> From: Aaron J Reichow [mailto:reic0024 at d.umn.edu]
> The BotKit depends on an ActiveX control (spirit.ocx) to
> compile messages from the BotKit to RCX (the robot brick)
> bytecodes and then to communicate with the RCX unit.

I believe somebody reverse-engineered this to produce a C library for Linux
(I'm not where I can conveniently look for the reference).  The worst we'd
then need would be isolation for the serial drivers for IR.

> NQC <http://www.enteract.com/~dbaum/nqc/> is a C-like 
> language with which
> one can create programs for Lego Mindstorms.  I find it a lot more
> flexible than the visually programmed system which comes with the
> Mindstorms kit.

Almost anything would be more flexible.  Also see LegOS, which is a full
micro-kernel for the onboard Hitachi chip.  Allows gcc/g++ generated code
for that chip to be downloaded and run.  For added amusement, LegOS also
includes full IR packet-data communications, I believe including a driver
for the PC transceiver.

ObDisclaimer: I'm a starter with RCX (was put onto it by one of the Lego
employees who helped develop it; now I just need a few spare weekends).

		- Peter