a busted machine

I've started to bring up an entirely new computer using version 2.8 -- (I have a feeling this is a bad idea)

The installation process stumbles when it comes to partitioning the disk. I was going to use a flash SSD drive but that always failed at the partitioning stage. I have tried the LVM option (I have no idea what LVM stands for, Logical Volume Manager perhaps?) and it goes further and completes the install but has trouble with the update mirror, which it can't find. In my other many Linux installations mirrors are selected at any time, not just at installation. Mirrors come, mirrors go...

Finally, I tried "lspci" and it isn't there. Nor is lsusb or other Linux utilities (haven't looked extensively). Without lspci I can't locate the installed address of the parallel port card.

Maybe without the mirror the installation is incomplete ?

I'm continuing with a new machine and 2.8. I tried the "graphical install" and it seems to be more complete. lspci works. All very odd.

The LinuxCNC/Debian system has a broken networking facility (the network itself is fine). The error message reads: Failed to Open "/ on" This is not good because I use the network extensively when working with the CNC machine. I commonly have two other workstations I use to create my G-Code. Moving files around with a USB drive is no good.

Any advice on getting the network browser to work ?

 

I can't help you much about linux/debian itself as I'm far from being an expert but I think you should open a new discussion for this under 'Installing LinuxCNC' since this is not much related with the title of this topic anymore.

Good luck.

The solution to my networking problem I found here:
superuser.com/questions/1751118/cant-con...erver-debian-11-xfce
It is unfortunate that the 2.8 installer doesn't by default install networking.sudo apt install gvfs-backends  At last I have the machine recognizing an add-in parallel port with LinuxCNC installed on an SSD.

I have LinuxCNC seemingly happy with both the ini and the hal I created for the new computer. However, when LinuxCNC starts up it reports:

No parport registered at 0x4000. This is not always an error. Continuing

I have to say I don't like this. lspci -v reports that the StarTech parallel port is at 0x4000 and 0x4010. I happen to be 140 miles from the CNC hardware so I can't readily check if LinuxCNC really is connected to the parallel port. I assume I will get this pseudo-error every time I fire up LinuxCNC even when connected to my CNC hardware.

This is most likely because the parallel port has no register read-back facility so LinuxCNC just sends something to 0x4000 and if Debian doesn't complain it maybe is OK. A better solution would be to have the user temporarily short pins 14 and 15 on the parallel port and do a simple loop-back test.



 

It seems that the OS needs to be told that the parallel port is present. Executing the following removes the pseudo error message:
sudo modprobe parport_pc io=0x4000
So the installations sequence should read: lspci -v to get the address of the parallel port then let the OS know it is active via modprobe.
This fixes the problem but not permanently. The fix has to be run every time the machine is booted.

Copy the old folder to 
~/linuxcnc/configs

As I mentioned, I'm 140 miles away from the actual CNC machine. It will be a week before the computer gets hooked up to the hardware. My task is to check things out, as far as possible, beforehand.

I simply don't like things that are pseudo-errors. There are three classes of reports that I use in my code:

1. Error             He's Dead, Jim. Do not pass GO, do not collect $200.
2. Warning        Not good, but something needs to be checked or fixed. For production release there should be no warnings.
3. Information   blah, blah, blah...

The time at the CNC machine is somewhat constrained so I want to be up and running without fuss. I'll probably re-check the the XY&Z scales but that is about all.
We use the machine for art making purposes and my collaborator is only available to visit one week a year. You can see our work here:
  Howe-McCarthy