[Emc-users] Tormach PathPilot

Discussion:

Marius Liebenberg

2015-05-19 13:32:51 UTC

Does any know if the Tormach PathPilot software is available for
purchase to non Tormach users.

I am willing to pay to get software that works for non guru users.

-----------------------------
Regards / Groete

Marius D. Liebenberg
+27 82 698 3251
+27 12 743 6064

Andrew

2015-05-19 13:47:10 UTC

Permalink

I'm afraid PathPilot "just works" only with Tormach machines. Others
require usual LinuxCNC setup procedure, editing configs etc.

Post by Marius Liebenberg
Does any know if the Tormach PathPilot software is available for
purchase to non Tormach users.
I am willing to pay to get software that works for non guru users.
-----------------------------
Regards / Groete
Marius D. Liebenberg
+27 82 698 3251
+27 12 743 6064
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One dashboard for servers and applications across Physical-Virtual-Cloud
Widest out-of-the-box monitoring support with 50+ applications
Performance metrics, stats and reports that give you Actionable Insights
Deep dive visibility with transaction tracing using APM Insight.
http://ad.doubleclick.net/ddm/clk/290420510;117567292;y
_______________________________________________
Emc-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users

Marcus Bowman

2015-05-19 18:15:23 UTC

Permalink

Post by Andrew
I'm afraid PathPilot "just works" only with Tormach machines. Others
require usual LinuxCNC setup procedure, editing configs etc.

But if the config files are changed to suit the machine, will it still not work?
What is preventing it from working? Is this a hardware issue?

Marcus

Post by Andrew

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One dashboard for servers and applications across Physical-Virtual-Cloud
Widest out-of-the-box monitoring support with 50+ applications
Performance metrics, stats and reports that give you Actionable Insights
Deep dive visibility with transaction tracing using APM Insight.
http://ad.doubleclick.net/ddm/clk/290420510;117567292;y
_______________________________________________
Emc-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users

Kirk Wallace

2015-05-19 21:20:51 UTC

Permalink

Post by Marcus Bowman

Post by Andrew
I'm afraid PathPilot "just works" only with Tormach machines. Others
require usual LinuxCNC setup procedure, editing configs etc.

But if the config files are changed to suit the machine, will it still not work?
What is preventing it from working? Is this a hardware issue?

... snip

I haven't tried getting PathPilot to run on a generic machine, but it
should be possible. I think Tormach do not want to promote this because
it could be a support sink and they have enough to do as it is.

Thinking aloud, the axes are step/dir from a Mesa 5i25 so that part
should be okay for a stepper machine. Much of the I/O (such as tool
changer, limits. homes, door switch) goes through a PIC controller
board, which among other things, converts PWM signals from PP to tool
number, and switch ID. This would need to be reconfigured to match the
new machine, so would need a good understanding HAL and a small (maybe
big) bucket of time to make the HAL connections and test.

Trying it on one my machines is on my todo list but not near the top.

--
Kirk Wallace
http://www.wallacecompany.com/machine_shop/
http://www.wallacecompany.com/E45/

Andrew

2015-05-19 22:20:41 UTC

Permalink

2015-05-19 21:15 GMT+03:00 Marcus Bowman <

Post by Marcus Bowman

Post by Andrew
I'm afraid PathPilot "just works" only with Tormach machines. Others
require usual LinuxCNC setup procedure, editing configs etc.

But if the config files are changed to suit the machine, will it still not work?
What is preventing it from working? Is this a hardware issue?
PathPilot is derived from LinuxCNC, it uses Mesa 5i25. It should work on

Sebastian Kuzminsky

2015-05-19 22:28:33 UTC

Permalink

Post by Andrew
As I see it, Tormach forked LinuxCNC
But they share no source code... OK, the PathPilot interface is
proprietary, but other source code of the fork should be available? That's
how GPL works, right?

That *is* how GPL works, and Tormach is doing that.

The new trajectory planner that's coming out in 2.7 was developed by
Tormach and shared back with the community.

It's my understanding that anyone who gets their PathPilot software can
get a copy of the source code simply by asking them for it.

I am no lawyer, but as i understand it this satisfies the requirements
of the GPL.

--
Sebastian Kuzminsky

Andrew

2015-05-20 11:00:38 UTC

Permalink

Post by Andrew

Post by Andrew
But they share no source code... OK, the PathPilot interface is
proprietary, but other source code of the fork should be available?

That's

Post by Andrew
how GPL works, right?

