while(feet!=wet) { search(friendly="Linux", hardware="avr", software="kde desktop");}

I'm interested in going swimming. My stumbling blocks aren't worries about complexity but moreso about the large variety of options for MCUs and a seemingly distinct lack of *nix software for developing. Now mind you, I don't -need- a pretty interface to write code with. I tend to use a simple editor and plain gdb works very well for most of what I do. But I do like to have a pretty (GUI) set of tools that explain various options.

A year ago, finding a USB based JTAG product that was Linux friend was close to impossible. Now I have three quickly found options to evaluate and I am close to setting on the Flyswatter (**broken link removed**)

I have also installed Kontroller and a set of avr tools like avrdude etc. I'm still working on a toolchain because Gentoo's crossdev is a little broken right now. I prefer sticking with native distro tools for package management most of the time. It's also a 64bit platform which sometimes throws a monkey wrench into things.

All of this said, does anyone have suggestions and recommendations for anything related to playing with AVRs - Linux tools and software? JTAG/ICE hardware? RTFM isn't necessary, I've been doing that ;-)

My first project will be using some tiny13 chips I think, to do (a) servo control for D&D dungeon props, and (b) simulated flickering fire with orange/red LEDs for said props.

I'd try SparkFun's site, I think I heard some discussion on Linux/freeBSD with AVR over there:
https://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/categories.php

that jtag debugger is for ARMs, not AVRs.

heheh, pardon me for losing a paragraph in my editing. i also have an arm9 SBC2410 i bought off a guy and would like to play with it. i have a parallel jtag board but the only software (so far) that likes to work with it is windows based and i'm a 100% linux house and none of my current computers have parallel ports.

ah, that makes a LOT of sense.

by the way, you can get cheap add on parallel I/O cards. Most Linux distros support them. Of course, if you are using laptops, nevermind...

yes, but why pay the money for a parallel card when USB is already onboard? it comes down to paying for a USB module to do jtag/isp or paying for a parallel card to use my existing (but limited) jtag board and get another board to do isp (or build) since i already have usb wired up to the desk, i prefer using a usb module =]

we're talking like $10 to give yourself more flexibility. Hey, it's your coin and your call.

By the way, a lot of motherboards actually have the port on headers on the board but not brought out on the back panel. It could be as simple as a cable and a connector.