[ynneb]

Why dont you use EMC 2 ?
Please leave any additional comments in this thread.
Regards Benny

PS If for some reason the survey doesnt show properly, just F5 (Refresh) and the page should then display correctly

EDIT After finishing the survey you can view the survey results here http://www.micropoll.com/akira/ShowR...5627&mode=data

[ynneb]

Interesting results so far. Please post any comments in this thread also.

[crocky]

Hi Benny,

Link did not work for me, did the survey but could not get the results to show? Something about a page not found?

[crocky]

It came good after a few minutes and I used the link on the first message this time?

[Bubba]

I did not answer the question:

If EMC had an online forum, where users could post and answer each others questions, as well as photos etc, would you feel more comfortable using EMC2 ?

BECAUSE there IS a forum for emc already at:
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users

and it is quite active!

[Greolt]

BECAUSE there IS a forum for emc already at:
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users

I am not a user but strongly suspected this would be the case.

Almost inconceivable that there would not be an active forum.

Greg

[ynneb]

Almost inconceivable that there would not be an active forum.

It has an email based forum, but not an online forum. ( Well none that I have yet seen)

[mlaws1172]

Benny
are you going to set one up? Keep me posted if you do
mike

[ynneb]

Benny
are you going to set one up? Keep me posted if you do
mike

Sure Mike. I think it would be good to have one as another option, not to replace their email one, but just for user choice. I set one up for mach3 a few years ago and it now has more members than the yahoo one. It just gives users bit more choice. While I know there is one here in the zone, its not a place they can call thier own.

[epineh]

Well I for one will be trying it out, I have installed it in the past and had a bit of a play, in fact using it and Ubuntu was the reason I converted half of the home computers to Linux, it has certainly matured as an operating system.

From what I read the screens are very configurable, but as I haven't used it properly yet that will have to stay on the "to do" list...

Just in the off chance I finish my router sometime soon I have downloaded the latest version of Ubuntu ready to install.

Russell.

[ynneb]

Here is a collection of EMC videos that I found interesting. http://www.youtube.com/groups_videos?name=EMCCNC

[Big John T]

EMC2 is highly configurable in every way. If you base your questions on EMC and linux of years ago then you are correct, but EMC has changed so much in the last few years that even I can use it.

No CAD or CAM for linux... I can tell you have never used EMC2. I agree that the "BIG BOYS" of CAD and CAM do not cover linux they are just missing the boat. SheetCam is the most recent addition to linux CAM packages. QCam is a linux CAM package... Also there are many g code wizards for EMC on the wiki site...

The EMC site and the EMC wiki site are a great source for info. For almost instant help the IRC channel covers that. The mailing list fills any gaps. The manuals are improving all the time. Stepper setup wizard makes most stepper based machine setup take all of 5 minutes.

If your offering to start a EMC2 forum please do...

Cool, your link shows my EMC2 Plasma table... weeee I'm famous

John

[ynneb]

Hi John, Your machine looks great.
Well, if the EMC board says yes I will start an online forum on their site. If not, I might start one on another site and swap it over at a later date when they see its value.
Regards Benny

[cyclestart]

As an emc user I didn't vote, but the results are interesting indeed.

For me the biggest surprise is how many people are aware most linux distributions are easy to use. Ubuntu being a great example. It's not just for geeks anymore.

And I agree with JohnT, emc2 is very configurable. The desktop and every thing else as well.

[ynneb]

No CAD or CAM for linux... I can tell you have never used EMC2.

Thats just the point. Most have looked at it years ago, and have no idea of where it has come.
The front page of the web site doesnt say much, and presumes people know. It needs screen shots, explanations etc. This is what I would like to add to it.
I would like to see pictures of its interface, descriptions about its features, photos of machines it runs etc. All on the initial page. so as to inspire further reading.

[cadmonkey]

The results are interesting - it would suggest that more people should be using EMC2.

I'm runing the 2.2.5 version on a 650MHz P3 384mb curbside computer running 60ipm on my X3 (although I have the Z throttle back to 30ipm due to the 2.6:1 gearing on a NEMA 34 motor). I could run faster with bigger steppers on the X - I'm borderline to losing steps and I'm running Gecko G203Vs @ 53VDC. Try running XP let alone XP plus, as someone posted in another thread "the defacto hobbyist standard software" on that setup. I doubt XP would even install worth a crap. There actually has been some talk about the bloat of the Ubuntu live installations at this point even - not sure if anything will come of it, but the developers are trying to make sure it's as slim as possible.

As for configuration - I downloaded and tried the "defacto standard" software on my standard desktop before I tried EMC (the earlier version, not the current EMC2) and EMC was the hands down winner for configuration options. EMC2 makes the previous version look like a box of nuts and bolts. Configuration is quick easy and painless.

Anyone who responded the survey but isn't running EMC2, grab yourself a cheap hard drive, even a scrapped one, install EMC2 from the .iso and give it a weekend. If you're not impressed with just the results of the basic Stepconf wizard to start (yes the documentation is still a little rough around the edges, but if you like how it runs the basics, finding the rest in the docs is worth that little bit of effort). I'm not trying to take $$ from any vendors, but EMC2 really is worth every hobbyists attention. Matter of factl - a number of the guys on the emc2 users mailing list are retrofitting large iron in their shops with it - a number of reasons, but the most common seems to be standardizing the controls on all the machines instead of multiple systems. If it's reliable and robust enough for real work...

You can see my setup of an X3 benchtop on EMC2 at www.distinctperspectives.com/coppermine - the gallery shows the machine, the setup and the first stuff I've really done with it - I've got more I'm working on now and will post in the next 2 or 3 days. The machine is a work in progress, I've got additional sensors that are going to be installed but everyone who's commented in my thread in the Benchtop forum has been all praises.

And to quote some old tag line "Try it! You'll like it!"

Greg Michalski

[BMG]

In addition to the the email forum (in which I lurk and learn), there is an active IRC channel usually with someone online 24/7. Head to the linuxcnc.org for info on the IRC site.

Brian

[dertsap]

the new version of emc makes it super simple to set up , the initial setup wizard makes it almost idiot proof , where as before , having to dig up the ini file and configure it was a pain in the butt and a real bugger to figure out if a guy hadn t done it before .
emc runs smooth and as fast as anything else does , the only setback i find with it is there is no way to have multiple tools setup , they really need to add a tool page .
http://www.codeweavers.com/products/ crossover is getting better as well ,which allows a guy to run windows software within ubuntu

[ynneb]

That cross over program looks pretty good and cheap too. Yet another barrier removed for using EMC Linux.

[dertsap]

i think the crossover is a commercial version of wine , i tryed to use wine and got frustrated trying to figure out how to use it , crossover is a simple install and easy to use