Ignoramus28874 wrote:
On 2010-08-16, Pete C. wrote:
Ignoramus7071 wrote:
On 2010-08-16, Pete C. wrote:
Ignoramus7071 wrote:
On 2010-08-15, Pete C. wrote:
Ignoramus30661 wrote:
ALL HAIL EMC2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
All hail inexpensive PC based CNC control!!! 
EMC2 and Mach3 are both derived from the original EMC and both have
about the same capabilities, just running on different OSes. There are a
few others out there, but they are fading away a bit due to EMC2 and
Mach3.
But only EMC2 is free as in freedom.
I'm sorry to say that you are incorrect there. Beyond the silly idea of
trying to equate the use of a programmer or programmers labor products
without payment with "freedom", it isn't true in this case either since
the core EMC software that EMC2 is based on was developed by NIST, a
government institution funded by our tax dollars, so you did indeed pay
for EMC/EMC2, just not directly.
Pete, there are two meanings to the word free, one is free as in free
beer, and another is free as in freedom. The latter sense means that I
can see, modify, and redistribute the source code on original
terms. This is what EMC is, free as in freedom, with me being free to
modify it or give it to friends.
i
Mach3 also has the flexibility to allow you to modify it such as custom
screens, G/M codes, scripting for special functions such as ATC control
etc. You also have the "freedom" to redistribute those custom portions
you develop, either "free" or commercially to other Mach3 users, the
other users just need their own inexpensive base Mach3 license.
That's nice.
But, can you look at the source code of Mach3?
Not unless your buddies with Art. My point was that Mach3 is
sufficiently "open" to allow you to do pretty much anything you need to
do to customize it for a particular purpose, including customize it to
support your commercial product, and the ability to perform that
customization is "free". I don't buy into the idea that the fruits of
your (or in this case Art's) many hours of labor should be "free" for
anyone to do with as they please. I believe that those who invest the
effort to develop that code certainly have a right to expect to be
compensated for the use of it. I'll also note that the only limitation
in the demo version of Mach3 is that it is limited to ~1,000 lines of
G-code and Art has posted on the support forums that if your application
works with that limitation you are free to continue to use the demo
version.