Surely all I really need is the compiler, linker, debugger and make?
Yeah, you'd think. But there's more than that. There's also the additional compilers (68K, ARM, x86), debuggers (same), prc-tools, additional new PalmSource tools (PRCMerge, GenerateXrd, PalmRC, etc.), and all the libraries and utilities that all the tools rely on. It all adds up. Personally, I opted to do a *full* cygwin install first (which came to about 1.3GB, not the 300MB that Aaron mentioned), but those installing cygwin from the Palm OS Developer Suite installer get a much stripped down version. It's not the absolute minimum, but some attempt was made to strip out unneeded parts.
Although the PalmOS is a better OS, IMO, it has to be said that PocketPC has the better dev tools. VS.NET is **much** easier to use than anything for the PalmOS. Revelling in the fact that you're using command line tools is not doing anything to convince many people that programming for the Palm is a good idea.
Keep in mind that systems like VS.NET are also based on command line tools and (n)make. It's just that they're hidden by a GUI IDE built on top of them. Falch.net did the same thing in the Palm world for many years with Developer Studio.
Palm OS Developer Suite attempts to do the same thing. When it's all up and running, you'll never have to deal with command-line tools and/or makefiles, even though that's what's being used underneath.
My boss in my new job is convinced that the PalmOS is doomed, purely because of that, and it's a common perception. Misguided perhaps (I hope!), but still common.
I know all about your boss. Scott Adams emails me a comic strip about him every day. :-)
-- Keith Rollin -- Development Tools engineer
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