ReplicatorG on Ubuntu

[Peter Kienle]

I use an older PC to run EMC2 for my CNC machine on Ubuntu. I thought I try to also run my Makerbot off it since ReplicatorG is available for Linux. But I have the hardest time actually installing it. In other words: I downloaded the ReplicatorG .tgz file to my Ubuntu machine - now what? 

I tried to find info on the Ubuntu web site and there is so much information - but nothing seems to work.

Is anybody familiar with this process?

Thanks

Peter

[Dan Newman]

On 24/01/2014, 8:10 AM, Peter Kienle wrote:
> I use an older PC to run EMC2 for my CNC machine on Ubuntu. I thought I try
> to also run my Makerbot off it since ReplicatorG is available for Linux.
> But I have the hardest time actually installing it. In other words: I
> downloaded the ReplicatorG .tgz file to my Ubuntu machine - now what?

# gunzip < replicatorg-0040r23-Sailfish-linux.tgz | tar xvf -

To run RepG

# cd replicatorg-0040r23-Sailfish
# ./replicatorg

Or you can put a link to it on your desktop; e.g.,

# ln -s replicatorg-0040r23-Sailfish/replicatorg ~/Desktop/ReplicatorG

The above is off the top of my head. I've not tried those commands
for accuracy.

Dan

[Dan Newman]

On 24/01/2014, 8:10 AM, Peter Kienle wrote:

> I use an older PC to run EMC2 for my CNC machine on Ubuntu. I thought I try
> to also run my Makerbot off it since ReplicatorG is available for Linux.

BTW, if you're referring to the RepG build you can get via Linux, then know
that that is out-of-date. If you will be using Sailfish, you need to get
your copy from the Sailfish Thing at Thingiverse.

Dan

[Peter Kienle]

Hey, thanks

This did work after I also installed java - I know, it says right there in the ReplicatorG installation instructions.

At the moment I am back to RepG0029 and the old firmware for my Cupcake. 

I set up Sailfish before Christmas and fine-tuned my settings for a few days until it worked well.

Then I came back a few days ago and my Cupcake tried to self destruct. 

At the moment I need some stuff printed and have no time for fiddling so I reverted to what worked before.

Thanks

Peter

[Peter Kienle]

More questions:

1) I did get the 0029 version running but the 0040R22 version kept throwing errors during expansion and it won't run. Will try again

2) ReplicatorG0029 doesn't see the USB ports (there are 5 on this machine). It shows a tty0 port. Are there drivers I need as on OSX?

3) creating a link (ln) to the desktop didn't work. The link is fine but doesn't launch the app. As a matter of fact every time I double click 'replicatorg' (which is a text file) it it asks me if I want to Run it, View it or Run it from the Terminal.

(3.5: if you tell me now that if I don't know the answers and can't find them on the Internet I should keep my fingers off of ubuntu I just might).

Peter

On Friday, January 24, 2014 11:10:07 AM UTC-5, Peter Kienle wrote:

[Dan Newman]

On 24/01/2014, 10:31 PM, Peter Kienle wrote:
> More questions:
> 1) I did get the 0029 version running but the 0040R22 version kept throwing
> errors during expansion and it won't run. Will try again

r23, the current release, unzips and untars just fine for me on Ubuntu 13.04.

dnewman@ubuntu:~$ gunzip < /mnt/hgfs/dnewman/replicatorg-0040r23-Sailfish-linux.tgz | tar xvf -
replicatorg-0040r23-Sailfish/docs/
replicatorg-0040r23-Sailfish/examples/
replicatorg-0040r23-Sailfish/examples/dual/
replicatorg-0040r23-Sailfish/examples/single/
replicatorg-0040r23-Sailfish/examples/upgrades/
replicatorg-0040r23-Sailfish/examples/upgrades/CupCake CNC/
replicatorg-0040r23-Sailfish/examples/upgrades/The Replicator/
...
replicatorg-0040r23-Sailfish/skein_engines/slic3r_engines/linux/bin/slic3r
replicatorg-0040r23-Sailfish/tools/avrdude
dnewman@ubuntu:~$ echo $?
0
dnewman@ubuntu:~$ uname -a
Linux ubuntu 3.8.0-30-generic #44-Ubuntu SMP Thu Aug 22 20:54:42 UTC 2013 i686 i686 i686 GNU/Linux

> 2) ReplicatorG0029 doesn't see the USB ports (there are 5 on this machine).
> It shows a tty0 port. Are there drivers I need as on OSX?

I don't use Linux much myself. I don't know how RepG goes about locating
potential ports on Linux. I would guess that it looks for possible
/dev/ttyACM* devices, but that's just a guess. Maybe someone else knows offhand.

> 3) creating a link (ln) to the desktop didn't work. The link is fine but
> doesn't launch the app. As a matter of fact every time I double click
> 'replicatorg' (which is a text file) it it asks me if I want to Run it,
> View it or Run it from the Terminal.

Looks like Ubuntu's default window manager won't launch a shell script linked
to on the desktop. Even if the link is an absolute file path (which I also
tried). Perhaps someone who uses Linux on a daily basis may know what you need
to do. I don't offhand. Of course, you can always launch it from the command
line in a terminal window or navigate to the folder with replicatorg.

Dan

[Peter Kienle]

Thanks for the input

I ended up downloading r23 for Linux to my Mac and expanded it there then moved it over to the Ubuntu machine.

Now it will launch just like 0029. So that's good.

I'll have to do more research with making the USB ports available. 

As an aside I also have a Windows XP installation on the same PC and ReplicatorG runs into the same problem there - can't see the USB ports.

Oh well, there's times for 3D printing and times for research....

Peter

[Dan Newman]

On 26/01/2014, 2:51 PM, Peter Kienle wrote:
> Thanks for the input
>
> I ended up downloading r23 for Linux to my Mac and expanded it there then
> moved it over to the Ubuntu machine.
> Now it will launch just like 0029. So that's good.
>
> I'll have to do more research with making the USB ports available.
> As an aside I also have a Windows XP installation on the same PC and
> ReplicatorG runs into the same problem there - can't see the USB ports.

You have to install the USB drivers for Windows. The drivers are there in
the RepG distro for windows. However, there is no installer for them.
Easiest approach, if you do not know how to manually install drivers, is
to install MakerWare as it will install the drivers for you. You can then
uninstall MW or leave it installed. If you leave it installed, then you need
to tell it to turn off the Conveyor service so that RepG can access the USB
device.

Dan

[Peter Kienle]

Yep, I saw the drivers in the Windows RepG folder. I try the Makerware trick - sounds like a good way.

For the Ubuntu connection problem I found that having the Cupcake connected and turned ON while Ubuntu starts up RepG loads the driver and I can connect. One less hurdle.

Thanks and keep warm.

Peter