Basic description
-----------------
From the top level directory, switch to the source directory:

cd src

In the source directory, build LinuxCNC:

./autogen.sh  (this builds the configure script)
./configure
make clean
make
sudo make setuid

to run the software go back to the top level directory, and issue:

source scripts/rip-environment
linuxcnc


Detailed description
====================

Run-time script
===============

The runtime script is called linuxcnc, thus allowing you on an installed
to just type 'linuxcnc' and get it running.  On a run-in-place system
(e.g. the one you just got out of git), the runscript is scripts/linuxcnc.
When you just checked out a fresh copy of LinuxCNC, you'll see there is no
'scripts/linuxcnc', just a 'scripts/linuxcnc.in'.  By running configure
that one will get changed to 'scripts/linuxcnc'. configure will also
replace some default values for your system (folders, paths, etc).


Configure script
================

   The `configure' shell script attempts to guess correct values for
various system-dependent variables used during compilation.  It uses
those values to create a `Makefile.inc' file.
Finally, it creates a shell script `config.status' that you can run 
in the future to recreate the current configuration, a file
`config.cache' that saves the results of its tests to speed up
reconfiguring, and a file `config.log' containing compiler output
(useful mainly for debugging `configure').

   The file `configure.in' is used to create `configure' by a program
called `autoconf'.  You only need `configure.in' if you want to change
it or regenerate `configure' using a newer version of `autoconf'.

The simplest way to compile this package is:

  1. `cd' to the directory containing the package's source code and type
     `./configure' to configure the package for your system.  If you're
     using `csh' on an old version of System V, you might need to type
     `sh ./configure' instead to prevent `csh' from trying to execute
     `configure' itself.

     Running `configure' takes awhile.  While running, it prints some
     messages telling which features it is checking for.

  2. Type `make' to compile the package.

  3. Type `scripts/linuxcnc` to test the software.
  

Optional Features
=================
   LinuxCNC can operate hardware only if a real time system has been
installed. Either RTLinux or RTAI. If you don't have any installed,
you cannot run LinuxCNC to control any machines. Please install one
of the RT patches (refer to the documentation of the project on how to
achieve that).

    However, it is possible to test LinuxCNC without a realtime system. This is 
possible using a simulator mode, which doesn't allow hardware control. To
enable this mode there is a special option '--enable-simulator' you can use.

If you have multiple RTAI or RTLinux source directories in /usr/src,
the correct one can be declared as a command line argument:

./configure --with-rtai=/usr/src/rtai-24.1.12

If you want only to try LinuxCNC in a local directory (without installing it),
there is an option to configure to run-in-place
  --enable-run-in-place                  Enables running in the local dir 
                                         (without installing)

If you don't want to generate the documentation from source:
  --disable-build-documentation          Do not build documentation automatically

configure also accepts other arguments. Use --help to view the list.


Operation Controls
==================

   `configure' recognizes the following options to control how it
operates.

`--cache-file=FILE'
     Use and save the results of the tests in FILE instead of
     `./config.cache'.  Set FILE to `/dev/null' to disable caching, for
     debugging `configure'.

`--help'
     Print a summary of the options to `configure', and exit.

`--quiet'
`--silent'
`-q'
     Do not print messages saying which checks are being made.  To
     suppress all normal output, redirect it to `/dev/null' (any error
     messages will still be shown).

`--srcdir=DIR'
     Look for the package's source code in directory DIR.  Usually
     `configure' can determine that directory automatically.

`--version'
     Print the version of Autoconf used to generate the `configure'
     script, and exit.