MS Windows requirement rant Was: Updating database

[Liviticus]

If I understand correctly, I am going to have to buy one of the crappiest pieces of software available (microsoft windows) and install it on my computer before I can update the database on my UNIDEN BCD536HP scanner? The other half of the world uses linux. What solutions are available for all the Linux users?

 

[smithken]

Wine possibly. The only way to update the database is with Sentinel and Sentinel is a Windows only program. The only other choise is the one I made, buy a cheap Windows machine and run Sentinel on that. In my case I use a Mac and it was about the same price for a cheap laptop or to buy Windows to run in a virtual machine, I bought the cheap laptop before I knew about Wine.

 

[enine]

Will it sentinel run in reactOS so you could run it under a virtual machine?

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

None of my radio programming apps run without a hitch via Wine. Here a crash, there a crash. I run Mint natively on my machines with clones of the same Windows install containing all of my programming apps I run via Virtualbox. Runs great

 

[Enjoi19]

If I recall you can legally download Windows directly from Microsoft and run it without an activation key (with some limitations... like not being able to change your background). Download it and pop it into a virtual machine.

 

[smithken]

It used to be that Windows would start slowing down after 30 days and eventually quit altogether without activation, maybe that has changed.

 

[Enjoi19]

It used to be that Windows would start slowing down after 30 days and eventually quit altogether without activation, maybe that has changed.

It has changed. Windows 10 works almost fully featured short of a few tiny unnoticeable things and there's even workarounds for lack of "personalization" settings. For just using a few scanner programs, it would be fine indefinitely right now.

 

[Liviticus]

Yes, I am familiar with WINE. I have been a Linux user for nearly 15 years. Unfortunately only about 10% of windows software will actually run on WINE. I just don't understand how anyone can put out a product that requires the worst operating system available in order to function correctly. I'm willing to bet that Uniden even uses linux software in their products like most GPS manufacturers that require windows for updates. I will give WINE a try and post the results. Maybe it will be helpful to some others. Uniden should make it known that you will first have to buy and install windows if you want to keep your data base up to date. Nice scanner otherwise though.

Wine possibly. The only way to update the database is with Sentinel and Sentinel is a Windows only program. The only other choise is the one I made, buy a cheap Windows machine and run Sentinel on that. In my case I use a Mac and it was about the same price for a cheap laptop or to buy Windows to run in a virtual machine, I bought the cheap laptop before I knew about Wine.

 

[jtwalker]

Do you have a brother (or sister) on here with handle GrannyFlats?
MS Windows requirement rant Was: Updating database

 

[a417]

Do you have a brother (or sister) on here with handle GrannyFlats?
MS Windows requirement rant Was: Updating database

Nice @jtwalker, thought this sounded familiar.

Run any windows installer in a VM. Been virtualizing windows for over 10 of the OPs 15 years, during my 20 running linux, no issues.

 

[mikewazowski]

Yup, same user, same rant, same advice.