sources. You can attract a real virus onto your PC. Even with data files, has happened a lot with spreadsheets and even word processors docs. Know thy sources :-)

The better way for Cadsoft to handle this would have been that the program simply refuses to import anything created by rogue software. It also results in more effective egg in the face because it's almost like a big flashing light board outside a bathroom "Did not wash hands!"

Not for the screwdriver case. But if you give a ride to someone, get stopped by the laws and then they find his drugs in the car they won't care whether you knew or not, chances are you'll walk home.

I believe that is what Cadsoft does. The problem is they update the "rogue software" list when they do an update. So the part library you found online last year might kill every schematic you've used it in after the next update. That delay in finding out is the killer.

I'm not sure if there is a nice way to fix this for Cadsoft and their good customers short of frequent updates.

So far I've heard it only happening with imported schematics or parts thereof but not with library modules. It's never happened to me and I use Eagle since several years (with a license, not the freeware).

Oh well, I guess every CAD on earth has bugs. I think I may have just unearthed one in Kicad but not sure yet. So, then, what is a reasonably acceptable schematic editor that's reasonably priced these days? I am planning to switch, even though not for DRM reasons.

This isn't about a bug; this is about a supplier with some very dubious practices. I can't see this as simply a (somewhat ruthless) business decision. It seems more like someone is waging a personal vendetta and doesn't care who else gets caught up.

Well, it's not very nice but IMHO still better than those dreaded dongles that are like carrying a $xxxx piece of jewelry in your cabin baggage. Lose it, buy a new license. Or worse, a MAC-based license ... PC croaks ... you are out of business until at least Monday. Plus you can't switch to your laptop with a MAC-based license. Cadsoft does not play those trick. They send you the license key and trust you.

For some reason I have not had one single issue with DRM in all the years I use Eagle, and I use it a lot.

Nobody wrote: [ ... ]

I wonder if the fear is a shop that buys one Eagle Pro licence for its designated PCB rendering machine, then equips its 30 full-time designers with free Eagle Light, intending to merge fragmentary schematics into large multi-layer boards at the very end. I'm not saying that such a shop exists, but you could run a pretty big operation for a $1500 layout in software.

Mel.

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Exactly why I don't drive in DC if I can avoid it. That is also why I don't use Eagle. I don't need to take the chance of having my car impounded.

Rick

Yes, and a punch in the face is better than a poke in the eye... What difference does that make? Eagle is crap and is not needed by anyone. The open source stuff has gotten good enough that anything other than the high end products are pointless.

Yeah, so you took the chance and won the prize. Congratulations...

Good enough is relative. I'd love to use open source for CAD. But both gEDA as well as Kicad have some problems, for example serious issues with power pins and annotation. To the point where it is next to impossible for me to use and I am not alone with that assertion. And yes, I have filed bug reports resp. suggestions.

So did thousands of others. Some of my clients use Eagle.

Then I might respectfully suggest that you also do not drive in California. And Hawaii, and Iowa, and ...

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I don't get your point. You played roulette and won. Somehow that translates into the risk is acceptable for everyone? The number of users of many open source programs is increasing all the time. I don't think Cadsoft can say that about their program.

Rick