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

Joel what patch are you trying to apply to that kernel? I have not tested beyond RT2 patch. I had some fail before due to various reasons.

To ensure a working kernel I would suggest you choose what I had already tested; or others.

Also two pages back I have a deb of linuxcnc master built that I put in my sharedrive. you can use it for testing if you wish but dependencies will still need to be satisfied.

1drv.ms/f/s!AlFSQXDHA0QAxGoqfsQwGBwqUzMm

Thanks mate. I think that will be waiting until I get home from work tomorrow, if I'm still awake then. LOL

First problem with 18.2, 64bit.

Did:
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

Then:
sudo add-apt-repository 'deb mirrors.kernel.org/ubuntu precise main universe'
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install libgnomeprintui2.2-dev python-support tcl8.4-dev tk8.4-dev

Then:
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade (again, just making sure)

Then:
sudo apt-get install devscripts build-essential imagemagick texlive-font-utils tcl8.6-dev tk8.6-dev libxaw7-dev libncurses-dev libreadline-gplv2-dev dblatex groff python-dev python-tk libglu1-mesa-dev libgtk2.0-dev asciidoc source-highlight libboost-python-dev texlive-lang-cyrillic debhelper texlive-lang-french texlive-lang-spanish texlive-lang-german libmodbus-dev dvipng libusb-1.0-0-dev graphviz inkscape python-numpy python-imaging-tk python-gtkglext1 tclreadline blt bwidget libtk-img tclx libudev-dev gstreamer0.10-plugins-base python-vte libqt4-dev libssl-dev texlive-lang-polish w3c-linkchecker libxenomai-dev git

And I get:
Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
or been moved out of Incoming.
The following information may help to resolve the situation:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
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.

Working on it. I'll give it till midnight.

So I understand this to mean (could be wrong?) python-imaging-tk needs python-imaging.

But when I issue:
sudo apt-get install python-imaging

I get:
python-imaging is already the newest version (3.1.2-0ubuntu1.1).

Going on to Kernel Build so I can go to bed.

Give up again for today.

Downloaded linux-4.9.4.tar.xz and patch-4.9.4-rt2.patch.gz

Did:
tar -xpf linux-4.9.4.tar.xz
gunzip patch-4.9.4-rt2.patch.gz
cp patch-4.9.4-rt2.patch linux-4.9.4
cd linux-4.9.4
cat patch-4.9.4-rt2.patch | patch -p1

No errors

Did:
make xconfig

and I get:
CHECK qt
*
* Could not find Qt via pkg-config.
* Please install either Qt 4.8 or 5.x. and make sure it's in PKG_CONFIG_PATH
*
make[1]: *** No rule to make target 'scripts/kconfig/.tmp_qtcheck', needed by 'scripts/kconfig/qconf.o'. Stop.
Makefile:546: recipe for target 'xconfig' failed
make: *** [xconfig] Error 2

as a quick work around on make xconfig you can instead use;

make menuconfig

have you verified that you have QT installed? Im pretty sure you would. After installing build essentials.
I'm assuming you are now trying to install 64bit.. is this 18.1 or 18.2

the python-imaging-tk is part of a larger package. Search official Ubuntu repositories to find them using launch pad.
Typically you can find these packages that are part of the precise base.

launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/python-imaging

I would suggest that to check for other dependencies that you download linuxcnc as in the tutorial and do a git pull. Then check for missing dependencies. Therefore you know what you are looking for in lauchpad and can get all the dependencies that you require at once.

Rodw mentioned he got his USB dongle working with Mint.

But I did not tell you how long it took me as this was not written.... It was a long time ago. I was ready to give up but these guys wouldn't let me.

Its important to stay to the versions listed. I think in fact I'm running 17.3 as PCW had some comments to stay away from the bleeding edge for some reason I've forgotten. If it ain't broke.... My understanding is that the preemptive patch was not developed for every version of the kernel so make sure the kernel you patch is the same version as the patch itself....

I found my original install script (dated December 2016) and it looks like I am running the 4.1.35 patch. But plenty of people are using the later version cncnoob has in his first few posts. I would not be tempted to roll forward to later versions. I do remember updating the bash script I posted around about post 5 of this thread to be compatible with the versions used by CNCnoob when he released this before posting it.

And yes, it takes a long time....

Hey Rod,

No, you didn't tell me how long it took to get the USB Dongle working. For me it was instant when I installed Mint.

If it ain't broke.......we'd probably wouldn't have come far since 1991.

Yep. I'm will to persist. LOL

I'm at work now so it'll have to wait a few hours until I get home.

Happy Days

The time for me was the several iterations on my original hardware to get the preemptive kernel on Debian installed only to find latency was out the window. Then upgrading to new hardware and several more attempts on more OS versions than I can possibly remember.....

How much did your latency increase with the more demanding OS?

I think I've said a few times before, I got it down to 4,000 on the Wheezy ISO so I figured I had a little head room for Mint. This might all be in vain and I might have to go back to the old Wheezy. At least I'll be able to report back with my findings.

Happy Days.