Linux-EMC in a box?

> Finally, let me add my voice to those who think that a CD with RT Linux and
> EMC on it made as simple as possible to install is a good idea. Like, put
> in the disk, get a instant machine controller. Is this possible?

Not too likely with arbitrary hardware, unfortunately. It might work
if you said 'given this video card, any of these network cards, this
type of hardrive and CD', but most people wouldn't know the techy
details and it's hopeless taking a shopping list to a computer store.
Given the range of hardware out there, it's pretty amazing it works as
'painlessly' as it does (note the quotes around that). Heck, I have a
machine I'm working on now where Windoze won't even recognize the
mouse, serial _or_ PS/2. Probably a hardware glitch, but still a pain
...

How about a bundled system including the servo board as an option?
It's a lot easier to match up the software if you have the hardware
handy and it's the wide range of video cards available that makes
configuring X a pain. We end up building PC systems for folks locally
(Windows 9x with NT or Linux file servers, depending on what they
need). It's more interesting to build Linux systems.

--
Paul Amaranth | Rochester MI, USA
Aurora Group, Inc. | Software Development
paul@... | Unix / C / Tcl-Tk

[So how much would a computer and servo board (probably the Servo-to-go)
with Real-Time Linux and EMC set up and running (and with manuals and
custom CD) end up costing? It sounds like this would fulfill a real need (
at least for me). I don't see why it would need to be a super-fast machine
if it was to be a dedicated control system only. A monochrome monitor would
be okay, I think, and the video card wouldn't need to be anything fancy, as
long as it was on the compatibility list. Getting the data in through a
network sounds slick, but aren't there problems establishing a network
amongst different OS's ? I generally share data using a Zip disk- would
there be any problems using this in Linux? Would it be helpful to include
some of the DOS-to-Unix utilities someone mentioned, or would this be
unneccesary to read g-code files? Would this be all I'd need to be up and
running (oh, I forgot the opto-isolators- is there anything else I'd need
to control a servo-equipped milling machine?]

Andrew Werby

Andrew Werby - United Artworks
Sculpture, Jewelry, and Other Art Stuff
http://unitedartworks.com