Re: Linux-EMC suggestion

> From: Bertho Boman <boman@...>
>
> I have been sitting on the fence thinking about implementing EMC but my

time is extremely limited and going through the

> headaches that I keep reading about to get Linux-EMC up and running is not

something that I look forward to. I guess I am in

> the same situation as Hans.

You can avoid 99% of the headaches by starting with a suitable computer:

1. Intel or AMD processor chip (NO CYRIX!!!).
2. Single IDE hard drive, 1GB+ in size connected to the first IDE port as
master.
3. Simple ISA or PCI video card with 1 or 2 MB of RAM (more is OK). I've had
good luck with ATI and S3 based designs. Avoid Trident based cards if
possible. No AGP, and none of those new 3D cards with 1000TB of memory
either!
4. 32MB+ of RAM.
5. Known good motherboard. Linux stresses computers way more than Windows,
especially during kernel compiles. If it's flaky, it won't fly. I'm partial
to Intel brand motherboards myself, and I can also second Hans'
recommendation of SuperMicro.
6. Single 3.5" floppy drive (needed for boot disk)
7. Single ATAPI (IDE) CDROM drive, connected to the second IDE port as
master.
8. If you want a network card make sure it's installed before you install
Linux as the auto detection and setup of these cards saves you a lot of
trouble. I'd recommend a card based on the DEC Tulip chip as that driver is
really well developed and works (usually) with no fiddling or fussing around.
Another card that I can recommend (and which I use in all my machines) is the
Intel EtherExpress series which also just comes up and runs without any
manual configuration.
9. If you want a modem make sure it's a real modem, not a Winmodem and that
it's not Plug & Play, or can be configured to work in legacy mode with
jumpers to select the COM port address and interrupt number (or use an
external modem).

> There appears to be a lot of problems caused by EMC needing an old version

kernel and that the old 5.2 revision does not come

> with the modern drivers and utilities.

RH 6.x is based on the 2.2.x kernel, while RH 5.2 was the last of the 2.0.x
kernel releases. There are versions of the RT-Linux kernel patches for the
2.2.x kernels, and there is a version of the EMC software that has been
modified to work with them. As I remember there was still one outstanding bug
that had something to do with clocks (time-of-day or real-time) that kept
this version from being used widely. Converting to the 2.2.x kernel IS a high
priority though and I expect you'll see some movement on this front in the
next few months (maybe sooner).

> Would it not make the whole process a lot simpler if for example RED Hat

6.2 could be installed and tested on a computer and

> when finally everything is up and running and verified EMC could just be

added?

Sure, and eventually I expect that the RT-Linux patches will be integrated
into the main kernel source and will be available as a configuration option
at installation time.

> At that point the only troubleshooting would be for EMC configuration and

testing of the CNC hardware. As it is now, both

> problems are encountered plus trying to get newer utilities to run on the

older version.

What newer utilities? The only things I can think of that won't work under
the 2.0 kernel are AGP video cards, USB, and I can't seem to get Q-Cad
running with the old version of the C libraries (which also changed with the
introduction of the 2.2.x kernel). There are new graphical installation
utilities, but I don't know if they are specific to the 2.2.x kernel based
versions of Linux.

> Most of these problems would disappear if EMC could be made to run on an

up-to-date RT kernel. Would it not make more sense to

> upgrade EMC for the new kernel than to add this or that feature that only a

few persons might need?

Well, the current focus of development is improvements to the stepper driver
code and integrating the GUI improvements made by Ray Henry. Once that's done
I don't see any reason not to look into the 2.2.x kernel stuff.

> If the installation process is stream lined, there would be many more users

and the support base would increase and make it

> easier to add the extra features later. We need to increase the critical

mass for EMC to really take off.

I agree completely! In a relatively short time, we'll get there. Perhaps we
ought to make up a CD with Linux and all the other components you need to get
a CNC going along with an expanded version of Tim Goldstein's script to
simplify installation. Beyond this I don't know what to say. I doubt IDG will
ever publish, _Building CNC Machine Tools for Dummies_. The EMC software IS
difficult to set up and this could be improved, however Fanuc and Mitsubishi
CNC controls are also difficult to set up because they have a quite arcane
configuration system that consists of literally hundreds of numbered
"parameters" that have to be calculated based on scanty descriptions in a
manual written by someone whose command of English is probably not sufficient
to enable them to order a meal in a restaurant! Sorry, got carried away there
for a moment. Anyway, installation and configuration IS a priority and will
be dealt with ASAP.

Matt