2.8 repo for Ubuntu 16.04

Sometimes I wonder if some people expect the linuxcnc distro to be more than just a cnc controller. Maybe more "desktop" like.

I suspect many people (myself included) want to use LCNC alongside other applications on the same computer. If those apps (maybe some kind of CAD/CAM package or a web browser) aren't supported because the OS is too old then the attractiveness of LCNC is diminished. The only alternatives are to have another computer to run those apps (quite inconvenient), set up a dual boot or virtual machine (less inconvenient, but still annoying if all you want to do is shuttle your files between software apps) or try to get LCNC to install on a newer OS.

My first foray into LCNC was via the Ubuntu 10.04 liveCD iso, which was a great way to get started with minimal hassle. Trying to get NativeCAM or FreeCAD to install on such an old OS however was a real headscratcher. At the time my machine wouldn't run the newer Debian iso without significant latency issues, which would've allowed me to run the software I really wanted to use, so I initially resigned myself to just running the packages that I could get away with on Ubuntu.

The LCNC website also only really advertises the Debian Wheezy iso as the only way in for absolute beginners, despite there being good tutorials on how to install/compile on newer OS's on the forum. Wheezy is also getting a bit long in the tooth, and I can only assume that the same support limitations that I experienced with Ubuntu 10.04 will eventually catch up with Wheezy.

Yes, I had found those iso images, but they're not well-publicised via the normal channels on the main website, which I assume is how nearly all new users will get their feet wet in LCNC.

The note at the top of the page also leads the user to believe (rightly or wrongly?) that they're perhaps not for everyday use due to their 'testing' nature.

curtisa wrote:

Sometimes I wonder if some people expect the linuxcnc distro to be more than just a cnc controller. Maybe more "desktop" like.

I suspect many people (myself included) want to use LCNC alongside other applications on the same computer. If those apps (maybe some kind of CAD/CAM package or a web browser) aren't supported because the OS is too old then the attractiveness of LCNC is diminished. The only alternatives are to have another computer to run those apps (quite inconvenient), set up a dual boot or virtual machine (less inconvenient, but still annoying if all you want to do is shuttle your files between software apps) or try to get LCNC to install on a newer OS.

My first foray into LCNC was via the Ubuntu 10.04 liveCD iso, which was a great way to get started with minimal hassle. Trying to get NativeCAM or FreeCAD to install on such an old OS however was a real headscratcher. At the time my machine wouldn't run the newer Debian iso without significant latency issues, which would've allowed me to run the software I really wanted to use, so I initially resigned myself to just running the packages that I could get away with on Ubuntu.

The LCNC website also only really advertises the Debian Wheezy iso as the only way in for absolute beginners, despite there being good tutorials on how to install/compile on newer OS's on the forum. Wheezy is also getting a bit long in the tooth, and I can only assume that the same support limitations that I experienced with Ubuntu 10.04 will eventually catch up with Wheezy.

Personally I don't want, or think it's a good idea, to expose a computer that controls a cnc machine to "the wild", but that's just my opinion. I also prefer a "stripped down non cluttered" machine to be in control. The less that is installed the less there is to go wrong.
When you consider some of the "tricks" needed to get decent latencies, especially if using an RTAI setup, it does not allow for optimum utilization of the machine for common tasks.
I don't even have my machine connected to my home network, any file transfers are done via USB, as I find this secure.
But these are just my thoughts on the subject.