Thread: Questions about software..

Originally Posted by SilvaStratus

I guess I don't understand front ends entirely but do I have to install Windows XP just like I would to my home computer and then install the Front End software once in windows?

Yes.

The reason I ask is because there's got to be a simpler way. I don't want all the hassles and memorry hogging tendencies of installing a full OS. Isn't there some sort of OS for carputers that gives you just what you need?

No.

What happens when you turn the computer on?

POST
Hardware handshaking.
Bootstrap
OS loading
System-level driver initialization
User Login
User-level driver initialization
Application startup (if any)

Do I have to start up windows, login, and then open up the Front End software all just to get the menu screen I want?

Yes, but there are ways to automate all of that, too.

I'm invisioning starting the car and within 10 seconds, the carputer is on and at the main menu so I can choose music or videos or navigation or XM or my MegaSquirt tuning software...Is there a way to do that?

Maybe not ten seconds....
Try 20-30 if you tweak properly and/or use a faster startup method, such as hibernation.

or


build your own linux distro

and forego (for now) some of the nicer functions that a carPC has to offer

that was one other route i would be curious about...using linux instead of windows xp. Except that i've never used linux even on a home PC...would it be easier and faster using linux to start it up and have the front end open immediatly?

Also, how do most of these frontends work? do they have their own media players for video and audio? Say my menu has "Music" and "Videos" on it...what happens when you push one of those buttoms?

No matter what you do, it's not going to come on and immediately present you with what you desire.
There are certain processes a PC must go through before there is any user interaction. You can't get around that. There are tweaks you can make that will reduce the boot time, certainly. But a sub-10sec boot is unrealistic. Resuming from standby might be doable in that timeframe with the right hardware and tweaks.
Those processes are completely independant of the operating system. use Linux, Windoze, BeOS, MS-DOS or Netware... Your'e still going to have to go through the POST, the hardware handshaking and bootstrap.

And if you've never touched Linux before, I guarantee that you will not be able to tweak a faster bootup from it. I'm familiar with Linux (no expert, mind you), and I know that I couldn't get any more performance from it with my knowledge & experience.

If you want to know how the frontends work, download them and install them. They are all either free or available for download as a demo.

^ What he said again. Especially about linux.

However, I get 15-17 sec resume from hibernation time on my 1.5ghz Celeron with 256mb ram, so 20-30 sec is not necessary.

i dont necessarily plan to use linux and tweak it somehow but i'm wondering if the more bare bones, DIY characteristics of linux would make it more ideal. There is just so much extra junk with Windows XP and for a Carputer, you don't need all that..

No, you don't. That's why you tweak it and try to remove some extra things. Overall, for simplicity, at least in the beginning, I suggest XP.