Please help with this build Albert

[JAZZCNC]

I agree - but then the line between basic and ...not-basic can be particularly difficult with LinuxCNC for a novice to understand. Part of the reason I squint at it hard is understanding the point beyond which you abandon the wizards and take responsibility for the management/maintenance of your configuration files.

Well never thought I'd say this about Linux CNC and it's hard to cough up the words.!! . . . But having recently setup a Plasma machine with THC and Mesa cards which is a fair bit beyond basic I realised that on a Basic level ie: Using the wizards that setting up a basic router, basic being motors, E-stop, limits and homes with spindle speed control and even dual axis homing is no more difficult than any other software even for a complete novice.

BUT I agree with you Doddy that ounce you want to go beyond that then it gets very deep and can be frustrating as hell when you have to dive into the Hal and Ini files and a bit of Python etc'.
It's very different to other control software in how it works internally and not for the faint hearted when you get into the Hal, personally I struggled for a while until it clicked but you have to remember I'm very experienced with CNC and macro writing etc. and now it makes much more sense, but for a complete newbie with no experience then it's going to be a huge task for anything past basic which the wizards don't provide, of which there are many things which I consider basic that the wizards don't provide and should ie: DE-bounce.
To apply DE-bounce to a pin requires you dive into Hal and code it.! In any other control software that would be tick box at the time of setting the pins. It's these little things missing from the wizards that let Linux CNC down IMO for the more novice users.
However, the power it puts in your hands is impressive when you get into the Hal etc, esp with Mesa cards as virtually anything is possible if you have the time to figure out the code.

Would I advise Albert to try it.? then YES because it's free so got nothing to lose. Set it up on the bench with £5 BOB and give it a go.!

[Clive S]

To apply DE-bounce to a pin requires you dive into Hal and code it.! In any other control software that would be tick box at the time of setting the pins.

Yes but just ticking a box does not let you change the parameters like the time delays .

Yes it is very simple now to set up a small standard mill or router or even a lathe in a few minutes with a P/port card or better still a mesa card.

In fact I retro fitting a Boxford 160 lathe with ATC just using a P/port.

Linuxcnc is simple to download an ISO then write it to a USB bootable in 15 minutes.

[JAZZCNC]

Yes but just ticking a box does not let you change the parameters like the time delays .

Yes it is very simple now to set up a small standard mill or router or even a lathe in a few minutes with a P/port card or better still a mesa card.

Clive, I kept it simple just to make the point but just about every other motion controller software I've ever used gives you the option to apply De-bounce by clicking an option and setting the amount of De-bounce. You don't need to go into any files and write 3 lines of code for such a simple thing was my point, it would be an easy thing to add to the wizard and I don't know why they don't.
It's these little details that spoil it to me and I suspect puts new users off, because once you leave the realms of the basic wizard is when the shit hits the fan and things go tits up for most new users... But we've had this conversion many times so I l know you don't agree...Lol . . . But you don't see many new users turning to Linux CNC or put another way if they do, there's a reason why Mach3/4 and now UCCNC are so popular.!! .... on which I rest my Case......

[Kitwn]

Well never thought I'd say this about Linux CNC and it's hard to cough up the words.!! . . .

Try your best lad, it'll make a man of you!

In recent years there seems to have been a bewildering array of possible hardware and software produced for controlling your new machine and some of it is as expensive as the rest of the machine. This is not entirely inappropriate, these are important components, but the option to get things moving with some free software and a cheap breakout board while you spend most of your heard-earned on the bits that are not so easily and cheaply upgraded is the strength of the LinuxCNC/cheap parallel BoB combination in my opinion.

Once you have a working machine that can make things for you, then comes the time to delve into the other options available and decide what added features you really want to have.