Re: Getting up and running
On Wed, 11 Aug 2004 02:14, Dougpol1 wrote:
> Hello all,
> So that you understand where I'm coming from, here is a rundown on
> what I'm trying to do. First of all I am a retired machinist. I have
> invented a couple of products that I would like to manufacture in my
> home workshop and sell on line.I plan to make these products on
> machines that I am presently building. They will be cnc machines run off
> of a PC. I don't consider Ms Windows stable enough to be used for that
> purpose. That leaves real time Linux or dos. It makes no sense to use
> dos as it seems a dead end street as far as improvement is concerned. I
> have not used dos so, I would have to learn it and would much rather
> spend my time learning Linux.
> At the present time, I am getting patents, designing my product and
> building machines to manufacture on, at the same time trying to set up
> and run Linux. Keep in mind I am 70 years old so learning comes much
> slower these days. I have installed Debian 3.0r2 ,and have been
> struggling on a now and then basis to get it up and running. I don't
> have enough time to devote to learn how to configure and get everything
> operating so that I can install Qcad and a CAM program and start working
> entirely in Linux. I really don't want to have to use Windows. I have
> seen machines running on Windows, repeatedly for no apparent reason,
> take off and slam into fixtures or tables doing great damage and wasting
> hours or even days of set up time.
The qcad version in 3.0r2 (1.4.7) is fairly useless, though perhaps my
problems with it had a bit to do with my inexperience with cad programs.
Qcad latest version is 2.0.3 or so, see
http://www.ribbonsoft.com/qcad_downloads.html
They want 26USD for it, or build your own from source for free using Qt
development libraries. Probably not for you. There is a time limited demo
version so you can see how you like it. They have packages for various
distros including Debian based ones.
> !. My questions are, would Fedora or some other program, after
> installed, be more operational than Debian leaving me less to learn in
> order to start to work?
Fedora is likely an easier install than 3.0x, but a big PITA after that. With
Debian the pain is at the fromt end, and life gets easier once installed.
Also, Fedora Core 2 totally wrecks any possibility of booting a Windows
partition if you do any partitioning with it, or even just file system
initialisation. There is a fix for what it does but I never used it
successfully. If Fedora has what you need do your partitioning and file
system creation with mandrake, then just install over the top of that.
See if you can run the trial version of qcad in Woody, you might have to
upgrade your Debian to Sarge to run it, but I would find out first before
getting into that step.
> 2. Would some one with lots of patience be willing to take me under
> their wing on a one on one basis and help me get up and running. Know
> this, I'm not exactly dumb in all areas but for example I have been
> using Windows about 5 years and have not touched Dos so my computer
> knowledge is really shallow.
>
You might have to buy that level of hand holding.
Bob Parker
> Any advise or help will be greatly appreciated,
>
> Doug
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