What is the importance of real-time kernel

I am new to LinuxCNC. I am just curious, why must LinuxCNC run with a real-time kernel? Is it a matter of having more reliable timing or being able to do more things simultaneously/in quick succession? (or something else?)

Thanks!

This gives a brief coverage of the topic

www.linuxcnc.org/index.php/english/forum...-the-latency-problem

regards

Well, to be more specific, and apropos to software-driven steppers, the motor and the
software need to stay in sync. If the computer cannot generate smooth trains
of step pulses, then it will give step pulses that are not evenly spaced in time,
and the motor will attempt to follow the jumpy step timing. If the error
exceeds some bounds, then the motors will jump in increments of 4 full
steps, or lose sync completely, and just stall. Without a real time kernel,
there can be unpredictable gaps when the CPU is busy processing a
network packet, checking if it is time to switch to another task, handling
a temporary disk error, checking CPU temperature or battery status,
etc. These gaps can be sizable fractions of a second, and the motors
will have to stop or stall during them, leading to unpredictable
positioning errors.

After the system, drivers and software have been tested to prove they do
not suffer from these errors, you can be confident that such loss of
position will not occur.

Jon
Jon

Thank you very much for the helpful replies!