dusting off the CNC again... LinuxCNC update question, and laser question

been a while since i last used my CNC woodworking router... time to dust it off again i think. so as soon as i restore the network/internet link out in the CNC shed, i can upgrade LinuxCNC from 2.7.? to 2.8.
i noticed in the announcement that LinuxCNC now supports up to 9 spindles... would i be able to run my spindle on one channel, and a laser engraver/cutter head on a second spindle channel? if so, how do i tell the machine what head to use for a particular task?

what i want to do is 2D/3D engraving for signs, or fancy cabinet doors, with also the option to laser engrave a non-raster design (line art/vector graphics).

my machine uses a dual LPT port for control, currently, so i have the extra I/O channels to add the laser.

~Travis

I'm a fan of lcnc, but i understand that for laser there are easier programs.
And as u use lpt, why not run your machine with another program that controls only the xy and the laser.
m5c
Mike