Chromebook and LinuxCNC

I’m equipped with a year 2017 HP Chromebook 14 and developed a SeaBIOS and Debian with LinuxCNC. Idea is to try to run latest version of LinuxCNC with existing Chromebook hardware and connect an ethernet smooth stepper motion control with adapter to USB port. A CNC control box is already available. Debian OS seems to function okay except LinuxCNC won’t open at title box The Enhanced Machine Control and white pop-up box occurs Error: could not insert module /usr/realtime-3.4-9-rtai-686-pae/... It appears RTAI or PREEMPT-RT provides extension to LinuxCNC. Current Chromebook has an Intel processor. Does Chromebook correspond to real-time and can a USB be used instead parallel port anyway? Is it possible to configure existing equipment and if any additional components to make LinuxCNC functional? Is detail instructions, literature and or a link?

Whilst I use a Chromebook extensively there are significant flaws in your cunning plan.
1. Smoothstepper is not compatible with LinuxCNC. It is a motion controller in its own right developed for Mach3
2. USB is not real time and there is no hardware known to work with LCNC
4. Laptops make poor candidates for Linuxcnc controllers due to excessive latency and I suspect chromebooks are no different.
5. USB based parallel ports and network cards are not suitable.

So basically, your solution is to find another PC.

I guess I could use a small computer from Raspberry Pi or Odroid and PREEMPT-RT extension. I incidentally came across it Internet searching compatibility of laptops, RTAI and PREEMP-RT. It might be possible with a Samsung laptop and ARM but ARM might be fading out among laptop manufacturers. The laptop isn't needed with Raspberry Pi or Odroid small computer board but would require some other little boards including a monitor. I'd have to spend more time researching it and if to assemble.

If you are going to go with LInuxCNC, don't fight it, embrace it. I use one of these with a Mesa 7i76e


www.gigabyte.com.au/Mini-PcBarebone/GB-BXBT-1900-rev-10#ov

I'm interested in the Mini-PcBarebone/GB-BXBT-1900 and will investigate some sites. It appears that it has DB-15 and CAT5 ports. Is either port compatible with the Mesa 7i76e and 26 IDC? The Mesa 7i76e appears to be a breakout board and not a motion controller. I have a simpler breakout board that's a CNC4PC C10 that's with my CNC mill control box. I might upgrade it with something like one of the CNC4PC C11's but could consider something like Mesa 7i6e too. I'd imagine the C10 okay for now. I'm equipped with NEMA23 stepper motors, end caps and circular connectors, no rotary encoders and might explore if without and a quadrature board converter. I have another HP laptop with a Windows 8 OS, ethernet port and probably could boot another flash drive. How many parallel port pins does LinuxCNC use and if CAT5 were enough and compatible? I use Mach4 Hobby too and includes a Warp9 motion controller. Part of my interest with LinuxCNC is due to parametric programming.

It appears LinuxCNC paraport includes 17 pins. Could 2 of the pins not require utilize? Is a Mini PC VGA or DVI-I port a compatible paraport? Maybe a COM port if enough pins more applicable.

linuxcnc.org/docs/2.4/html/hal_parallel_port.html

Understood. Would a laptop with an ethernet port, smoothstepper and BIOS flash disk do then?

Config: Est yr 2014 HP 15 Notebook w/Win 8 OS>Mach4 Hobby/Industrial>Warp9 ESS>C10 BOB>KL-4030 Micro Step Drivers

Boot USB and Debian OS instead.

I haven't loaded Debian OS with HP 15 Notebook yet.

What driver of particular were you referring? Is the HP ethernet port not compatible with LinuxCNC even if using a smoothstepper?

HP has boot configuration options and legacy mode. At startup BIOS option and select USB. Debian OS pending and hung today. Maybe unable to locate device. I'll have to investigate.

I might be willing to obtain an enclosed mini PC and some additional hardware if anymore compatible and fits budget. I'd like to conserve already equipment meantime if compatible. I do like how compact and isolated the enclosed mini PCs are.