Step 6: Get a real computer!
LinuxCNC comes as a complete system - a specially compiled realtime Debian Linux operating system with the LinuxCNC software installed. That means you have to either re-format a computer to install it or get fancy and install it alongside your existing OS in a dual-boot setup - which I won't go into here, if you have to ask then you probably shouldn't do it.
Anyway, the ideal approach is to just dig up an old PC that has a parallel port on the back1) from somewhere and just install LinuxCNC on it as a single-purpose machine. If you're not into computers, find a friend who is and ask if they've got an old PC in their junk collection (they will, we all do) and drag it home, ideally with a keyboard, mouse, and monitor etc.
The computer doesn't have to be very powerful - something 10 years old will likely be entirely OK, and you don't want an expensive PC if it's living in the workshop. £50 on eBay should more than sort you out.
If you don't need a parallel or serial port for your CNC device then almost anything will do - old laptops are perfect.
I discovered my collection of old crap didn't quite meet the criteria (the PC with a parallel port had no graphics card, the PC that worked didn't have a parallel port) so I wandered round to the IT department and relieved them of an old Dell base unit from their pile - an OptiPlex 760 with an Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 @3Ghz and 3G of RAM, Radeon 3450 graphics card, and a 250G hard drive. It's not going to set the world on fire but it's a perfect score for our needs. Being Dell it's physically well constructed too, and quiet, which is nice.
Step 6a: Install LinuxCNC again!
Guess what! You've now got to install LinuxCNC on this machine.
Wrinkle #1: I discovered that this will NOT work from an Easy2Boot stick which is a real shame, so I burned it to a spare USB stick and fired it up.
Wrinkle #2: After installation, the graphics was glitching and flickering and very low-res. The graphics card came with a dual-head VGA adapter, swapping to a DVI one seems to have cured it and makes the world less fuzzy.
Procedure is pretty simple - download ISO, write to USB stick, boot PC and follow on-screen instructions like we did in step 2.
Step 6b: Get more software!
Yes, this is also Step 4 so I won't detail it here - read the Debian manuals for how to do it.
I will be installing:
- Kate text editor
PyCam Wrinkles
Download get-pip.py from https://packaging.python.org/tutorials/installing-packages/#id13, then:
python get-pip.py pip install --upgrade pip enum34 pycam
Work In Progress here!
Step 6c: Playstation!
Well, a knock-off USB Playstation controller anyway. Very handy for moving the mill.
I haven't yet managed to get it working with LinuxCNC but there's info on their website about doing it.
