Hi all,
here is a quick step by step tutorial for the install.
Install linux debian with the latest OS:
- install debian OS from
www.debian.org/distrib/
, choose the relevant iso adapted to your CPU architecture. I usually select the netinst for an installation through the network. But if you want to keep a ready to go iso download the CD one. During the install, select Gnome desktop as you might want to use Glade to design your machine interface.
- install the real time kernel:
then search for linux-image. Mark for installation the latest linux-image-***-rt-*** which might be described as a PREEMPT_RT kernel. The *** must match the version you want (probably the latest on the list) and the architecture of your install. Select the associated headers linux-headers-***-rt-*** matching the real time installation you just previously marked. Mark it for installation as well. Then apply to install both.
- reboot and make sure that you boot choosing the real time kernel newly installed (in the advanced options for Debian sub menu). This might be the one booting by default now. To check use
which should display your real time install -rt- . We are going to uninstall the non real time kernel:
, then search linux-image and then mark for complete removal the original install. Reboot, then the system should always boot on the remaining system which is the real time. While booting the advanced options for Debian sub menu should only display the rt option and its recovery mode.
Install linuxcnc
You can follow instructions from @Grotius in this thread, big thanks for that. Also you can find the guidelines for the linuxcnc build in
linuxcnc.org/docs/2.8/html/code/building-linuxcnc.html
. I slightly adapted them for different reasons:
-
Code:
git clone https://github.com/LinuxCNC/linuxcnc.git linuxcnc-dev
to clone linuxcnc into the linuxcnc-dev directory. This way I never mistake it with the linuxcnc directory created by the linuxcnc installation, where all the machine configurations are stored.
-
Code:
git clone https://github.com/sittner/ec-debianize.git
, while we are cloning repository I also clone the other 2 required.
-
Code:
git clone https://github.com/sittner/linuxcnc-ethercat.git
-
Code:
sudo apt-get install dpkg-dev
to install dpkg and prepare to be able to check the dependencies
-
Code:
cd linuxcnc-dev/debian
./configure uspace
cd ..
-
Code:
dpkg-checkbuilddeps
lists the packages that need to be installed before proceeding. Use a
Code:
sudo apt-get install packagename
to install the missing elements. Repeat until all required packages are installed.
- I extend the memory of the hal components before buidling linuxcnc, from @dgarret in
forum.linuxcnc.org/10-advanced-configura...-signal-pin?start=20
Code:
cd src/hal/
gedit hal_priv.h
then I modify the values: #define HAL_SIZE (85*4096) to #define HAL_SIZE (170*4096) and #define HAL_STACKSIZE 16384 to #define HAL_STACKSIZE 32768 to double the hal memory (not sure what is doing what and not sure neither of the limit of those values regarding the installed hardware yet). I save and come back to the main linuxcnc-dev directory.
- Now you can either build for run in place or build package. I choose the second option, build the package .deb for your install:
Code:
dpkg-buildpackage -b -uc
, this should create two .deb on the parent directory. Install those debian package using
Code:
sudo dpkg -i linuxcnc-uspace_XXX_*.deb
, use
Code:
sudo apt-get --fix-broken install
if any packages are indicated as missing. Instal
Code:
sudo dpkg -i linuxcnc-uspace-dev_XXX_*.deb
and possibly missing packages too.
-
to check that the hal memory hal been installed with extended limitation, reading in the total shared memory the value which should match NNN*4096 with NNN the value you entered before building linuxcnc.
- you can test linuxcnc with a sim config with
, the configs file being saved by default in ~/linuxcnc
- if you need to add special components like me to extend and go above the 16 limitation see:
forum.linuxcnc.org/24-hal-components/359...gument-limit?start=0
Install ethercat
Once again, you can follow instructions from @Grotius in this thread.
-
Code:
sudo apt-get install quilt
-
Code:
cd ec-debianize
./get_source.sh
-
Code:
cd ec-debianize/etherlabmaster/
dpkg-buildpackage
. If it fails you can use
Code:
dpkg-checkbuilddeps
and
Code:
sudo apt-get install nameofpackage
then retry to build the package. The final notice error "failed to sign .dsc file is not an issue. Once built, you should have the .deb files in ec-debianize.
-
Code:
cd ec-debianize
sudo dpkg -i etherlabmaster_*_amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i etherlabmaster-dev_*_amd64.deb
- It might be required to be done twice for the non dev one in the case you are installing a newer version over a currently installed one.
- Identify your MAC address for the ethernet connexion linked to your Ethercat bus. To do so you can use
Code:
sudo apt-get install net-tools
sudo ifconfig
then you can read your MAC addresses.
- Identify your MAC address for the ethernet connexion linked to your Ethercat bus. To do so you can use
Code:
sudo gedit /etc/default/ethercat
then modify the MASTER0_DEVICE="" to MASTER0_DEVICE="MACADRESS" with MACADRESS the value obtain with ifconfig. Also change DEVICE_MODULES="" to DEVICE_MODULES="generic" then save.
-
Code:
sudo update-ethercat-config
then reboot to make those modifications effective. To check that the ethercat is working, just connect and power your ethercat bus then try
You should see all the ethercat module connected to your bus.
Install ethercat linuxcnc driver
- This first step is required to make the ethercat+linuxcnc work, as indicated by @Hawkeye in
forum.linuxcnc.org/24-hal-components/223...ver?start=670#123888
. On my case this is required to avoid the error while launching linuxcnc with ethercat:
Code:
<stdin>:3: waitpid failed /usr/bin/rtapi_app lcec
<stdin>:3: /usr/bin/rtapi_app exited without becoming ready
<stdin>:3: insmod for lcec failed, returned -1
Go to the directory where you have been cloning the git linuxcnc-ethercat. Mine is in ~/linuxcnc-ethercat.
