What Operating System do you use?

hpavlov (Hristo) · #1 11-09-2012, 06:07 PM

Hi All,

I am curious to what operating system are people using to control their observatories and telescopes and to process data. I can guess that the vast majority will be Windows, but are there many people that use Linux or MacOS?

Are there any statistics or polls on the subject? Or forum web browser and OS statistics?

I have been involved in writing astronomy related software that will have distributions for both Windows and Linux but I wonder how many people might use the Linux version? Whould it be more appropriate to support a MacOS version instead of Linux version?

The software is about controlling digital video cameras and record astronomical video. For windows there is ASCOM, I wonder if Linux and MacOS poeople use something else.

Your thoughs are appreciated.

Cheers,
Hristo Pavlov

Astro_Bot · #2 11-09-2012, 06:22 PM

My main OS is Linux (and has been since 2006), but I would have used Win 7 for telescope control if I had got that far. I use Linux for looking things up in Stellarium, Cartes du Ciel, Celestia or in web apps.

INDI is available for Linux - I've never used it and, from what I hear, it's not as feature-rich as ASCOM/EQMOD, but I could be wrong.

If INDI, or similar, were as good as ASCOM/EQMOD, I'd prefer to use Linux for everything.

malclocke (Malc) · #3 11-09-2012, 07:00 PM

I'm a 100% Linux user, but have only recently got into astro.

I'm quite surprised at how few tools for Linux there are available. There seems to be quite a few scientific tools, and things like Stellarium, but not much in the processing arena, stacking tools, etc.

My only scope is a dob so I can't comment on control software I'm afraid.

Malc

lepton3 (Ivan) · #4 11-09-2012, 07:11 PM

Hi Hristo,

I would use Linux at the scope if there was driver support for my camera (Atik 320E) and guide camera (SSAG).

So at the moment I use a WindowsXP laptop to capture images, which will occasionally hang for no good reason. I would much rather have a linux server at the scope.

-Ivan

TheDecepticon · #5 11-09-2012, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lepton3

So at the moment I use a WindowsXP laptop to capture images, which will occasionally hang for no good reason.
-Ivan

Howdy!

I am no expert by any means, however, I must say that I don't think a computer would hang for just no reason. Usually it is a power supply problem, loose connection etc., or it simply may not be powerful enough to do what you want it to do.

I run a Win 7 64 bit machine that I built myself, including 16Gb of RAM and an 8 core processor. I used to be a Linux fan with several systems running Mandrake and the like, however, I got into the photography side of things and I needed readily available tools and software, so I converted to Windows. All my systems are 64 bit, and in general are very stable and powerful.

Cheers and clears!

cventer · #6 11-09-2012, 09:41 PM

Windows 7 64 bit OS

lepton3 (Ivan) · #7 11-09-2012, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheDecepticon

I am no expert by any means, however, I must say that I don't think a computer would hang for just no reason. Usually it is a power supply problem, loose connection etc., or it simply may not be powerful enough to do what you want it to do.

I did say "no good reason" not no reason

!

I don't blame the OS for loose connections etc., although having to reboot because a USB driver gets confused by a loose USB cable generating repeated plug/unplug events is a drag.

I find the real problem is that buggy software (and all software is buggy, including linux software) on windows often causes the whole system to become unreliable, requiring a reboot, rather than just the buggy application itself crashing. Then you could simply restart the application.

I have noticed, like you, that Windows 7 64-bit is an improvement. Apart from being able to use more RAM, it seems to be better at managing to contain misbehaving programs. Unfortunately my Windows 7 machine is less powerful (CPU, HDD and screen size) than the XP system.

-Ivan

Nico13 (Ken) · #8 11-09-2012, 11:13 PM

Windows 7 64 bit and having issues with powered USB hubs and USB LAN Hub with Video/webcam and system freeze requiring the big switch to turn off and reboot.

RickS (Rick) · #9 11-09-2012, 11:27 PM

I'm running Win 7 64-bit also.

I'm a Unix guy from way back (since I was a Comp Sci student in the 70s) but I've pretty much given up on using anything but Windows for astro imaging.

Quote:

Originally Posted by malclocke

I'm quite surprised at how few tools for Linux there are available. There seems to be quite a few scientific tools, and things like Stellarium, but not much in the processing arena, stacking tools, etc.

