StepConf Wizard INI file

The StepConf Wizard is a nice quick start tool I use it often
one thing that would make things even easer would be a
custom INI file, that functions like the custom HAL file.
this would save a bit of reediting the INI file every time
I use the StepConf Wizard to make a change.

Perhaps there is a existing trick to accomplish this but
I don't know it.

Thanks

Why are you editing the INI file everytime?
I can't see how a custom INI file could work well as the INI is searched by heading first then item, so if you wanted to customize on item you have to copy
all the other items (under that heading) too. Or else we would have to change the way Linxcnc looks up stuff in the INI file.

In most cases if you are custom editing the INI file for what options you want then you should probably stop using stepconf and just edit directly.
On the other hand if the edits you are doing are broadly useful maybe we could add the option the stepconf.

I don't know if this topic has been addressed anywhere else, but I too think it would be good to have a "custom.ini" file capability similar to what's implemented for the HAL files.

I'm relatively new to LinuxCNC and am trying to get my gantry CNC router configured correctly. From the documentation I've read, many of the INI options are not available from within StepConfig Wizard, so if I want to experiment and try some of them, they must be manually added to the file. So if I then decide to implement something else (like home switches, for instance) I either have to save my changes to the INI file and re-run StepConfig or manually add the new parameters.

If I'm missing something, please let me know.

Unfortunately the INI file works differently then the HAL files.

HAL files are read once each startup and in a linear fashion.

The INI is read many times during running and in a non linear fashion.
In fact if you write two heading lines the same then only the first one will be used.

So having linuxcnc look in two different places for the INI info would be problematic with little gain.

StepConf was meant for basic machine. It was extended a bit to add a few options such as classicladder and pyVCP as they were common problems.
It's been a long time since it's been updated for new options like gladevCP.
Probably needs some stuff added for ngcgui options and such. What options are you editting for?

I would bet most of the developers might consider having to edit the INI for beyond basic configurations a feature...at some point your gonna have to learn about the details.

Chris M

I've never used the config picker, as I've always just used the shortcut icon the wizard puts on the desktop. Having multiple INI files would allow someone like me to experiment to see what parameters are created with the various selections available in the wizard, so maybe I'll start using the config picker.

I manually edited my INI file to add some of the homing parameters that the wizard didn't generate, so I've crossed over the do-not-use-the-wizard-to-modify-this-INI-file line for my router.

Thanks for the input.

Van