What Linux distros work?

[jhsu802701]

I'm in the Data Acquisition subgroup of Project Phoenix, an IEEE study group working on an open source blood pressure monitor.  Our laptop has only a 500 MHz  processor and 256 MB of RAM.  We need to program microcontrollers and work with National Instruments data acquisition probes.

I looked at the Linux FAQ, and National Instruments specified support for Red Hat Enterprise, OpenSUSE, and Mandriva.   I have experience with Damn Small Linux, Puppy Linux, and Ubuntu.  However, I stopped using Damn Small Linux because there were certain things I could never get working.  Puppy Linux is lightweight and easy to use but has a weak repository.  (I know that the latest version is supposed to support the Debian/Ubuntu repository with the Woof feature, but I wasn't able to get that working, and it took a long time to install Woof.)  Ubuntu has a superior repository but no support for National Instruments applications.

So what distros would be suitable?  I'm leaning towards Mandriva and OpenSUSE due to their NI support, but I'm having difficulty seeing if they offer the software I need in their repositories.  Are there other distros I should consider?

[pallen]

System Requirements for NI LabVIEW Development System and LabVIEW Modules

You might want to have a look at the above link before you spend a lot of time with your existing hardware.  500MHz does not meet the minimum processor requirements for LabVIEW.  

Of course that doesn't mean it absolutely won't work. 

I've had successful installs on Mandriva and PCLOS. (a Mandriva derivative)    I have also had a successful install on the previous release of Mint Linux.  From what I've read on various forums over time, I would say SUSE is probably the most popular version of Linux to install LabVIEW on.  

[jhsu802701]

Do I need Labview in order to use the NI-DAQ software?

Are there alternatives to Labview and NI-DAQ for working with the USB-6008 data acquisition probe?  I'm trying to figure out what my options are and are not.

[smercurio_fc]

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jhsu802701 wrote:

Do I need Labview in order to use the NI-DAQ software?

Are there alternatives to Labview and NI-DAQ for working with the USB-6008 data acquisition probe?  I'm trying to figure out what my options are and are not.

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No, you do not need to use LabVIEW to use DAQmx. You can program in a C environment if you want. 

[Seth_B.]

Non-Debian based distributions, such as Ubuntu, will not install straight out the box.  Some customers have gotten it working by building custom installers.

Your best bet for Linux advice would be the Linux Users Community Group.

Regards,