Richard Acosta wrote: .... > > Now, i have posted the computer specs, i have posted the config files > used, i have now made a new install to upgrade to 2.2.8, and... voilá.. > the suppossedly to work config .... does not work. > > I guess there must be some people trying to help, ok, and i'm very > grateful to all of you, but, when i read some stuff it seems like a bad > taste joke. > > -I bought a board announced as supported on EMC2 > then, they say the board is NOT fully supported, that the driver is > being developed... > ok, bad sales tactic, we call that a scam, you cannot tell something is > supported, then after sold clarify it is not FULLY supported, wich > actually means is barely supported as i could get from the answers i had. >
Richard, this kind of response gives open source bad name. You have a situation where something worked OK for others but not for you. I assume that when they got it working on some systems they assumed it's OK and put it on the list. Happens all the time. However, there is something that you are completely ignoring, the fact that not all hardware works happily together. PCI, USB, PPort, SATA, and other buses are standards, i.e. they follow more or less (!) specs agreed on at some international body. The reality is that most manufacturers try to twist whatever params to their advantage. Integrators end up testing things to see what works and what not. I work for a large organization where we certify products which then go on hardware compatibility list. That list is carefully examined by large buyers who use that as a leverage to enforce support contracts. Not all of that exists in open source. This group, and I DO NOT SPEAK FOR IT (they pay too little :-), simply tries their best to help people get their stuff working. It takes some courage, a lot of knowledge, experience, and some luck to get it all working. You are the integrator in this case and have 3 options: - take time to get current HW work with help from the developers and experienced heavy users - replace HW in question with one that has better track record to speedup your project - change the project from EMC to something else with better (?) commercial support I would opt for #2 and take the whole thing as a good lesson and put the card in question on side for future projects when you have more time. > -OK, they asked to upgrade from 2.2.5 to 2.2.6, it will start to work, > not completelly but it will work... > fresh install, and, nothing worked. > > -Ted Hyde has offered his config files wich were working. (suppossedly) > some suggested i'm some kind of dumb... hey, look, he's using 2.2.6 haha... > You said there is only one line of error message. While that might be important, John if I'm not mistaken, asked about file /usr/shareaxis/images/axis.ngc I think they wanted you to cut/paste +/- lines from that file. Another words, use command like less /usr/shareaxis/images/axis.ngc check around line 10 cut/paste from it to email. As a mater of fact, I would use mc (Midnigt Commander) and examine that file line by line in hex mode to see if there are no illegal characters (I'm assuming all should be simple ASCII text) and to see if the lines are terminated properly (LF only). There is no end to frustration chasing down errors with "text" files that were edited in some windoze system and copied over to Linux. > -Ok, made a fresh install, to upgrade from 2.2.6 to 2.2.7.. > NICE... now... i have the exact same situation that using 2.2.7 NOTHING > changed, i hav ethe same errors, but, now, noone suggested i'm using the > wrong version, and, also... silence. > Peter Wallace (if i'm not wrong) told me to use some DOS programs to > test the board. The board is working fine, and also my hardware does > since tests went fine. > > Then he said he tested a similar or equal hardware config as mine using > ted hydes' config with success. Similar is not good enough. Motherboards differ and it might be worthwhile you try a different one. I don't know your circumstances, but my guess is there must be another (newer) PC around that could be used for an experiment. I would swap hard drive(s) and PCI IO card, and reinstall from scratch. Installation is very fast. Just because MB passes all hardware tests, it might still not be good for real time as required for EMC. > -OH... fine, magic, config is working, you must have been installed > something wrong (on a fresh install) 2.2.8 is working perfectly after an > "apt-get update" from 2.2.7... > OK!!! GREAT!!! > apt-get upgrade... NEVER WORKED, never announced an upgrade available, > under any version, it does not work for me at all. > > OK, i'll apt-get remove --purge, then apt-get install... great it says > "purging data files", hey... is installing 2.2.8... i can now stop being > the dumb here... > OH.. amazing!!! the SUPPOSSEDLY to work config IS NOT WORKING! (again) > While it might seem logical to have apt-get remove old stuff and install it again for you, that doesn't necessarily happen always. Configuration files tend to lay around (just in case) while apt-get makes you believe they were removed. It all depends on the commands passed to it. > > and again and again and again everything can be solved with a fresh > install, or an upgrade... but... in the kingdom of reallity it does not > work like that. > > I have an associate, who's the one putting the money on the table, the > iron/steel skeleton part is built, servos are bought, > encoders are bought, but the board is not working at all and he's > calling me several times a week, and if i tell him i send an email, he > can call about 8 times on a day to know wich is the answer. We put up money sometimes for things that do not work as expected. Governments do that all the time :-) Why not buy another card, the 5I20 and use that one until the first one gets better support if that's a problem? It's possible that card got damaged during handling. Did you use antistatic mesures to prevent damage when installed? Was you motherboard under power when you plugged in the card? 5V is there even when power is off in PC with cheaper PSUs without a switch in the back. Think about it, you'll need to have spare system to minimize downtime in case of trouble. When it comes to production, I would have a PC standby to be put into use in case of problems. > > I also have a work, several works actually, i have to provide support to > several enterprises, and i have no time to spent, even less to waste, if > i would know from the first time i was going to have all this trouble, i > could buy another brand/model and maybe spend some more money or simply > say, no way, but... i believed on what i read. Supported. > I would not push too hard on people who provide free support. They too have to make a living in between giving free support. If I were you, I would offer a case of wine or beer to anybody who provides the solution to your problem first. Perhaps you should find a more permanent place than pastebin to post files and snapshots from your system. That way people could go back without trying to search mail thread. I don't know what default program in Ubuntu is for taking screenshots, I use ksnapshot in Kubuntu workstations and don't have EMC in front of me, but suggest you use it and capture relevant windows with error messages and put them on the web. > Sorry guys, but i'm really really tired of all this. > > I'm a Kubuntu user on a daily basis, for work, and for entertainment, > i'm a suscriber to xHarbour and Harbour mailing lists, and on Scribus > mail list too. I have asked for help tons of times to them... and always > could solve the problems, slower of faster ,but never stuck on the same > place or so long time. That's a bit of a surprise. Not reading the whole thread I thought you were a newbie. You should know by now that things just don't always work in OSS world. I was frustrated on numerous occasions when HW was not supported in early years. It usually got better few months later. > I never had so much trouble to get something to work using a mailing > list help, and, never had so much people not understanding when i say... > "is the same issue" over and over... When things keep going the same (bad) way you need to change the direction. Remove or disconnect any unnecessary hardware from PC [*], move PCI card in question to different slot, replace (noisy?) PSU, check power voltage on the PCI card, replace video card, and try a new motherboard if anything else fails. [*] I would disconnect ethernet cards (or cable), CD drive, USB and such to prevent IRQs that could cause a problem. Sorry I could not tell you much. Good luck, -- Rafael ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
