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I just need something to work with the mechanical equipment it controls. Any recommendations?

Without more details about this "mechanical equipment" we cannot give you an appropriate reply because we have no idea if any

Linux distro is even able to talk to and control this unknown "mechanical equipment".

If you're talking about a regular CNC mill/router/lathe then LinuxCNC should be appropriate.

EMC2, now renamed linuxcnc
Strap that obsolete brick to the bed of the milling machine, and get linuxcnc to drill right through it, say 50 times, just to be sure.

Much of this is already in LinuxCNC
http://www.linuxcnc.org/

It's mostly used by developers to control CNC machines but it also includes support for non-Cartesian motion systems provided via custom kinematics modules. Available architectures include hexapods (Stewart platforms and similar concepts) and systems with rotary joints to provide motion such as PUMA or SCARA robots.

http://linuxcnc.org/docs/html/man/man9/kins.9.html
http://linuxcnc.org/docs/html/motion_kinematics.html

We've use it to control some pretty complex robotic systems.

Much of this is already in LinuxCNC
http://www.linuxcnc.org/

It's mostly used by developers to control CNC machines but it also includes support for non-Cartesian motion systems provided via custom kinematics modules. Available architectures include hexapods (Stewart platforms and similar concepts) and systems with rotary joints to provide motion such as PUMA or SCARA robots.

http://linuxcnc.org/docs/html/man/man9/kins.9.html
http://linuxcnc.org/docs/html/motion_kinematics.html

We've use it to control some pretty complex robotic systems.

Much of this is already in LinuxCNC
http://www.linuxcnc.org/

It's mostly used by developers to control CNC machines but it also includes support for non-Cartesian motion systems provided via custom kinematics modules. Available architectures include hexapods (Stewart platforms and similar concepts) and systems with rotary joints to provide motion such as PUMA or SCARA robots.

http://linuxcnc.org/docs/html/man/man9/kins.9.html
http://linuxcnc.org/docs/html/motion_kinematics.html

We've use it to control some pretty complex robotic systems.

You could use a realtime (RTAI) kernel and still have a 'normal' Linux box. This is the approach EMC2 uses to run CNC systems (down to individual motor step pulses from a parallel port) realtime from a standard Ubuntu distribution.

Depends on what your goal is. There's plenty of free 3d modellers, plenty of free or cheap PCB routing software choices.

For actually controlling the mill, in linux there is ECM2 which is a robust platform. http://www.linuxcnc.org/

For PCB design there are a ton of choices but a popular hobbiest choice is EAGLE from CADSoft.

In the future there will probably be a repository of available plans for download anyways, so people will be able to mill and print items without the need to design them first.

Speaking of kinematics, you might want to take a look at a EMC (Enhanced Machine Controller). EMC is a CNC package originating from NIST. EMC has an active community using and developing it. There are known bugs in the forward and inverse kinematics for PUMA style robots that could really uses the eye of a trained mathematician.

I'm sure there are are plenty of other areas that the EMC project could utilize your math skills. There are many, many users and developers of EMC that would appreciate your skills.

I'm sure it's not news to you, but EMC http://www.linuxcnc.org/ is quite capable and has all the advantages of the platform it runs on.

There are some open source CAM programs, but none of them are really good enough to replace something like MasterCAM at this point.

There's a list of programs on the linuxcnc.org wiki, here: http://wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/emcinfo.pl?Cam

Incidentally, if you want to help finance the web hosting for this project, and you happen to need web hosting as well, use this link: http://www.dreamhost.com/r.cgi?80098

How about EMC2?

Is this thing going to replace https://www.rtai.org/ completely?

More importantly, can http://linuxcnc.org/ a CNC software, benefit from this extension?

You are just an alarmist. Counting ticks on microcontrollers is a basic part of any modern CNC(computer numerical control) manufacturing system. Are you saying this software is a modified air defense software platform?

WOOSH!!!

