Mach3 vs Mach4

[Swarfing]

John i can hit the stop button change tool and reset offset at any time throughout the cycle.

Ah ah that's a joke surely.?? . . .Only last week on Mach yahoo someone was complaining that the almighty Linux guru's wouldn't or couldn't fix the G540 issue they insisted it wasn't Linux at fault it must be G540 or PC at fault.!! Even thou it works fine with Mach on same PC.!!

Like i said sour grapes

[JAZZCNC]

Like i said sour grapes

I wouldn't call it sour grapes I'd call it far worse if I'd been using Linux before then upgraded all my control to run a G540 then Linux went "Computer says NO" ..!! But it worked fine on other control software on same PC.!

The comment was just to highlight BOTH software's have issues and the All might Linux GURU committee don't always fix issues and have the same "sweeping under" broom when it suits them.!!

Anyway I'm away to start making swarf soon can't hang around all day talking to you losser Geeks.!

[Swarfing]

how many people are suffering the issue? and why would one controller out of many manufactures be he be all and end all of the software? i wonder how many manufacturers of controllers have problems with M3/4?

And the so called problem people are experiencing is just a configuration problem and people not understanding the G540's limits.

Example
LinuxCNC Support Forum :: Topic: Axis configuration with a gecko g540 (1/1)

[Boyan Silyavski]

Hi,
my oppinion is :
Depends on how exactly you value your time.
When i was brand new in CNC I tried both and payed Mach3. The machine i bought had personal mach3 screens that saved me a lot of fiddling. Had some problems and they were quickly solved by the guy that made the machine. had another problems and in a minute they were solved or by personal email from the Mach3 team or in the Mach forum. Needed some personalizing of the screen and for a couple of box a guy did it /from the Mach3 forum.

Look at the Mach3 price like your paying for the support, not the program itself.

[Swarfing]

silyavski this is very true and if you PAY for your software you should EXPECT the appropriate support. Horses for courses and people should research what is best for them before taking the plunge. I for one would not venture into any software before finding out if there where any known issues with my hardware, paying for it or not. Look at how many issues there are just trying to get M4 released?

I rest my case :-)

[birchy]

Well, my experience with the LinuxCNC forums is that they've always been helpful and quick to respond. Most of the developers actually run CNC machines, so understand hardware as well as software. I think they can be a bit off-ish when people ask stupid questions like "why dunt my motorz work?" or ask operating questions that are clearly explained in the user manuals. The difference here is that the Mach developers are profit orientated, so are more willing to hold hands and wipe bums.

For Geeks like myself and Swarfing, we are fed up of the constant barrage of Windows updates, security packages and buggy software breaking things all the time. I personally discovered Linux when a friend's Windows 98 PC had become so corrupted that it was beyond repair. The ONLY way I was able to recover important files from the hard drive was using a Linux "Live CD". I'd never even heard of Linux before but was so impressed that I installed it on my own PC and have not used Windows since. The world's best supercomputers all use Linux. Google use Linux. The majority of web servers use Linux. Android IS Linux. The fact is, Microsoft had the best advertising campaign at the beginning of the computer revolution and is a totally profit based company.

For most of us "geeks", I think we are more annoyed that Micro$oft have duped the world into paying for a generally inferior operating system when there are FREE alternatives available. For me personally, I'm even more annoyed that the recent versions of Windows have copied features from Linux (Aero themes, multiple desktops, etc) and poor old Joe Public thinks "wow! that's cool!" but doesn't even realise that they could get the same thing for free a few years ago.

I shall dismount the soapbox now...

Regarding CNC software, it's a specialized setup and there's no need for bells and whistles. In fact, simplicity means stability, so avoiding an internet connection (and all the associated security risks and updates) is highly beneficial. Just like any other job, it's a case of choosing the most reliable and productive tools that YOU are comfortable with. If that turns out to be Mach or Eding or LinuxCNC or something else, then so be it. Bollocks to what everyone else thinks. My only advice is to keep an open mind and try as many as you can until you find the one you like best.

[JAZZCNC]

And the so called problem people are experiencing is just a configuration problem and people not understanding the G540's limits.

Don't want to get into this any further but just say in this G540 case the guy in question is vastly experienced and runs is own CNC business selling controls and components so he's no Muppet.!!

Oh and no sign the guy fixed the issue.?? . . . Think you'll find he didn't because Linux won't allow the G540 to run in EPP mode so the charge pump won't work.!! . . . Here in lies the problem, In the above case the guy is experienced in electronics and software programming and prove it was a linux bug, he even told them where to look to fix it but here lies the issue that it's in the core and that requires the Linux committee to fix and Guru's don't deem it worthy. . . . So basicly get stuffed.!

[John S]

Basically M4 release or lack of it is Brians fault.
He announced it far to early and now he's being pressurised.
I can't make decisions for him but going back Art released the first beta of Mach 3 to the public and got them to do testing on the grounds that 100 users would probably find 100 faults, Art would probably miss all these as he was too deep into the program and blinkered.

Whilst that was going on he then worked on other things, screens, wizards etc.

Brian OTOH has done the screen designer and the new wizards for M4 when the program doesn't even exist in beta ?

Linux definitly has a place for the more experianced used, they just don't realise they have the experiance.

Currently I'm working with a linux guy on improving my hobber.
Simple he says just do a bootable USB stick and we will work from this.

Follow these instructions.

UNetbootin - Homepage and Downloads

Now scroll down and there are 52 versions of Linux.

At least mach only needs W2000 or XP, hardly rocket science.

[Boyan Silyavski]

In the spirit of this conversation is worth noting that a separate computer to run the machine is a must. I have 2 in fact, old Dell cost me 30eur from a local boot sale and has win xp installed and is running fine.

Another thing is that i have 2 BOBs , the second one for closed loop and some extra inputs and outputs and it took me a lot of time to fiddle with printer port cards, PC BIOS and how to make them both work and in which mode each. Its worth researching before, about the exact modes needed to run the board you have or the integrated port, cause some computers LPT boards or LPT cards will NOT work due to lack of a certain mode.

[John S]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking Linux it works and works well it's really how the people who fully understand how it works just can't understand that others are not at their skill level.

Where M3 scores is that it's so easily configurable and there are far more users prepared to help which in turn helps the total number of users.

Linux or EMC didn't help them selves earlier on by being very clannish and to be honest having a very superior attitude to anyone who couldn't follow what they were doing.

Anyone remember the BDI version ? it stood for Brain Dead Install and was aimed at talking down to non linux users to show just how easy it was and what they were missing.

Problem was it didn't work for many of the users who tried it. they followed instruction to the letter, no joy and then followed instructions on how to get it to work.

Rather comical to read the posts of the day, Linux users getting more infuriated that the user couldn't get it to work, the user getting more confused from the curt one liners that they obviously never understood until finally the whole exchange petered out.

Linux geek scratching his head wondering why they couldn't understand something so simple and the would be user scratching his head and wondering if he needed to learn Serbo Croat to fully understand Linux.