On 12/25/21 12:59 PM, John Dammeyer wrote
LinuxCNC is a GNU user space component until you add the Real Time side of
things to provide determinism which then makes it again a combination of
GNU/Linux with a user space component that is LCNC with a variety of user
interfaces.
And my point of starting this discussion thread was to point out that the LCNC
that we work with could be on a lot more hobby systems if the user interface
and installation was upgraded to
_Never_ever_have_to_use_the_command_line_or_text_editors_to_handle_or_modify_installation
or do a number of standard operations.
Sure. As long as you can guarantee that every single machine
manufactured, designed, built in someones garage or basement will be
identical to each and every other machine out there.
And before someone else brings it up I totally agree that entering G-Codes;
http://linuxcnc.org/docs/html/gui/axis.html#_mdi
or working with G-Code programs requires a text editor. That’s true of any
proper CNC system at some level.
A lot of us prefer to set up and maintain computing systems via the
system's config files. I've been around Unix and Linux long enough I
prefer vi most of the time. Other's prefer emacs. Why even discuss a
tool that comes standard with the OS?
The best example I can think of is my new touch probe. It has a light. I can
use the jog/mpg method to move the axis and watch the LED in the probe come on
and then set 0. Jog to the other side and touch off. Then use the calculator
to determine the midpoint, jog to that and set zero position. Been doing that
with my DRO-350 for years other than it has a FCN button that automatically
sets the zero for me when it reaches the second touch point and is electrically
connected to the probe input on the DRO-350 hardware.
John, I've been using a DRO-350 and a DRO-550 for years on my other
machines in the shop that are not CNC. Can't compare them though. They
are not motion controllers. They're digital readout systems that have
some nice mathematical capabilities. Now you are talking about a touch
off widget/program. Someone had to write the code for that either for
LCNC or any other motion controller and make it compatible with whatever
controller it's being used on.
But with this screen
https://github.com/verser-git/probe_screen_v2
most of what is needed is done automatically. Unfortunately it still requires
editing the INI and HAL files and somethings don't automatically work correctly.
Aren't you glad you have a text editor to do that? Better than compile,
run till break, debug, recompile, run till break, wash rinse repeat,
especially for a large executable.
Contrast that with the much less powerful MACH3 system where you select from the menu
"Config/Ports and Pins/Input Signals/Probe". And then there is simple touch off
operations under "Offsets(Alt-5)" Other MACH3 screens are possibly more sophisticated.
And perhaps the best example of all is the Tormach LCNC interface which also
simplifies things because in this case the*_hardware is known._*
Underlining and bolding is mine The three key words. Like I mentioned
above, all is possible if all machines in the world run the same
identical electronics, same identical mechanicals and are known to the
manufacturer from the get go. How much you want to bet the programmers
that developed PathPilot around their machines, with known hardware,
still had to do a bit of editing of Hal and ini files to get the final
product running and ready for production? And that's because like you
said, the hardware is known. But it was unknown until the developers
put the Pathpilot package together.
So if you are content with command line/editor operations great. I'm happy
it's working for you. But if we want more users involved in the LCNC community
something has to change.
Not really. If you want something changed, do it, get it to work, and
if the head developers think it's worthwhile, they'll include it in the
distribution. But expecting a large software project such as this to
come hard to port just to satisfy the whims of a few users is nonsense.
IMNSHO.
Mark
IMHO.
John Dammeyer
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