NativeCAM 2.0b — Python 3 & GTK3 port for LinuxCNC 2.9 / Debian 13 Trixie

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. As far as I know, Tormach uses LinuxCNC with PathPilot as well, right? As long as the modifications are released again, like you said, everyone benefits!

Wow, I’m absolutely thrilled about the video I can’t wait to test it! Unfortunately, my machine isn’t operational yet; I’m still struggling with the Beckhoff driver. If you need multiple testers with real CNC lathes who can provide faster feedback than on the forum, Peter alias Talla83’s Discord (I assume you know him from his YouTube videos) might be an idea. It’s more like a chat there, and people reply quickly. There are also several lathe users and generally many smart, helpful folks.

This isn’t meant to poach users or replace this forum. I’m happy to be here, and in the long run, knowledge is better preserved here. So please post here as well so other users can find it more easily later. For faster feedback - for example, when you’re at the machine and need input from others - the Discord is hard to beat. Just an idea
The Discord mainly has German-speaking users from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, but everyone understands and replies in English too.discord.gg/dyd8M9wJ

I installed nativecam, but when I run ncam --help or another command I always get this error: /usr/bin/env: «python»: No such file or directory, apparently the path it is looking for is different, I am using DEBIAN 12.

Hi,

The fix is now released in version 2.0b-1:

github.com/cnc-proton/nativecam-py3-gtk3/releases/tag/v2.0b-1

Download the new .deb and install it:

sudo apt remove nativecam

sudo apt install ./nativecam_2.0b-1_all.deb

This should resolve the python/python3 issue on Debian 12.

Please let me know if you run into any other problems.

Best,

Hi Surmetall,

Thanks for the link to Talla83's Discord — I actually know Peter's
videos, really good content. I will join the Discord, sounds like
a great place for quick technical feedback.

And I completely agree about keeping both channels alive. Forum for
long-term knowledge base where people can find solutions years later,
Discord for quick "I am at the machine, something does not work"
situations. Different tools for different needs.

Sorry to hear about your Beckhoff struggles. That is exactly the
kind of retrofit work where LinuxCNC really shines — replacing
expensive proprietary controllers. If I can help with anything
regarding the driver side, let me know.

Regarding the lathe polyline — still polishing a few things, then
I will push to GitHub. I will post here and ping on Discord when
it is ready for testing.

Best,
CNC Proton

Thanks>
now it looks like this error: ornocnc@tornocnc:~/linuxcnc/configs/MILLING MACHINE$ ncam -i MILLING MACHINE.ini -c mill -t
Error modifying ini file
a bytes-like object is required, not 'str'
/usr/bin/ncam:346: PyGTKDeprecationWarning: The keyword(s) "type, message_format" have been deprecated in favor of "message_type, text" respectively. See: wiki.gnome.org/PyGObject/InitializerDeprecations
dlg = gtk.MessageDialog(parent = None,
/usr/bin/ncam:346: PyGTKDeprecationWarning: The "flags" argument for dialog construction is deprecated. Please use initializer keywords: modal=True and/or destroy_with_parent=True. See: wiki.gnome.org/PyGObject/InitializerDeprecations
dlg = gtk.MessageDialog(parent = None,

Hi,

Thank you for testing! Found another Python 3 compatibility bug.
The function that modifies the ini file was still using old Python 2
API (io.BytesIO with str argument).

This will be fixed in the next release (2.0b-2) which I will push
to GitHub shortly.

By the way, there's a separate issue — your config folder has a
space in the name ("MILLING MACHINE"). LinuxCNC works with it, but
it can cause problems with some tools. Consider renaming to
"MILLING_MACHINE" for safety.

github.com/cnc-proton/nativecam-py3-gtk3/releases

Best,
Axemas

Now all these errors appear indicating that some strings are already in the ini file:
Error modifying ini file
While reading from '<string>' [line 24]: option 'position_feedback' in section 'DISPLAY' already exists
error modifying ini file
While reading from '<string>' [line 24]: option 'position_feedback' in section 'DISPLAY' already exists
Error modifying ini file
While reading from '<string>' [line 37]: option 'program_extension' in section 'FILTER' already exists
Error modifying ini file
While reading from '<string>' [line 71]: option 'halfile' in section 'HAL' already exists
Error modifying ini file
While reading from '<string>' [line 94]: option 'tool_table' in section 'EMCIO' already exists
Error modifying ini file
Source contains parsing errors: '<string>'
[line 291]: '= \n'
/usr/bin/ncam:346: PyGTKDeprecationWarning: The keyword(s) "type, message_format" have been deprecated in favor of "message_type, text" respectively. See: wiki.gnome.org/PyGObject/InitializerDeprecations
dlg = gtk.MessageDialog(parent = None,
/usr/bin/ncam:346: PyGTKDeprecationWarning: The "flags" argument for dialog construction is deprecated. Please use initializer keywords: modal=True and/or destroy_with_parent=True. See: wiki.gnome.org/PyGObject/InitializerDeprecations

"Hi everyone,

Thank you all for testing the port and providing feedback! I've just pushed a few fixes to the repository (including the INI parsing errors and GTK deprecation warnings). github.com/cnc-proton/nativecam-py3-gtk3...vecam_2.0b-4_all.deb

Regarding Bug Reports:
As more people start using this port, it becomes harder to track individual errors and logs across forum pages. If you encounter a bug, a crash, or a specific error message, please report it via GitHub Issues here: github.com/cnc-proton/nativecam-py3-gtk3/issues

The forum is still the perfect place for general discussions, sharing ideas (like the Lathe Polyline!), and showing off your work. But keeping the technical bug reports on GitHub allows me to solve them much faster and keep the project organized.

Thanks for understanding and for your continued support!"

Now is working good, thanks.

Hi everyone,

I’ve just uploaded a short demonstration of the NativeCAM (Python 3 / GTK3) port running on an industrial CNC machine. In this video, you can see it handling horizontal drilling operations smoothly.

The port is stable and performing well in a real workshop environment on LinuxCNC 2.9 / Debian 13.

Live demonstration: www.youtube.com/shorts/RL7QDfig8vQ

You can find the updated code here:
github.com/cnc-proton/nativecam-py3-gtk3

Feedback and testing are welcome!