Finally getting into Linux again, on a new box with 256meg RAM and a UDMA 
HDD (big improvement) and going through SuSE 7.0 Professional packages. 
There are about 50 different packages that pertain to scientific 
instrumentation and data analysis. Many, many more are very useful for data 
presentation, including an IBM "open visualization" package (dx). Even more 
packages for programming; visual TCL looks perfect, but Delphi compatible 
Pascal looks perfect, too.

The package "SampLin" seems to be a very serious starting point with serial 
port and GPIB interfaces designed for chemical instrumentation control. The 
package "simple direct media layer" looks powerful for different 
interfaces.

I suppose I'll have to dig for diamonds here. It would be more fun if I 
were more competent, but learning something is OK, too.

Does anybody have any experience with this Linux use?? I never had the 
problem of too much to pick from with Windoze.