You are just an alarmist. Counting ticks on microcontrollers is a basic part of any modern CNC(computer numerical control) manufacturing system. Are you saying this software is a modified air defense software platform?

...but Lumenlab is a much cooler site to go to in that they produce an affordable mini-CNC mill for $599 that is run by open source software.

All that's missing is a few ten of thousands of dollars to pay some programmers to write the software.

Luckily for us, someone's already done it. It's a neat concept called Open Source.
The US government paid for EMC, a linux-based CNC controller system.
Using OWFS you can make user-based file systems and run multisensor digital temperature and voltage detection systems to control kilns. (I've done this.)
There are a plethora of linux-based replacement PLC controller projects running out there.

It turns out that for real time applications, USB-to-serial converters are a poor solution. For CNC machine control (http://axis.unpythonic.net/, http://www.linuxcnc.org/) the added latency is problematic... see EMC2 Supported Hardware under "Hardware that doesn't work".

It turns out that for real time applications, USB-to-serial converters are a poor solution. For CNC machine control (http://axis.unpythonic.net/, http://www.linuxcnc.org/) the added latency is problematic... see EMC2 Supported Hardware under "Hardware that doesn't work".

Go to http://www.linuxcnc.org/ or to http://wiki.linuxcnc.org/ and I believe you will be enlightened.

There is also a well manned irc channel, on freenode, #emc. I've had problems due to my lack of knowledge, or actual gotcha type bugs, fixed in 5 minutes. Or less. These guys are sharp coders, who also make a living with whats inside all that swarf on the floor or catch trays. Follow some of the links in the wiki to see the machines themselves which these guys use, which range from table toppers like mine to locomotive sized stuff. Some of which is serious production line stuff. From metal shavings, to foam cutters (wing forms etc), Electronic Discharge Machining (which I've also done with my little machine), any sort of material carving or forming, emc can do it.

--
Cheers, Gene
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
  soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
You will be called upon to help a friend in trouble.

Go to http://www.linuxcnc.org/ or to http://wiki.linuxcnc.org/ and I believe you will be enlightened.

There is also a well manned irc channel, on freenode, #emc. I've had problems due to my lack of knowledge, or actual gotcha type bugs, fixed in 5 minutes. Or less. These guys are sharp coders, who also make a living with whats inside all that swarf on the floor or catch trays. Follow some of the links in the wiki to see the machines themselves which these guys use, which range from table toppers like mine to locomotive sized stuff. Some of which is serious production line stuff. From metal shavings, to foam cutters (wing forms etc), Electronic Discharge Machining (which I've also done with my little machine), any sort of material carving or forming, emc can do it.

--
Cheers, Gene
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
  soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
You will be called upon to help a friend in trouble.

I switched my dad to Linux about 5 years ago too.
He was calling me almost every day because his windows 2k PC was locking up CONSTANTLY, it would lock up and he would hit the reset button and get back online (dial up modem). He might get lucky and be able to stay running for 20 minutes, 30 minutes max when for no reason what-so-ever it would lock up again.
Total lockup. He called me constantly, pissed about his PC. I would drive 10 miles to his house 2-3 times a week to try to fix it, as hitting the reset button all the time was damaging the file system and corrupting files. What a nightmare.

One day I had enough and I said "Dad, do you want to put an end to this stupid shit?"
"Yes."
"Let me take your PC to my place for a few days and install Linux on it."
"Ok"

Problem solved. There have been one or two minor issues but nothing I couldn't walk him through on the phone, usually it was user permissions changing on /dev/modem for some weird reason. Easy to fix over the phone.

All he does with it is browse a few forums with Konqueror, does some email (Kmail) and programs some G codes for his CNC shop in his garage. ( http://www.linuxcnc.org/ )

ZERO viruses, ZERO spyware, ZERO trojans, etc. etc..

Best thing I ever did was putting him on Linux. Made MY life soooo much easier...