PixInsight runs on Linux. Some would argue that it's all you'd ever need for processing

Tandum (Robin) · #10 12-09-2012, 03:26 AM

Win7 here, why fight it

hpavlov (Hristo) · #11 12-09-2012, 08:35 AM

I hope this is not turning into a huge which OS is better argument, this is not the intention. So let me rephrase the main question:

If there is only a Windows version for a particular software would all Linux and Mac users be able to run it?

From what I am getting so far, 90% of the Linux users are using windows to control their telescopes and cameras because there is rarely drivers for Linux. So this tells me that if you prefer to use Linux you still have Windows anyway, mostly because of ASCOM, and will not have problems running windows only software if you need to. Is this correct for the Linux users that responded?

I am also surprised that none mentioned MacOS at all. Are there not enough drivers for Mac to control a camera and a telescope?

Barrykgerdes · #12 12-09-2012, 09:06 AM

I use Windows because it is the most universal and has the most programs native to it. However the latest version Win 7 is not as user friendly as XP but most new software is written for it without XP versions.

Linux is for the computer enthusiasts. I also use Linux. It is UNIX based and is a great OS for experimenters. If you can get the source code for a program you can usually make the program work in Linux.

Apple is for the Apple affectionados. It is also Unix based these days and is great for graphics manipulation. However it now seems to be concerned more with making money than the other systems.

However personal choice is the biggest factor in selecting an Operating system and so it should be .

Barry

irwjager (Ivo) · #13 12-09-2012, 09:29 AM

100% Linux user here since about 5 years. These days most of the important software for processing works on Linux, through either WINE or through native Linux support (PixInsight and, ofcourse, StarTools

).

Windows, MacOS or Linux - choice can only be a good thing!

lacad01 (Adam) · #14 12-09-2012, 10:27 AM

I use Mac OSX for pretty much everything however run Win XP in a VM due to no native Mac drivers for QHY5

I can control my EQ6 mount directly from Mac using SkySafari.

Steffen · #15 12-09-2012, 11:11 AM

I've been using Unix OSes almost exclusively since before Windows had TCP/IP, mostly Linux since 1998 and Mac OS X for desktops/laptops since 2004. One of the premier ephemeris applications I had used for many years was XEphem, which had no equal in the Windows world. It hasn't really kept up UI and graphics wise, so SkySafari Pro has mostly replaced it for me (even though it's lacking many of the useful features of XEphem).

I'm not into astro-imaging so I can't really comment there, but for my normal shooting OS X has all the photography and image processing software I need. SkySafari Pro controls my scope very nicely.

Cheers
Steffen.

Omaroo (Chris Malikoff) · #16 12-09-2012, 12:20 PM

I'll step in as well. I would run my lovely little 11" MacBook Air at the scope IF I could run my QHY5 for guiding. It does absolutely everything else I need within the boundaries of OSX. To use the QHY5 I have to run Fusion4 - which I'd love not to have to do. I can sell my QHY5 and but an Orion SSAG which, strangely, does come with native OSX drivers. Go figure. I blame CCD Labs for this - Qiu seems not too bothered about Mac users which is a shame.

Astro_Bot · #17 12-09-2012, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hpavlov

So this tells me that if you prefer to use Linux you still have Windows anyway, mostly because of ASCOM, and will not have problems running windows only software if you need to. Is this correct for the Linux users that responded?

From my point of view, I suppose so, but keep in mind there may be more than one computer involved - I use a laptop "in the field" with Win 7 (actually it's dual-boot and I only really kept Windows for astro) whereas I have a Linux desktop system that I would prefer to use for image processing (assuming I actually did any).

leon · #18 12-09-2012, 02:40 PM

Seems like I am the only one that runs XP on all three computers, it has done/dose everything I have ever wanted to do so why change i guess.

Leon

Omaroo (Chris Malikoff) · #19 12-09-2012, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leon

Seems like I am the only one that runs XP on all three computers, it has done/dose everything I have ever wanted to do so why change i guess.

Leon

That's a very philosophical point Leon. Some crave change - others don't. I like to look for newer and better ways to do things - constantly. I can understand why many don't. It's a bloody lot of hard work!

Colin_Fraser · #20 12-09-2012, 03:36 PM

I run Windows 7 (32 bit) on the laptop. Apart from being slow at times, I haven't had a problem with it yet, but it's only been running about 2 years.
Has never crashed to a point that a reboot was needed

On the real computer (iMac) I use Mountain Lion.