A7N266 for Linux and Linuxcnc

Hi :-} My first post. I want to learn Linuxcnc and build a CNC out of my Hardinge Mill. I have a old PC with a A7N266 with a 1400 cpu, I think 2 gigs of ram. I have installed Centos4 on it and had problems with CD at command line. I installed Ubuntu 14.04 now and it is real slow. Would someone recommend an OS to use.

In reading through the forum I do I run LinuxCNC from a USB drive or install it to the PC with Linux?

Thanks for your comments
Bruce

In most cases people using LinuxCNC download the OS and LinuxCNC bundled together
This is because LinuxCNC runs under a real time OS so it requires a special kernel

Normally this is installed by writing the LinuxCNC+Linux image to a USB drive, booting from that drive
and then installing on a hard drive.


www.linuxcnc.org/index.php/english/download

If I understand the ubuntu-10.04-linuxcnc3-i386.iso I downloaded is the operating system and linuxcnc all in one. COOL thanks

On second thought I guess I will be building a new PC.

Had time to sleep on it. With more searching here I see I can down load Ubuntu 8.04 and 6.06. I will try one of these first. What will be the drawbacks with not having the current version of emac2 (2.4)?

Why it it that the first Ubuntu 10.04 I could burn to a DVD-R and now every download requires a DVD-R/RW?

Thanks John,

I got Ubuntu-10.4 installed and it ran like a 286 on floppies. Then it went to booting to Grub and nothing I could
find about Grub on line worked. I finally found a ISO that would install to a CD and managed to delete the / directory.
I am sure I could have installed better but let the disk run it course. Finely got back to a drive I could install
to and am going back with CentOS-4 for now. I just want some where I can install LinuxCNC to and click around on it.
I can install LinuxCNC as a program in Centos, right? Do I have to use Ubuntu?

I think my DVD problem was Nero wanting me to pay them $50. That cost me almost 50 in dvd's

Thanks for your help! I hope to be back with a new thread.

Bruce

Great I am replying from my LinuxCNC PC. Had trouble with the 10.04 install and tried the 8.04 and it is working O-Ta. Can't remember the problem I had with 10, but I am happy with 8.04. It runs fine on this PC. CNC is installed so I am headed for the EMC2 getting started guide. I'll be back.