What can I use on Linux for a Shapeoko Pro?

[Moded1952 (Lucas)]

@Tango

For the shorter term, until I can upgrade the iMac, I can do the first 2 stages (design and generating instructions - that’s in grbl, isn’t it?) on the iMac. I mention the travelling because I’m hoping there aren’t many cases where I’d design an object, generate the code for it, walk it down to the barn, then find errors I have to fix back up in the house. So I can probably do most of the work in the house, then send the files to the barn computer and use that to control the Shapeoko.

Technically that will work fine but at first especially, there will be a lot of cases where you’ll need to make little tweaks to get things right. Maybe you can work around that by generating a bunch of G-code with different feeds and speeds ahead of time or something but if possible, I’d consider whether you can connect to the Mac from the barn, or take a laptop with you or something.

If you’re open to networking the barn, 500ft of direct-burial ethernet cable is $70, or point-to-point wireless looks to be $120 per end. You’d still need another computer to remotely access the Mac but that computer doesn’t need any special hardware, something like a Raspberry Pi (e.g. the one you connect to the Shapeoko) would work just fine. That way you can remotely connect to CAM, make your changes, then copy the file over to the barn.

@Tango

I would love to have more control over the situation. The problem is I have several tools (including the CNC) that will be generating a lot of sawdust, so I’ve been able to set a corner aside for the computer that includes plastic curtains to keep sawdust away. The only place I could put the Shapeoko is too far away for a reliable signal with a USB cable. I considered using converters to send it over ethernet, but that’s seriously problematical.

In your situation, what I’d recommend is:

• Connect a Raspberry Pi to the Shapeoko
• Set up a nicer computer elsewhere in the barn
• Connect the Raspberry Pi to the nicer computer using Ethernet or Wifi (the Raspberry Pi can act as a Wifi router if you want)
• Generate G-code on the nicer computer and dump it on the Raspberry Pi using a network share
• Run the G-code on the Raspberry Pi, either with a touchscreen at the Shapeoko (I’d recommend that, see this thread) or with cncjs or VNC from the nicer computer

Your idea about using VNC or something when you move the Mac will work but you really want all the CNC controls to be within reach of the Shapeoko so that you can move it around while you watch it (e.g. touching off the side of some stock).

I’d recommend against USB/IP or anything other than a direct USB connection for the thing sending the G-code. You want G-code sending to be failure-proof as much as possible. If you use USB/IP and someone trips over a network cable or something, it could ruin several hours of work.

@Tango

If Fusion360 works on a Mac, I can look into that for the sample period, which would help me figure out where to go from there.

It does work on a Mac, though it needs to be running a relatively recent MacOS.

And the basic version is free forever, not just a trial. You only need to pay if you want some of the nicer features, which are definitely worth it in my opinion but you can live without them.