Installing LinuxCNC

There are several options for running LinuxCNC:

• Raspberry PI
• Windows PC using Virtual Box
• Windows PC using Docker
• Debian PC

The following may work:

• Windows PC with Raspbberry PI OS (Raspbian) running on the QEMU emulator

The following have issues:

• Ubuntu 24.04 (As of March 2025, there are package issues)

If you want to run on a Windows PC, the recommended method is to use Virtual Box.

• Install VirtualBox from https://www.virtualbox.org/
• If necessary, enable Virtualization in the BIOS and under 'Turn Windows features on and off'.
  • It should work if Hyper-V is enabled but if not, try disabling it.
• Download LinuxCNC from https://linuxcnc.org/downloads/. You need this one: LinuxCNC 2.9.4 Debian 12 Bookworm PREEMPT-RT ISO. It's a complete image including the OS and the LinuxCNC application.
• In VirtualBox, use the 'New' button to create a new virtual machine.
  • Give it a name e.g. Linux CNC
  • Select the ISO file downloaded above.
  • Set type to 'Linux'. Should be selected automatically.
  • Set version to Debian (64 bit). Should be selected automatically.
  • Select 'Skip unattended installation'
  • (Optional) Under Hardware, extend the memory from the default 2GB to 4GB (for light usage) or up to 8GB for more complex designs.
    • 2GB may cause LinuxCNC to run slowly. The memory can be increased later but you have to stop the VM first.
  • (Optional) Under Hard Disk, increase the size of the virtual hard disk.
  • Click on Finish.

The LinuxCNC app should appear in the applications menu under CNC. Running it should produce

You can try out the various cnc types and styles of user-interfaces but if you want the look and feel of the actual CNC, you should choose sim.gmoccapy → gmoccapy