I posted similar somewhere else but maybe it wasn’t the appropriate place? At any rate, nothing but crickets & tumbleweeds, so I’ll plead here and hope for some buzz.
I noticed that members from Langmuir Systems itself posted to mention “Linux coming soon!”…
Has there been even any talk within the halls of LS about a Linux port of Fire Control?
For me, that would be a dream come true. Strongly wanting to migrate away from anything Windows is something that I’m positive I am not alone in. I would guess there are dozens if not hundreds of LS customers which would cheer a Linux port release. What with Microsoft constantly meddling with breaking updates and who knows what else these days, a stable, solid running isolated OS that just works and runs Fire Control without drama would make for some sweet cutting.
I would also like to see a post processor for FreeCAD for various reasons. I’m sure many would welcome this as well, but if there’s interest, in my view it should be a secondary back-burner thing until Fire Control on Linux is a real thing. (though maybe it could be whipped up in half an afternoon by one of you whizbang coder types?)
LS folks, PLEASE do this. I’m begging you! Being able to run the CF Pro/Fire Control from Linux would be the cat’s meow, the icing on the cake, the bow on top…
Did I mention I’m begging you?
Perhaps. But maybe the reason for the crickets in response to your prior post was that there just aren’t that many who want Linux vs the current solution. It’s worth shooting an email to Support to see what their current plans for Linux support are.
There is growing use of Freecad here with the ongoing Fusion licensing restrictions and there has been some conversation on the forum of creating a post for it. I thought I saw someone post a thread about building a Freecad post-processor for Firecontrol but I don’t remember who was working on it. Might be worth having search guru @toolboy see if he could dig it up
We are advising a few community members on a FreeCAD post (from the post previously linked).
We have also recognized the demand for and documented a Linux version of FireControl but getting it scheduled, dev complete, tested, and supported is a taller task… If we do something like this it would likely have to be an unsupported port for a while. I can’t say anything beyond that at this point.
I have the same wish! A Linux port of Fire Control. I can get most of my design software as Linux, and even SheetCam has a Linux version for me to use. My only real hold up to getting a Linux computer to run my Crossfire Pro is lack of Fire Control to communicate with it. Have to carry my windows laptop back and forth instead.
Maybe a virtual machine running windows 10? Still have access to all of your regular design software under your native OS and when it’s time to run fire control, boot the virtual machine.<<I have no experience with it for this application but I have setup one for running Kali Linux. Just a thought.
Just trying to avoid having Windows on the computer at all. It is an older computer but runs linux well. A virtual machine in the background would really tax its resources. That kind of computer just dedicated to the Crossfire Pro and primarily running Fire control would be much simpler.
Honest question:
Is the Linux port just a myth really? If Langmuir has no plans to ever do this like they said three years ago, then that’s their decision and that’s fine. But at this point, I assume they have zero plans to ever do this because they have shifted focus to new endeavors. I think it’s obvious at this point.
I have started shifting my own needs based on Langmuir’s actions rather than words. But just in an effort to be straight-up, I think Langmuir should probably step up to the plate and either 1) admit that the Linux port was just a pipe dream that’s dead now, i.e. a mistake to ever mention it, or 2) put in the effort and release the port. I really do think that would be honest customer service. It’s generally not considered helpful to reputation for a business to dangle a carrot that’s always been a mirage.
I actually use Ubuntu Linux on my shop laptop computer. I wanted something just plain dumb reliable and consistent out there… Without an official port, I have to bring my in home laptop which has a lot of personal stuff out to run the table.
Hmm. It took me until today to realize that the post I’ve been replying to was a repost of one done way back in April. I’m pretty sure this is all wishes and other vaporous ether.
I dumped Windows many years ago. Every computer we own in our Real Estate and my U.S. Off Road businesses run Linux Mint. My CAD PC as well, with FreeCAD.
I’ll never go back to Windows, the reliability, efficiency and overall user experience is far better on Mint/Ubuntu or any other Linux port than Windows. Hopefully by the time my machine arrives this will be available. @langmuirsystems@langmuir-reilly any updates?
I hate to tell you bgalbgraith, but the Linux myth has been lingering on for a couple years and there has been zero evidence shown that Langmuir has spent one minute on the development of a Linux port - only claims.
I am with you and highly prefer Linux for anything I do, but unfortunately we’re stuck with Windows to run our Langmuir. The only alternative is to hack the box so you can control it with your own system, in which case you might as well design & build your own machine and upgrade some of that as well. It’s a real shame.
You could certainly replace the control board and run the table from Linux CNC but you’d loose out on the Firecontrol interface. Fortunately it takes virtually nothing as far as resources to run Firecontrol so a inexpensive light weight laptop with Win10/11 runs it just fine.
You do realize you can go delete Windows updates and turn off updates right? I would also check to makes sure there isn’t something else wrong. I updated my PC no issues.
This topic has been discussed for a while you can’t blame ld for going in the direction that most people are. Why don’t you call ls and hear from the horses mouth why they haven’t followed through. It may be out of there hands. I believe they outsource some if not all their programming.
@vinito your frustration with @langmuirsystems lack of progress on the Firecontrol port for Linux is understandable .
As Bill Gates once said, “We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten."
