Plasmac install.... Windows convert from start to finish

Ok this is a post in part about plasmac and installing following the Plasmac user guide on a HDD as a fresh install....

In short.... I cannot get it to install as per the guide ....

In long Rod keeps telling me agh 30mins and plasmac will be up and running....

Well I could not manage it in about 2 hours this event....


Ok I have linuxcnc running on the pc with the RT kernel.... Installed via usb stick from a linuxcnc iso

Linuxcnc-stretch-uspace-ammd64-r13.iso

However when I try to install linuxcnc development version ....

Using the buildbot route first, typing this into the terminal

sudo apt-key adv --keyserver hkp://keys.gnupg.net --recv-key E0EE663E

It tells me it cannot use the keys....

No bother.... I tried RIP....

$ git clone git://github.com/linuxcnc/linuxcnc.git linuxcnc-dev

And it said that git would not allow a connection to linuxcnc.....

I'll post some screen shots later

I thought I'd try to start from scratch and follow the instructions as it is always tauted as easy or quick etc.... But that has never been my experiance

If you are not doing any development stuff then I think the Buildbot is the way to go.

It is easy to update both Linux and LinuxCNC at the same time.

If you run any of the samples from the Config Picker it will put a copy in your home directory to play around with so the source stays pristine.

I posted some instructions that helped another user so hopefully they will help you as well. He was using Wheezy but Stretch should work the same.

For PlasmaC you are better off with master branch as that gives you the reverse run feature.

forum.linuxcnc.org/9-installing-linuxcnc...-linuxcnc-2-8#156914

If you run into problems a screenshot or paste of the error message and the command that gave you the error will help.

Edit: If you are willing to try something different then there are some images with LinuxCNC 2.9 pre-installed. Some info here

robertspark wrote: In long Rod keeps telling me agh 30mins and plasmac will be up and running....

Well I could not manage it in about 2 hours this event....

Oops, maybe I glossed over a few things. Anywhere from about 30 minutes to 30 days ...... or in my case 3+ years.

There is really a 3 step process. and thats:
1. the Installation of Linuxcnc and upgrading from V 2.7 to master branch
2. building a basic working config that moves your X,Y & Z axes from the Plasmac sim
3. Run Phill's configurator to add the Plasmac specific parts to your basic config.

In step 2 you need to sort out homing switches and get all of your velocities and accelerations correct.

The annoying part is that despite some progress, V 2.8 has not been adopted as the production version as was Dev team's the intent 12 months or so ago. Thats why its harder than it should be becasue you need to upgrade your config to Master branch. When I first did that years ago. I found it was really only a 10 minute job via Synaptic package manager.

I did a video of the upgrade from a fresh download from the r13 ISO.

As you can see there is no editing and I make a couple of typos but it gets the idea across.

I think you may have run into the problem at 13 seconds. I don't recall seeing that before or if I did I forgot about it. I must mention that in the PlasmaC docs. You will see the fix directly afterwards.

Anyhow it continues on until a PlasmaC sim is running.

Phill, thanks for getting me off the hook. Glad you did it in under 10 minutes!

rodw wrote: Phill, thanks for getting me off the hook. Glad you did it in under 10 minutes!

And that was with cockups...

Yes, I called out about the missing full stop but you were to far away to hear me

Its a very handy video thanks!

I have to say 3 years ago I had to:

1. Install Linux Mint (30 min)
2. Compile and patch the kernel to get PREEMPT_RT (8 days but compile time is about 5 hours)
3. Learn Git and pull the source down, sort out dependencies (a few hours)
4. Compile Linuxcnc Master (easy)
5. Build a config and write some components)
6. Pull it apart, compile an experimental branch of Linuxcnc
7. Waste Months playing with one of the developers working out what did not work.... just to make it easy for Phill
8. Just when I think it was working, pull it apart again to use Plasmac
9. Work with the team to perfect Plasmac
10 Write a Sheetcam post processor
11. Add some wiring for ohmic sensing when I got a new Plasma Machine
12 Pull the Ohmic sensing out and replace it with an experimental version with PCW
13. Write the Ohmic sensing component
14. cut some stuff!

So 6.5 minutes give or take is a pretty great result for new users! But the recap above does show how much effort has gone in from one user and there are many others who shaped Plasmac with just as much hard work as well!

rodw wrote: Yes, I called out about the missing full stop but you were to far away to hear me

Its a very handy video thanks!

Hah, I thought I heard something...

Actually I just tried another install from scratch and you don't even need the signing key. I thought I remember Andy mentioning something about that a while back and he is correct.

Maybe the Buildbot docs could do with a bit of an update. I think I will remove that bit from the PlasmaC doc because quite a few people get hung up on that step and if it is not really needed then why mention it.

I might see is I can find out how the Buildbot docs are edited.

phillc54 wrote: Actually I just tried another install from scratch and you don't even need the signing key. I thought I remember Andy mentioning something about that a while back and he is correct.

I just tried an installation and used the command line as per the buildbot instructions and it seemed like the key was required.

Might just be worth testing that as I was on Mint.

For the record, installing from This Linux Mint PREEMPT_RT ISO and compiling Linuxcnc Master (V 2.9) from source took about 2 hours to end up where you were in your video.