Introduction along with some questions regarding LinuxCNC

I am on the easy side too. Just focus on getting the machine moving safely. Don't be tempted to add any bells and whistles that needs a more complex configuration like Mecanix did until you got the basics right.

The main difference between linuxcnc and other systems is that here you have to decide what each pin does and others might label the pins for you.

Does LinuxCNC have a steep learning curve or am I overthinking too much?

I my case it was/is a steep learning curve. Why? I didn't choose the easy way. You can use the parallel port, but if you have the money, just buy a mesa-card that is supported by PnCconf, a configuration wizard. 7i96s for example. And use a decent intel/amd pc, not a raspberry pi like I did.
And, read the Linuxcnc manual. There is a point where you probably don't understand is anymore, but just keep reading. And after that, read it again. Use the search function on this form if you really get stuck.

I don't know about other diy machines, but if you look at the wiki of PrintNC, you can find a lot of information to get started.

Please tells us more about your experience with metal/aluminium/wood/linux/electronics/plc's/computers/etc... 

I understand the discussion/frustration about linuxcnc, but that should be in another topic I think. 

Thanks everyone. I can understand that this is going to be hard. Maybe anything beyond moving two steppers is going to need educating myself. But since I can do this with a parallel port BoB and no extra costs, I can give it some time to learn or maybe ask a few questions here as well. 

Since I am just controlling two steppers and taking input from an encoder for external and internal threading, what extra would a mesa card like 7i96 bring to the plate in comparison to a paraport BoB?

Regarding my experience, I am a penturner with some knowledge in metal-working. I found out that I really like machining, and thus I am willing to learn some CNC and maybe take this even forward in the future.. 

The mesa card offloads the step generation to external hardware. This eliminates the need for a base thread used for step generation with a parallel port. This results in higher performance and smoother operation. There are many other features and expandability options. I've never used a parallel port with linuxcnc.

Look Linuxcnc can run on just about any hardware platform that runs Linux, with in reason. You can make it as simple or as hard as you like. HAL may appear confusing, but it can be learnt as you go, take it step by step. A lot of issues come from typos in pin & signals names. If you get an error such as "pin xx doesnt exist" or similar check for typos.

I've found the CAM part the most challenging so far. Getting to know what speeds & feeds work with your machine.

Electrical ? Well that's the same amount of difficulty no matter what system you go with.

Linux in general ? No harder than Windows, but way way more powerful if you choose to use it that way, no one is born knowing how to use Windows or MacOS. No worries about viruses from programs, 95% of what you will require comes from the distributor of the distros.

And..... Pete from Mesa is a regular here and his support is above any Gold Standard, First Class, 5 Star rating.

Thank you everyone. Perhaps I will go with the paraport BoB for now since shipping mesa cards to India is quite costly and there is customs on top of that. Once I get the hang of it, I will go with a 7i96(?).

For now, I have installed Linuxcnc on a Virtual Pc to understand what the UI a bit. Need to understand it more especially the tool offsets and programming G-codes. 

I don't have an old computer laying around and since I have bought a new computer just a year ago, I was thinking of adding a parallel port to it via PCIe slot. Is there any extra setting one needs to do in Linuxcnc with such a setup?