Re: EMC ..... LINUX...What's it all about???

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@y..., "RC" <asdf@c...> wrote:

> Outside looking in... I always wondered about the Linux

operating system

> and what it could do for me, but I'm not an engineer, not even

close! So

> my question to you is, what could you suggest for one who wants to

learn

> more about linux? Also can you tell us more about the EMC, does

one need

> to know how to write code to use it? I heard a lot about it though

this

> group, but haven't a clue on what it is all about....
>
> RC

To use EMC you do not need to be a programmer. There is an active
group of folks continuing support for the EMC project many who are
active on this list as it looks. That being said I'm sure fresh input
would be accepted. You can read up on EMC here.

The linux EMC home site, an ever growing manual, links to active
users and the BDI image links can be found here.
http://www.linuxcnc.org/

The sourceforge site where the EMC project is hosted now.
http://sourceforge.net/projects/emc

The NIST site for EMC good background and theory etc.
http://www.isd.mel.nist.gov/projects/emc/emcsoft.html

As to Linux it is very stabile and well supported with the caveat
being that there is no real "official" version. This poses no real
problem since variations are often tool or development packaging
differences. All that matters is the distribution used supports the
tools and equipment you are using. This is where the BDI comes in
these folks have put the effort into collecting all the required
components and assembling them into a download.

Once you have an installation you just need to get comfortable with
the environment and terminology as with any thing. There are many
tutorials and good manuals from the distributors available online .
You might try these for a start, Red Hat's site is full of helpful
information.

http://www.ctssn.com/

http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/linux/RHL-7.2-Manual/getting-
started-guide/ch-doslinux.html

Once you get rolling you find there is not that much different.
Structures differ,procedures may seem weird and for sure file names
are bizarre at times. At the heart of it all it's not all that
different than DOS/WIN. In Linux the base operating system is Linux.
You learn to login , logout, manage users , tasks and the system.
Unlike DOS the primary OS is by nature muli user and multi tasking so
you will learn to manage these aspects some. For convenience you can
use a Graphical interface not unlike old windows it is just
a task you run to provide a GUI for your interface. There are many
options here but the key is this is simply a tool used to provide
access and support for graphical applications and is not the OS.

To use EMC you need only master the basics of Linux and the
interface tools i.e. how do I get it to do this. A general
understanding of tasks and scheduling ,just the basic concepts
here is a help in understanding the components of the program. Mostly
the effort is configuring EMC tools to do what you need.

My suggestion would be to read up a bit on EMC from the NIST site or
linuxcnc.org and get a feel for the program. If is sounds good get an
old PC and load it up with the BDI and start experimenting and get
comfortable with the environment. In open loop mode it won't care if
there is a machine or not keep the limits happy and let it spit steps
into space.

As far as Linux goes it's a tool. If you have all the software you
like for windows you won't really care much other than to run the
machine. I use both windows and Linux.. I prefer Linux for
development, experimentation and commercial real-time, the tools and
system support are just miles ahead there, mouse mashing gets old
just to do simple command line tasks. Windows is great running
quality commercial software but a dead pain when what you want does
not come in a box. My opin anyhow.

Brian
BSP