Complete HOW-TO Linux Mint 18.1 32/64 RTAI or PREEMPT with RIP install or deb

small addendum to POST 3 for those who wants to install RTAI under Ubuntu 16.04. While making kernel, there is a problem finding gcc-4.6 dependency, saying in Terminal:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
linux-headers-3.4-9-rtai-686-pae : Depends: gcc-4.6 but it is not installable

.

To solve this I added in Source List two more lines:

deb archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty universe
deb-src archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty universe

install gcc-4.6, resume building kernel and make my day bright.

Cheers,

I installed Ubuntu 16.04 and compiled the 4.9.4-rt2 #1 SMP PREEMPT RT kernel without issue, works like a charm once I ditched the PCI ath9k wireless card in favor of a USB mt7601u wireless dongle. This is an Optiplex 780 with "Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q8300 @ 2.50GHz". With boot arguments "isolcpus=3 idle=poll acpi_irq_nobalance noirqbalance", I get ~15us latency on the base (25us) thread and <10us on the servo thread. With the ath9k PCI card my latencies were in 700us!!! I'm hoping to be able to ditch the "idle=poll" argument with the Mesa 5i25/7i76 setup I'm cobbling together.

The only problem I have so far is that with my local-built 2.7.8 linuxcnc, it appears the keyboard repeat is messing up jogging in axis. It goes pretty smoothly at first, but as soon as the keyboard repeat kicks in, the axis I'm jogging starts groaning and complaining. The worst thing is that it looks like the repeat queues up a bunch of events, so the jogging doesn't stop when I let go of the arrow/pg up/pg down keys.

Anyone know what this is about, keyboard auto-repeat messing up jogging in axis?

Unless you have terrible latency, and if you are using a 5I25, I would probably not use isolcpus or
idle=poll since even 100 or so usec latency is not harmful and isolcpus lowers performance while
idle=poll uses more power

Thanks, without idle=poll it's around 30-40us, which is probably fine for Mesa?
I don't mind "slow", as those 3 decent cores are quite enough to run this machine to my satisfaction. I do mind the power and the heat of idle=poll, though.

I have done the installation, but have several issues, that some others had before.
cncnoob1979, is it allowed, that i steal (copy) some of your manual from several pages and make some additions?
If yes, than I'll post it here in the next days.

Is Mint more widely adopted for Master-based LCNC platform development? Currently on Debian Wheezy, the problem of screen sizing for Gmoccapy is (according to 'rodw') not an issue on the Mint platform.

Considering my post of May 26, it's a consideration to dabble in experimental 'taskmodule.cc' code. With experience in mini-/microcomputer design (can't be the sole survivor of the 'good old days' of HP 2100, PDP, ... minicomputer ecosystems, ECL, STTL pre-VHDL/FPGA, and gate arrays) and embedded C++, retirement presents the pressure - or rather opportunity - to come to grips with Linux(CNC)!

As noted (in Rod's post of April 5), overlaying a custom module on checked out Master source should not be problematic ... but reference to issues around 'boost-python' (coded within 'taskmodule.cc') suggest there may be pitfalls.

Among other interests, extension of the 'task_mode' state machine design might facilitate robust manual tool change allowing jogging and touch-off (my post of May 26, and others).

Is this seen as being of only marginal interest to the community? My understanding of the entire LCNC software architecture is shallow at this time, oblivious to potential side-effects such an enhancement might cause. The modularity of LCNC code, and what appears (prior to scrutiny) to be scope limitation of coding to 'taskmodule.cc', suggest that this specific behavioural enhancement may be realised by making changes within that module only. Appreciating there may be sensitivity to dabbling with a module at the heart of LCNC implementation (not presently proposing another github branch), it's clear that intensive study is needed to verify this. The impact on libraries, Python API, halui and GUIs (etc) to exploit such an enhancement are not overlooked.

Comment on 'depth of the pit', and topic interest / similar initiative will be appreciated.

Excellent guide, I'm now in the process on following post 2
I run into some dependencies issue, and looking in this same thread I found someone who had exactly the same problem with the message on the console

python-imaging-tk : Depends: python-imaging (= 1.1.7-4) but 3.1.2-0ubuntu1.1 is to be installed
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.

but he just started from fresh installation and the issue disappeared, I just got stuck on that and other dependencies issues on a 32 bit mint 18.1 and according to the tutorial those dependencies where an issue for the 64 bit version not for the 32 bit version, then I found the answer it was the DNS from my internet operator that was no able to resolve some of the urls, I changed to the usual google dns and the issue just disappeared and now I'm continuing with the installation.

Sorry gentlemen I have been extremely busy and I have not abandoned this thread.

uli12us,

Feel free to provide any further clarification or any helpful information. I give permission to anyone that would like to reproduce my text in any form.

hwylie,

I am not a coder by any means. I'm a guy that breaks stuff and then figures out how it broke I suggest posting your question in general questions area... where experts there can help you directly with you questions.

Jorgefv,

python-imaging-tk : Depends: python-imaging (= 1.1.7-4) but 3.1.2-0ubuntu1.1 is to be installed
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.

Have you looked at Launchpad to see if this package is a dependency that is dependent on a larger package?

Are you still having an issue with this? If so post back here and I will help you out. I would need the complete console printout to help you however.

As I said in my post that was an DNS issue that got solved by using the google dns instead of the default from my internet provider. I had many dependencies issues same as I saw on this thread that all disappeared when I changed the DNS now thanks to this excellent guide I got everything installed I have not tried connecting the mesa cards yet but I just wanted to share how I solved the dependencies issue that according to you should not be on the 32bit installation.