Linux Newbie - Experienced Programmer - Help !!!

[DaveWest]

My Name is Dave West. I live in Okemos Michigan.

I am a Linux newbie and an experienced industrial control software programmer.

I have developed, over the last 25 years, some significant software to control the manufacture of asphalt, both in drum and batch plants. I use the company name “Human Touch Software”. ( I dabble in building guitar amplifiers on the side – “West Laboratories” ) I have over 600 asphalt plants world wide using my control software. This software was developed in Borland Pascal running on DOS! I control the plants with one industrial PC computer (14 slot) stuffed with computer cards I also make. (A to D, D to A, Counter, Discrete, Etc)

For some time my distributors have been telling me I am going to have to go to Windows to keep selling more software. I do not trust windows for control for a half a dozen reasons. These same distributors have told me that I could probably get away with running Linux! Multitasking would be nice for ME and others are demanding a GUI. I don’t feel a GUI is necessary, but the people with the purchasing decisions seem to think they need it.

I set up a computer with latest Ubuntu dist on a hard drive. So far so good! I had a several year old copy of Borland Kylix sitting on the shelf. It is Borland’s version of Delphi for Linux. Delphi for Windows of course being basically Borland Pascal for Windows. Kylix is no longer supported by anyone. However, I felt this would be a very good development tool for me. I tried to install the software from the CD, but every time I got a “Can’t open ****.SH file”. So here I am “Up the creek without a paddle”.

I have several questions.

1. What is probably the best Dist for writing Industrial control programs?

2. What might be a good language? ( I don’t want to program this in C for several well considered reasons ) I have downloaded FREE PASCAL (The Windows Version) for a look see. I installed it all right, but can’t get it to run right! It says it can’t find certain files. (The files are there) It does not seem to be a very good candidate.

I am anxious for any suggestions and would like to know how others have approached this kind of programming in Linux.

I guess I am not allowed to post my Email address after my name?

This post sure dissapeared in a hurry the first time.

You would think they would send you an Email explaining why!

Thanx, Dave West

[oz]

Welcome to the forums!

Please stop posting duplicate threads, as it's against the Forum Rules to do so. You can use your original thread to seek any help that you might need.