Most people doing CNC machining with linux are using real-time extensions, largely based on the enhanced machine controller linux/RTE kernel written largely by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Not for designing the parts, but for controlling the machine during the run:

http://www.linuxcnc.org/

You were looking for things that are pre-tech... too bad ;) Computer Numeric Control - CNC - used to run metalworking equipment: linuxcnc.org

Or, just build your own Linux-based Electro Discharge Machining system. There's even a distro for it.

Wide-spread real-time support is a VERY BAD idea. Every idgit who wants faster responses from their application or driver (sound, video, whatever) will want it to be real time.

"Every idgit" doesn't know jack about realtime and this will cause problems with things that need realtime - i.e. LinuxCNC.

Do you WANT a 2000-lb machine to stop responding and crash? No, you might end up with a hole in you. Not to mention some really expensive equipment destroyed: Gantry

Real-time on linux:
FSMLabs
MontaVista
RTAI from DIAPM (Italian)

And if you're gonna talk diy cnc, don't forget the most obvious one: ebay. Lots of bargains to be had for the careful shopper - just know your price and stick to it.

More information for you....

here is a great place to start.

the bulk of the cost for a CNC milling machine is the computer and software to run it.

the above link removes that... now you can retrofit a dirt cheap CNC mechanical system that the controller was stripped out of.

CNC can be had for much, much cheaper than $100,000. I built my own little CNC machine (bottom of page) from scratch for less than $250. That's not going to mill stone (very fast, anyway) but you can get a full-size Bridgeport or some Japanese mill for under $2,000 in some cases. For another $1,000 or less, and using the mill to build its own parts, you can retrofit the Bridgeport with servo or stepper drives, and use an obsolete desktop computer to control it using free software. Shops also turn over equipment like CNC machines pretty often, in order to keep up with everyone else. An expensive machine pays for itself many times over before it becomes obsolete. You may be able to find an older CNC mill, ready to run, for less than $5,000. I happen to know of one that, if I ever get the space, could be had for under $2,000. For all the information you need, try the CAD CAM EDM DRO Yahoo Group.

Did he use RTAI?

How did he interface with the hardware?

What language was the software coded in?

In fact, I see no mention at all about the carwash being Linux powered... Arguably in the title?

Can anyone point the way to more info about the carwash?

If he did manage to do this, it would IMO be a better pursuit than the store.

You mean they've got drills and saws and stuff running Linux now?!

Oh yeah, they do... Routers and lathes, too, I believe.

Pro/E HAS a GNU/Linux version. There are several projects right now to build the kinds of systems you are talking about. Check out Music Man/Ernie Ball - they use Redhat with Pro/E. No joke, I'm in the industry, and I've met a person or two in the know. Catia has a Unix version, UG has a Unix version. I believe (but am not sure) that even SDRC's I-DEAS has a Unix version. Get a demo of Rhinoceros (Windows only, very sorry to say) and check out the IGES export flavors. There are somrthing like 50 of them, and they list both Windows and Unix subflavors for many of the apps it can emulate in export.

CAD/CAM is available, it's just incredibly expensive at times and is NOT Free Software.

You're right about CMM. There ain't nothin' that I know of available.

Even CNC machine control is covered, check out EMC (BDI for those not using the Linux real-time source patches) at www.linuxcnc.org. It's based off of NIST EMC (Enhanced Machine Controller), and can drive (I think) up to 7 independant axes of motion and lot's o' limit switches, with stepper or servo output. I recommend using some kind of amplifier if yer gonna drive one o' those humongous VMCs, of course.

Very cool. So I can buy a laptop motherboard separate from the laptop itself? So I could, in theory, pick up a cheap(er) used laptop, machine a cool new case from plastic, and roll my own transportable PC?

Umm Linux has been way ahead of the Windoze curve in automation for years now. I can make a complete CNC system based on linux at linuxCNC

hmmm, where's the Windows version available at... Oh yeah... there isn't one.