Remote access to your CNC machine

I just downloaded and installed LinuxCNC then Googled around and found all the applications needed for remote access, here is my list:

## NOTE: my machines are behind a firewall, all local access is secure behind locked doors
## My Windows based machines are Windows 7 and XP
## I named my computer CNC during the install
## First get the user root to work
sudo -I
passwd root
## logout and login as root
## now get a ssh server up for remote access, install the wrapper for unknown WiFi devices, install a
## RDP server for windows to remote access the server and then install file sharing
apt-get -y install openssh-server ndisgtk xrdp samba

## or one at a time:
apt-get install openssh-server
## I use putty as a windows client www.putty.org/
## if you have a USB WiFi device 10.04 can't use:
apt-get install ndisgtk
## after it is installed you can open System/Administration/Windows Wireless Drivers and install the
## XP/x86 inf file then configure the WiFi network.

apt-get install xrdp
## www.liberiangeek.net/2011/06/connect-to-...-via-remote-desktop/

apt-get install samba
## edit sambas config file installing your net workgroup name and uncomment the security=user line
nano /etc/samba/smb.conf
workgroup=myworkgroup
security=user
## At the bottom of the smb.conf add: ([share] is the share name for drive mapping)
[share]
comment = Ubuntu File Server Share
path = /srv/samba/share
browsable = yes
guest ok = yes
read only = no
create mask = 0755
## save and exit
mkdir -p /srv/samba/share
chown nobody.nogroup /srv/samba/share/
restart smbd
restart nmbd
Pasted from <help.ubuntu.com/10.04/serverguide/samba-fileserver.html>

## Webmin a tool to manage the server from a WEB Browser
wget prdownloads.sourceforge.net/webadmin/webmin_1.610_all.deb
dpkg --install webmin_1.610_all.deb
Pasted from <www.webmin.com/deb.html>
## after it fails
apt-get -f install

## edit the hosts file and add the IP of the ubuntu server and alias by the name you gave it
## /windows/system32/drivers/etc/hosts is hidden and you must be admin to save it, if you use
## notepad to edit it then use Save As with *.* and save the file as hosts, you should get a prompt
## telling you that you're over writing a file.
## open a browser to https:\\YOURSERVERALAIS:10000 and login as root, from the menu select servers/samba/User
## List and select the user you will use to create the drive mapping on your windows desktop, enter the
## users password and exit and now you can create the drive mapping on your windows computers.
## Now you can use YOURSERVERALAIS to gain access to the machine with ssh client, RDP client or a
## browser

What ever you do DONOT apt-get tasksel then try to install LAMP, it will remove everything including your desktop then fail!
Now logout and login as a normal user!

Nice job on your packaging LinuxCNC, simple to install without the blot!

Update: Has an issue with the screen saver not working:
## I tried adjusting compiz by installing a manager
apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager
## that didn't work, screen saver still would not function
## Fix the screen saver issue
Apt-get install fusion-icon
## Then select Metacity was the windows manager seems to fix it

Surely SSH/SCP with pass key and terminal access is easier than installing all that? If you're a geek like me.

It was a lot of googling to get all the parts but it was worth it; now I sit in my computer room on my workstation with my 32" monitors, twin quad 3.2Ghz Xeons, I can use Microsoft's Remote Desktop Connection tool to control my LinuxCNC box as it sits in the shop at 35 degrees!

Just for plain remote desktop, you can use these simple steps: wiki.ubuntu.com/Lubuntu/RemoteDesktop. RemoteDesktop is already installed in Ubuntu. You just have to enable/configure it.

And for file sharing SCP is very easy to use. You could also use RSYNC to automatically copy files/folders if you always use the same source and destination paths.

I did do the simple steps for remote file serving; apt-get install xrdp

Rsync is from samba.org but not the GUI part.

SCP, in order to use scp I need WINSCP install on my windows machine.

I could use wget/wput but that defeats the purpose; I wouldn't get to spend quality time figuring out how to do something!

It's all what you are use to, I have xrdp on two Raspberry-PI's so I can run them headless, I've been using Samba for a while and. WEBMIN is just a fast means to maintain linux boxes from my windows workstation without having to hook monitors to the linux boxes.

Now on to something good, installing a new spindle motor on my lathe and figuring out how to do it!

Here is an article about remote accessing CNC macine - www.eltima.com/cnc-machine-software/. Have anybody used this application?

tommylight, you are right. This soft is not for controlling cnc, it allows to access a machine remotely. But on the product page (www.eltima.com/products/serial-over-ethernet/) I found linux version.