[OlfCNC]

If I have an open source solution I can re-install at will on as many devices as I want. Commercial software that requires a company to provide an unlock key code means that if that company closes you now don't have that software anymore.

Absolutely nonsense. Mach3/4, UCCNC etc. all have license keys for life. Once you have the key you have it for lifetime. If no updates nothing happens you still have the key.

he capabilities of LinuxCNC right now are so far above what most hobby users need that it would never become obsolete, even if there were no more updates.

Same for any of the non open source ones. Nothing happens if the companies close, these softwares are already working fine, all the updates are just extras to what you already have and can nicely run your machine with.

[109jb]

Absolutely nonsense. Mach3/4, UCCNC etc. all have license keys for life. Once you have the key you have it for lifetime. If no updates nothing happens you still have the key.

Did I specifically say Mach3 or UCCNC? No I did not. I was referring to a commercial software solution that requires a hardware specific unlock code. I was also referring to open source/commercial software in general, not specifically CNC software. That is why it is in a separate paragraph

[109jb]

Same for any of the non open source ones. Nothing happens if the companies close, these softwares are already working fine, all the updates are just extras to what you already have and can nicely run your machine with.

I never said they didn't, but the below post of yours implies that if the developers lose interest in continuing an open source software that it would somehow be different . It would be no different, but you are the one that said it somehow is with this post:

And what if LinuxCNC looses interest? They are not payed and not working on this full time, so they are more likely to loose interest than a company like how you loose interest in hobbies. Same with grbl and other free stuff done by hobbyists as a hobby

So this answer still stands ... The capabilities of LinuxCNC right now are so far above what most hobby users need that it would never become obsolete, even if there were no more updates.

I'm not saying that commercial CNC software is bad. I am only defending open source software because you keep citing what I consider bogus reasons to not use open source software. "What if's" are not a reason as far as I am concerned. I still use some specialized open source software that I have had since the 1990's. You probably can't even find it on the internet anymore but it still does what I want it to do so who cares. I personally would rather choose an open source solution (CNC or not) over a commercial solution as long as it does what I want it to do. If nothing else, it is open source, meaning the source code is available and I could do or hire someone to do modifications to that source code if I care to. I have done this with some of the open source software I have, including Grbl. This is something that is not an option with commercial software.

If you are so against open source, then don't use it, but as I see it open source software inspires innovation and should be encouraged.