That *is* how GPL works, and Tormach is doing that.
The new trajectory planner that's coming out in 2.7 was developed by
Tormach and shared back with the community.
It's my understanding that anyone who gets their PathPilot software can
get a copy of the source code simply by asking them for it.
I am no lawyer, but as i understand it this satisfies the requirements
of the GPL.
Of course, I know about the new TP. They contributed much to LinuxCNC,

particularly to this very important part. If it was not for Tormach, there
probably wouldn't be a new TP for a long time. I truly appreciate what
they're doing and I hope they will keep doing this.

As you say, they might use GPLv2 section 3b for the source code. And since
they distribute PathPilot interface as a part of (a whole) LinuxCNC, the
whole (and PathPilot as its part) should be licensed under GPL, as follows
from GPLv2 section 2.

I would prefer their fork in a public repository, that's all I'm saying. As
we all keep gaining from their contribution, they'd also gain from being
more open.

--
Andrew

sam sokolik

2015-05-19 22:51:09 UTC

Permalink

Not quite true... Tormach funded the new trajectory planner which was
pushed back into linuxcnc prime.

Just today...

Daniel Rogge 2.7 d861045 linuxcnc src/emc/tp/tp.c Trajectory planner:
pausing during G95 fix *
http://git.linuxcnc.org/?p=linuxcnc.git;a=commitdiff;h=d861045

sam

Post by Andrew
2015-05-19 21:15 GMT+03:00 Marcus Bowman <

Post by Marcus Bowman

Post by Andrew
I'm afraid PathPilot "just works" only with Tormach machines. Others
require usual LinuxCNC setup procedure, editing configs etc.

any machine. But the config should be modified (just like a LinuxCNC
config).
Then "works for non-guru" feature consists of configs made specifically for
Tormach machines, their new fancy interface, Fanuc style toolchanger and
some tool database.
As I see it, Tormach forked LinuxCNC
But they share no source code... OK, the PathPilot interface is
proprietary, but other source code of the fork should be available? That's
how GPL works, right?
--
Andrew
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One dashboard for servers and applications across Physical-Virtual-Cloud
Widest out-of-the-box monitoring support with 50+ applications
Performance metrics, stats and reports that give you Actionable Insights
Deep dive visibility with transaction tracing using APM Insight.
http://ad.doubleclick.net/ddm/clk/290420510;117567292;y
_______________________________________________
Emc-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users

Andreas Pettersson

2015-05-20 12:43:14 UTC

Permalink

Well its alot of GPL opensoftware that is funded but still released
under the rules of GPL.
Just take OpenSSL for example - that is funded by microsoft, ibm, debian
foundation, redhat foundation - and several others.
Its still open source and still follows the GPL rules.

If Tormach is releasing Pathpilot as a GPL they are supposed to share
the code in a public repository as well. And are under that
licesing allowed to take payment for installation help, suppot,
configuration support and so on.

Even if they have funded it, its not theirs, its public domain once its
released under GPL.. Thats the foundation of open software.
And atm, they are not following that licensing properly. ( i had a long
thread going regarding this a while back and did some research into it)

// Andreas

Post by sam sokolik
Not quite true... Tormach funded the new trajectory planner which was
pushed back into linuxcnc prime.
Just today...
pausing during G95 fix *
http://git.linuxcnc.org/?p=linuxcnc.git;a=commitdiff;h=d861045
sam

Post by Andrew
2015-05-19 21:15 GMT+03:00 Marcus Bowman <

Post by Marcus Bowman

Post by Andrew
I'm afraid PathPilot "just works" only with Tormach machines. Others
require usual LinuxCNC setup procedure, editing configs etc.

Andrew

2015-05-20 19:24:57 UTC

Permalink

Post by Andreas Pettersson
Well its alot of GPL opensoftware that is funded but still released
under the rules of GPL.
Just take OpenSSL for example - that is funded by microsoft, ibm, debian
foundation, redhat foundation - and several others.
Its still open source and still follows the GPL rules.
If Tormach is releasing Pathpilot as a GPL they are supposed to share
the code in a public repository as well.

GPL v2 has no requirement to share the code in a public repository (at
least I could not find it).
If a binary is distributed via website, the source code should be offered
for download from the same site.
Since Tormach doesn't offer to download PathPilot binaries, they probably
chose Section 3b saying that the source code can be sent on a medium to
whoever has a copy of the binary.
But they offer to download the updates in some format, does that count as
binary distribution? Probably so.

Though the "source-on-request" model is far less convenient, it still
doesn''t prevent anyone from seeing the code (and doing harm to their
business). So it's rather a matter of respect to the community.
Sharing the source in a public repository would eliminate both legal (if
any) and ethical issues. Hope they're willing to do so eventually.

--
Andrew