Help me understand: relation between LinuxCNC and Linux OSs.

Thanks Rod.

It kind've still begs the question: "What's the recommendation for straightforward migration through OS upgrades for LinuxCNC users?"

Another way to put that might be: "What's the limiting factor which determines WHETHER an OS upgrade can be done or not?" (At the moment, anything other than a parallel-port solution for me would require another rewire of my machine, meaning finding another intermediate interface box to translate between a different type of computer port and what the CNC machine expects as inputs.)

Coincidentally I redd your pitch just today in another post for learning to compile from source, and how free it's made you (and--although you didn't say it--how far above the rest of us you soar, in the sense that you are not as tied down waiting for things to happen, but now have some powers to actually make things happen--Use it Wisely, Okefenokee).

You wrote:
> If you learn to compile from source, you can basically run from any distro you want if you first patch the kernel with a real time variant.

Indeed would I be able to do that, or would I still be waiting on someone to CREATE a real-time variant for me to patch with?

Like probably most here, "I just want to get back to work." ;^) and I loathe the idea of having to spend time learning something else yet again SEYA. "Yes, yes," I agree, "It will be great to be on the other side of this Thorn Patch, but I'm still scratched up from the last three or so."

I think my current situation, when I installed LinuxCNC last, is that I had to rustle up a 32-bit machine because that was the only Ubuntu offering at the time.

Re: Q3 MachineKit/LinuxCNC
When I heard the first noises about MachineKit I was under the impression that it was going to install in a general-issue kernel and "just handle" all the low-level real-time stuff for LinuxCNC on its own. But Andy clarifies that MachineKit is a fork of LinuxCNC, and a diverging one at that, here .

The limiting factor is you are 3 versions behind the current release version which itself is about 3 years old.
This is further compounded by the fact your OS version has well and truly gone past end of life.
But to catch up, its possible that your old hardware will become a limiting factor.
So be content with what you have or work towards bringing your environment up to speed as its not viable for the OS maintainers or Linuxcnc to support your environment any longer. This has much more to do with the distro than Linuxcnc itself.

When I installed Linuxcnc, I needed the PREEMPT_RT for Mesa hardware and I was encouraged by forum members here to compile the kernel for Linux Mint. Master branch was was also required for my gantry machine. Having got PREEMPT_RT running, it was a small step to Compile Linuxcnc from source, Shortly afterwards, somebody wrote a complete how to here on the forum. This is now largely defunct with the subsequent release of the Stretch ISO. Having said that, I much prefer Mint. Becasue I have installed from source, most of my time has been spent running experimental branches. Firstly with the ever patient Dewey Garrett trying out his external offsets build that is now in master branch but sadly without the plasma component he and I spent many hours trying to get working. But Dewey's external offset branch is now embedded in different ways in the plasmac plasma build on an external repository maintained by PhillC.

So in answer to your question, by learning to compile from source has allowed me to quickly change the branch of LinuxCNC I run or quickly upgrade to the latest version whenever I want in a few minutes and upgrades can take a few seconds.

Finally, let me say that there are so many added features in V 2.8 over V 2.7, I would never consider running the earlier versions.. I just don't have the history with Linuxcnc as a long time user. I might add, I never wanted to go down the path I had, all I wanted was a working machine with the least effort but I am very pleased I took the time to do it.

@rodw
Doggone well-said.

> ...its possible that your old hardware will become a limiting factor.

But it's "only" N-years old! I get it: love what you've got.

I'm floored by your comment about V2.8 and 2.7 because I would never have expected it.

Taken with Big John's comment elsewhere that V2.8 ought to run where 2.7 is running--modulo my penchant for misunderstanding, I probably will take a look. Of course, completely contradicting an earlier claim that "I just want to get back to work."

Thanks all. Good guidances.

It seems to me you have read a lot of articles about OS security on the net, pertaining that both windows and Linux are at the same level and it depends on what and how you use it. In that case let me put your mind at ease, that is all B.S. and mostly financed by Microsoft since the days of Ubuntu 10.04 that gained a lot of users due to "it just works". Your " firewall behind a firewall" is much more at risk than the 7 years old Linux.
To make it simple, security of the operating system from a normal users stand point is extremely good for Linux and extremely bad for windows, and it is going to remain as such for a very long time.
As for Linuxcnc, as other members have suggested, give yourself about 2 to 4 hours to learn how to compile it and you have freed yourself from the "distro choice mess" that GPL3 made, and use almost any distro to run your machines.
Personally, I still use a laptop with 10.04 with 2.7 version of Linuxcnc, Debian wheezy with 2.7 for industrial retrofitted machines, Debian strech with 2.8 for retrofits lately and Mint on most plasma machines with 2.8 retrofitted or build.
P.S.
I still have a linux server on a pentium 2 at 333MHz running for 16 years, last update was in 2008, never went down, it has a fully fledged router/ids/filtering/ etc/etc for 228 users. Luckily the rules are updated automatically.

Tommy,

Well, I'm actually thinking in terms of "data breaches", and in this way: "If 'they' can break into and steal info from servers of very heavy hitters with way more money for security measures than I have, my machine is probably vulnerable too, and I too probably should be thinking about security more often."

I've got a fairly homogeneous, family, network. Most everyone runs Linux, all Ubuntu, and all-but-a-couple the same version. I don't believe the firewalls are really more at risk than Linux because there is so little to them--so much less to be hacked, but while I may disagree with you in some specifics, I agree with your general sentiment that security concerns are mostly overblown.

I have not heard of a hacked LinuxCNC system, but I sure as heck have known people whose home computers got viruses, but again, none Linux.

Your reports of the Old Stuff you're still running are especially calming, and in effect, I guess I was expecting one of the answers to my questions was going to be, "Find a level of technology that meets your needs and Stop Upgrading." In fact, I actually tried that at one point with an earlier CNC system, only to find out that as my computer hardware components failed, I could not find modern replacements, forcing me out of my comfortable "stand pat" solution. In fact, the experience persuaded me that if I didn't plan on hardware failure, I was gonna end up worse snakebit than if I did, and that was probably the underlying motivation for the post.

I appreciate you adding your own advice to learn how to compile LinuxCNC to Rod's. I look forward to being free. Well, free-er.

Thanks.

Don't fall for the deception that large corporations have the best security.
It is very expensive (in many ways) to do it correctly. And they will stop spending money, time, and loose patience before the system is truly secure. They also often fall very short on employee training.