LinuxCNC on Linux Mint 19

MasterSpoon wrote:

BigJohnT wrote:

Now that the Mate desktop is in Debian I just use Debian 9, much simpler.

gnipsel.com/linuxcnc/uspace/debian9-rt.html
gnipsel.com/linuxcnc/uspace/debian9-emc.html

JT

For the uneducated among us, is there a difference functionality wise between your original guide and using the debian9 guide you linked here ?

Using the original guide, apart from making the kernel taking ages it was pretty straight forward. I did maybe 1/2hr of stuff last night, told it to make the kernel and went to bed, spent another 1/2hr this morning and it was all done.

I'd have to ask which "original guide" as I've made so many. I currently use Debian 9 because:

1. I don't have to compile a kernel
2. The Mate desktop is avaliable
3. QtPyVCP runs without any issue on Debian 9

I think QtPyVCP runs fine on Linux Mint 19 but I've not tried it.

JT

The user friendly part is the Desktop environment, now that Linux Mint and Debian both have the Mate Desktop that part is pretty much is the same. Recent OS's of Ubuntu, Mint and Debian should all be the same for recent PC hardware. Even Ubuntu has a Mate variant now, lol. When I wrote the original guide I was not aware that Debian 9 had the Mate Desktop and my idea was to have every version in one place so people could choose without having to look all over the place.

The only reason I used Linux Mint and went thought the trouble of building a kernel is to get the Mate Desktop. I have one more machine to convert to Debian 9 in my shop and install QpPyVCP as my GUI. Working on my plasma now. My most favorite OS was Ubuntu 10.04 and the CHNC still runs that... until I get time to make a QtPyVCP GUI for it.

JT

Since i did not see it mentioned, any of the versions of ready made Debian images with Linuxcnc that come with Xfce can be used also with MATE or any other desktop environment, Install as usual, open synaptics, find Mate and install.
Personally i do prefer Mate for a lot of reasons, and one of the reasons is it reminds me of Ubuntu 10.04 and it's Gnome, it has all the important things where they should be.
Also just as added info, if anyone is looking for a Lite distro, the only usable distro with Mate or any other desktop that is really lite is Porteus. There are plenty of lite versions that are not light at all and there are really light versions like some puppy's and Damn small linux that are fully usable distros at 50MB or so and can be run on very old hardware.
Porteus has still versions for 486 computers.

Not yet. For the older PC's i use Debian Stretch netinstall iso and add the mate or xfce as needed, it is much snappier than Mint and a bit better latency.