(09-08-2014, 05:11 AM)stevec Wrote:

(09-07-2014, 09:03 AM)vtsteam Wrote: Installed LinxCNC on my old 1998 Thinkpad 600E laptop

vt, just curious, does the computer have to be running on Linux or would the Linux CNC run on a windows based computer?

Steve, there are several options:

1.) Run Linux strictly off the LinuxCNC live CD on a Windows computer (it will be slow).
-or-
Run it off of a thumb drive -- that might be faster -- depends on the speed of the drive and USB port.

2.) Install LinuxCNC on a former Windows computer, replacing Windows with the included Linux.

3. Install LinuxCD on a Windows computer by shrinking the Windows partition(s) on the hard drive, repartitioning the freed up space, and installing LinuxCD and Linux there. Set up a dual booting loader (GRUB) to be able to boot into either Windows or Linux.

LinuxCNC can only run in a Linux environment however, so if you are in Windows, you can't run a CNC operation.

I personally think that a computer that is powering a CNC machine should be a dedicated computer anyway -- why expose it to viruses on the Internet via a browser or run word processing or spreadsheets on it?

Since you can use old computers for the CNC controller, (in fact they may be better suited than newer ones) it makes sense to have two computers -- one for regular work and CAD, etc. and one for a dedicated machine controller.

But anyway, those are the options. Note that the Linux installed with CNCLinux actually comes bundled with a web browser (Firefox) and full office suite (Open Office) and a full graphics editing program (GIMP) so you can actually do a fair amount of non CNC stuff without Windows anyway. -- If you actually want to.