Other Operating Systems

I will start by asking, please do not blast me for asking this question!

1: I would really like to learn the reason that Linux was chosen as core os for the project.
2: I would like to know if anyone has ever run/ported the software to any other operating system, like BSD, FreeRTOS, etc.

Thank you!

AFAIUI originally it could be run under windows and linux - still needed realtime though. That was when it was a NIST project.
My guess is that linux had the only free realtime system that the community could use.

Chris

This is a bit blunt, but ask any shop that has paid over $500000 for a machine running windows about how many times they have to power off and on the machine as it locks or craps out. That will be your best answer.
Linux runs 99.99% of internet, 99.99% of space ships, 100% of mobile phones, 100% of Mars rovers, etc.
So that is an easy choice.
Oh, and it is free.

I think someone ported LinuxCNC to FreeBSD a couple of years ago (though sim only)

I would never consider Windows an option!

I'm new to LinuxCNC. I have spent 10+ hours reading through the forum. It seems that the main issues have been compatibilities with the OS and not the CNC software.

I was wondering if using something like *BSD, Zephyr, or FreeRTOS would lessen the issues. I'm a programmer that is just getting into the CNC side. I believe that if I'm going to use something as brilliant as LinuxCNC, I should also contribute to the project.

Since I was not able to find any information on how the project started, who were the founders, or how Linux became the OS of choice. I wanted to educate myself before offering to help, so I posted the question.

As for the statement "Linux runs 99.99% of internet, 99.99% of space ships, 100% of mobile phones, 100% of Mars rovers, etc.", I think I understand where you are coming from, but it's an incorrect statement. A lot of the routers and servers run *BSD, iPhones run Apple's version of FreeBSD, etc.

Again, not here to argue any of those points. I just want to understand the community, it's decisions and offer my time if needed to help with code, documentation, etc.

And all the OSes that I asked about are also free.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LinuxCNC

nverkaik wrote: It seems that the main issues have been compatibilities with the OS and not the CNC software.

Yup, and people who figure out things and make them work do not bother to comment about that, so it ends up looking like there is mostly problems here.

nverkaik wrote: I was wondering if using something like *BSD, Zephyr, or FreeRTOS would lessen the issues.

I do not think so, all of them are a bit harder to get working on their own, compared to Linux Mint that just works on everything you throw at it. Here is a very easy way to have LinuxCNC installed on Linux Mint:
forum.linuxcnc.org/9-installing-linuxcnc...nd-easy-installation
Or on Debian 10.4
forum.linuxcnc.org/9-installing-linuxcnc...ick-and-easy-install
As for helping, you are welcomed to it, always, we do need any help we can get, but i am not the one to point you in the right direction as i still consider myself as "not good at explaining things". Maybe someone else can help with that or just pick something you find worthy of improving and have at it.
Thank you very much.
Regards,
Tom.