Code:
cd ~/linuxcnc-ethercat
gedit ~/linuxcnc-ethercat/src/lcec_main.c
edit this file adding #include "rtapi_mutex.h" below #include "rtapi_app.h" then save and close gedit.
- Then come back to the linuxcnc-ethercat directory, and
N being the number of processor to speed up the process.
- Copy some files across to the relevant location:
Code:
cp ~/linuxcnc-ethercat/src/lcec_conf ~/linuxcnc/configs/FolderWhereInIFileForConfig
to your linuxcnc sim folder (copy it where your ini files is)
Code:
cp ~/linuxcnc-ethercat/src/lcec.so ~/linuxcnc-dev/rtlib/
apparently only required for for linuxcnc_dev users
- Make the Ethercat0 permission permanent for your user for linuxcnc
Code:
sudo adduser $USER ethercat
sudo adduser root ethercat
. Reboot to make it effective permanently.
Test linuxcnc with ethercat modules
Open and run an axis simulation then use
Grotius wrote: copy lcec_conf ==> ../linuxcnc-ethercat/src/lcec_conf ==> to your linuxcnc sim map (copy it where your ini files is)
copy lcec_so ==> ../linuxcnc-ethercat/src/lcec.so ==> to your home/.../linuxcnc/rtlib/ (this is only for linuxcnc_dev users)
copy and edit the ethercat_config.xml from the linuxcnc-ethercat example directory and copy it where your ini file is.
In your ini file add "HALFILE = postgui.hal"
make a postgui.hal file include :
loadusr -W lcec_conf ethercat-conf.xml
#loadrt lcec
#addf lcec.read-all servo-thread
#addf lcec.write-all servo-thread
First check if lcec_conf will load, open your halmeter.
When you see the Lcec section, uncheck the # sign's in the postgui.hal file.
To shorten boot time at connexion:
Code:
sudo gedit /lib/systemd/system/networking.service
then edit the last line TimeoutStartSec=5min to TimeoutStartSec=1sec and save
Install Glade,
on
forum.linuxcnc.org/48-gladevcp/33309-gla...s-for-3-8-6?start=10
, following @newbynobi instructions:
newbynobi wrote:
Code:
wget ftp://ftp.gnome.org/pub/GNOME/sources/glade3/3.8/glade3-3.8.6.tar.xz
tar -xpf glade3-3.8.6.tar.xz
now install it by typing:
Code:
cd glade3-3.8.6
./configure
make
sudo make install
to test the glade install, enter in the terminal:
It might fail to find libxml-2.0, in this case
Code:
sudo apt-get install libxml2-dev
. It might also fail to launch in this case, try
Code:
sudo apt-get install libgladeui*
(
stackoverflow.com/questions/25756617/tro...-glade-doesnt-launch
)
adapt Glade library for linuxcnc, thanks again to @newbynobi
newbynobi wrote:
Code:
sudo mkdir -p /usr/local/share/glade3/backup/catalogs
sudo mkdir -p /usr/local/share/glade3/backup/pixmaps
sudo cp /usr/local/share/glade3/catalogs/* /usr/local/share/glade3/backup/catalogs
sudo cp -r /usr/local/share/glade3/pixmaps/* /usr/local/share/glade3/backup/pixmaps
now copy/add the missing files to that dir with the following terminal commands
Code:
sudo cp ~/linuxcnc-dev/lib/python/gladevcp/*.xml /usr/local/share/glade3/catalogs
sudo cp ~/linuxcnc-dev/lib/python/gladevcp/*.png /usr/local/share/glade3/pixmaps
PS: somehow if glade-3 works but the hal components are not showing up, you can try to uninstall glade-3 using
Code:
suo make uninstall
sudo make clean
Then follow the command indicated by Grotius, even if this is not you associated OS:
paste this before "http:// : " ( to many links in post )
linuxcnc.org/dists/wheezy/base/binary-amd64/libgladeui-1-11_3.8.0-0ubuntu6_amd64.deb
linuxcnc.org/dists/wheezy/base/binary-amd64/glade-gtk2_3.8.0-0ubuntu6_amd64.deb
linuxcnc.org/dists/wheezy/base/binary-amd64/glade-gnome_3.8.0-0ubuntu6_amd64.deb
Unpack in terminal :
$ sudo dpkg -i libgladeui-1-11_3.8.0-0ubuntu6_amd64.deb
$ sudo dpkg -i glade-gtk2_3.8.0-0ubuntu6_amd64.deb
$ sudo dpkg -i glade-gnome_3.8.0-0ubuntu6_amd64.deb
Then retry to install glade-3, with
Code:
./configure
make -jn
sudo make install
I believe this issue could come from a missing dependency linuxcnc and glade hal components related but I am not sure 100%.
I hope that this post will be usefull and contains all steps to create a new install with a latest RT OS for Debian and linuxcnc on a 64bits architecture, with a running Ethercat capability and Glade for building user interface. This is more a summary of different answers from different post and I though it would be useful to assemble them in one post.
Thank you to those who helped me when I was stuck in one step: @grotius, @Hawkeye, @dgarrett, @newbynobi
Nicolas
yes, i hope this will be nice 
At least on the second try. Now i know that you cant load the lcec component in the already existing postgui_call_list.hal! its a bit tricky because of postgui.hal in the description.
