CNC machine on network

Can Linux CNC be accessed over a network? The idea being I can load gcode into a machine and run it with out having to plug my laptop into anything. With the catch being if I pulled my laptop off the network the computer would have all the gcode already loaded up. Almost like a wireless printer sort of.

So maybe a SSH/FTP/SFTP plugin? This is a weekends worth of work for me to write if no one has done this before. (I would think monitoring/controlling machines over network would be pretty standard.)

One solution is to use Filezilla to send the files to the machine and use VNC to open and start the machine and monitor it's progress.
Or you can use Samba sharing for files.

kainkelly wrote: Can Linux CNC be accessed over a network? The idea being I can load gcode into a machine and run it with out having to plug my laptop into anything. With the catch being if I pulled my laptop off the network the computer would have all the gcode already loaded up. Almost like a wireless printer sort of.

So maybe a SSH/FTP/SFTP plugin? This is a weekends worth of work for me to write if no one has done this before. (I would think monitoring/controlling machines over network would be pretty standard.)

I setup samba on all my machines. You can create a share and then all your microcrap machines can access it just like any other shared
folder on the network. I share my gcode directory under linuxcnc and I just dump my gcode files there.

if it is a real shop solution it is bettr also to use only one filename for the mashine
and then there is only one file on the mashine done from the CAM guy so on the Folder in the network it is real save
As off multiple mashines sharing network

This is just a hobby shop, but I will provide do that with my machines just so I don't run the wrong gcode on the wrong machine.

This is by far the simplest utmost bullet proof solution simple and few well developed moving parts.

While I am still picking around on the fourms what are you using to run linuxCNC if I may ask, I was looking at the X86 atomic pi being the first that comes to my mind. How ever it's unclear to me if that is actually the best way to host LinuxCNC.

The best way to run Linuxcnc is on older enterprise edition Dell or HP computers, core2duo or better. At 70 to 150 euro a piece they are also economicaly viable, they almost never fail, and there are still plenty of them on the market.
SBC's are not a good choice for running machines due to to much power saving features causing latency issues.
Some tests done on RPI 4 by some forum members sugest they are pretty good, but i am giving it some more time.
There are also some ITX boards that work well with Linuxcnc, and if you want something new-ish i can give you the spec of one of my PC's that works wery good, but it is a bit pricy.

kainkelly wrote: Can Linux CNC be accessed over a network?

Yes. Install Samba and Avahi and the LinuxCNC machines will be visible on the network.

I save straight to the CNC machine from the CAM package running on the Mac indoors.

Thank you, I was hoping for a embedded solution due to the face that this would be going into my shop, which is a uninsulated and unair-conditioned shed in Texas. (Hot, humid, and dusty.) However I think I can make a old machine like that work well enough in that environment. Really may just put filters on all the fans, and relocate internals to main electronics box.