MESA 5i25 with non-standard config and modified firmware

Thanks, I think I now understand the relationship between joints, axes and stepgens and have only four radio buttons on the display. I think I can now move on to the next issue which is what do do about my fifth stepper which doesn't correspond to any of the 9 EMC axes. It is a rotation about the W axis so I thought I could treat it as a spindle but using a stepgen. I don't know if this is a HAL issue so I'll start a new topic if you think it's appropriate.

This is my first time building LinuxCNC and I thought I was building 2.7 when I did it and that 2.8 was the development branch. I don't understand why mine says 2.9-pre.

2.8 has been frozen in anticipation of its imminent release. 2.9 is the current development branch.