Mach3 vs LinuxCNC/EMC What do you use and why?

[John S]

Why can't I vote for two. the vote is for Mach or EMC and then they stick other in.
I want to vote Mach and other seeing as i run two commercial machines with Ahha on them.

I don't want to get involved in a dick slapping contest between the two but just point out that if everyone who starts out in this hobby has to use Linux / EMC then I'm afraid the number would be cut by as high as probably 75% or greater.

I'm not saying one is better than the other as it would be totally impossible to define but familiarity with an operating system has to play a major part of any decision.

I know the Linux guys will jump on this and say it's not so but they are all, for want of a better word,and no disrespect, geeks, who are very, very familiar with the Linux operating system and cannot understand why others are not.

Why not just be content in using what you are most comfortable with.

[Jonathan]

I know the Linux guys will jump on this and say it's not so but they are all, for want of a better word,and no disrespect, geeks, who are very, very familiar with the Linux operating system and cannot understand why others are not.

I think we've established that I fit into the geek category, which I'm happy with. However I'm no more familiar with any Linux based operating system than I am with windows 3.1! When I switched to LinuxCNC I had done no more in linux than use a web browser and play tux racer a few times, but that wasn't an issue since as I said in the other thread about this, you don't need to know about linux if all you're doing is running LinuxCNC. I fail to see how familiarity with the OS helps to run LinuxCNC, since you don't need to make any changes to or with the OS to use it.

That said, I intend to stop using windows soon, as there's no way I'm going to be forced into using Windows 8!

[HankMcSpank]

I fail to see how familiarity with the OS helps to run LinuxCNC, since you don't need to make any changes to or with the OS to use it.

Well, the 'puter doesn't build itself, then load the OS itself,then load the app itself - that all needs a human to oversee & if there's a hiccup anywhere, then that's why you need to know your way around the OS ....sure it's not rocket science, but it's a possible time overhead most don't need to incur, because most are using a CNC app running on windows just fine. (or to use the useful Maxim "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!")