[KSky]

Has anyone successfully installed dropbox on their pathpilot? That's how I typically move files from my CAD/CAM workstation to my machines. It seems to be possible, but only via unsupported methods.

[nickfabb]

Open the gcode editor, go to help menu, get help online. Now you have firefox for your use. Download dropbox for ubuntu, 32 bit, let it extract. Install dropbox. (admin password if needed is operator). Then make sure that you have dropbox run at startup. I have been using it with success for a while now.

[byellin]

If you put the dropbox folder in the gcode folder, you will be able to browse directly to it from inside PP. You can configure the folder location during install.

[sPUD42]

How do you do this, "Then make sure that you have dropbox run at startup."? Thx.

[wtopace]

I'm definitely not recommending this since Tormach hasn't officially released it yet - but it's delivered in the codebase:

ADMIN DROPBOX INSTALL

Personally, I use a completely different CM solution that isn't dropbox, so I cannot help with any issues.

[mountaindew]

I'm definitely not recommending this since Tormach hasn't officially released it yet - but it's delivered in the codebase:

ADMIN DROPBOX INSTALL

Personally, I use a completely different CM solution that isn't dropbox, so I cannot help with any issues.

Ahh the many secrets you find when looking in the right place.

I still don't get the drop box thing. I have a network of tablets, media center pcs. workstation pcs and machine controllers all connected by WIRE to a router and a net server with couple tb's of storage. I keep movies, video, cad, pictures, cam files , taps files by the tens of thousands all available to each device on private network.

Is drop box a way to share with others and not use email or something like that?

[wtopace]

Ahh the many secrets you find when looking in the right place.

I still don't get the drop box thing. I have a network of tablets, media center pcs. workstation pcs and machine controllers all connected by WIRE to a router and a net server with couple tb's of storage. I keep movies, video, cad, pictures, cam files , taps files by the tens of thousands all available to each device on private network.

Is drop box a way to share with others and not use email or something like that?

Dropbox is basically a "software as a service" version of the file server you already run at home. All of your devices sync does to an internet endpoint and you can access them from any synced device. You can also share folders with other dropped users.

Personally, I prefer to store my files on my own server equipment, but some people don't want to run computers 24/7 or don't want the extra hardware overhead, so they are willing to pay for redundant online storage.

[sPUD42]

Thanks. The file share was not working with my Mac, so Dropbox was plan B. Short version Apple's implementation of Samba is broken. I did get the Tormach share to work with my Mac by disabling authentication on the share and changing the server name to just "Tormach" from "TormachPCNC".

[MichaelHenry]

Is drop box a way to share with others and not use email or something like that?

That's probably one way to use it, but I used it to have access to files between work and home. So long as my work files were stored in DropBox, I could access them from anywhere that had an Internet connection and some sort of compatible browser. No need to set up or maintain my own network or server and the files are automatically backed up to boot. There is no fee so long as you don't exceed a certain amount of storage. I don't know what the limit is, but I'm currently at 3.5 GB files in storage.

[tbev]

My PC1100 is not networked or plugged in to the internet, no wireless card in the stock computer from Tormach. I am assuming that I will need to add a wireless card to the computer? (to connect to my wifi network) or run a cat5 to the router (which is too far for me to run)

Can I share a folder in the gcode folder for example, and run the usb to my laptop instead? Right now I have the usb (female) that comes out of the computer and goes to a "usb port" plate. That is where I usually insert the jump drive. have to take it out of the computer and put it in there, if I could hook the pc1100 streight up to my laptop with a wire that would be preferable but a wireless card in the tormach computer and Dropbox sounds good as well..

Thanks

[kstrauss]

I don't believe that there is any support for sharing via USB. Does your laptop have an Ethernet connector (RJ45)? If so you could connect the laptop to the Tormach via a cable without buying a WiFi card or USB to WiFi dongle. Without a router you'll have to configure the IP addresses manually though.

[wtopace]

As for adding a wireless connection, here is the same USB WIFI dongle Tormach sells: Edimax EW 7811UN N150 USB 2 0 Wireless Nano Adapter 4710700927168 | eBay Works great in my machine.

I don't know of any USB file sharing protocols, your basically reduced down to the "10 toe express" if you want to stick with USB file transfers.

I would recommend grabbing the USB WIFI dongle above, connecting your Tormach controller to your home WIFI router and using either dropbox or Samba file shares. Instructions on Tormach's site at: Direct Document and Software Download | Tormach Inc. providers of personal small CNC machines, CNC tooling, and many more CNC items.

[scott216]

I'm still using an old version of Pathpilot that has dropbox on it, I really love dropbox, but I'm gonna have to upgrade sooner or later and then I won't have Dropbox on PathPilot anymore. It occurred to me that I can get a Raspberry Pi and install dropbox onto that. Then I could connect the Raspberry Pi to my Pathpilot computer and share the files. Seems like that should work.

[tbev]

That's a pretty slick idea actually, prolly work just fine! Are you able to organize your files; like into folders, cut and paste inside of PP? If you do upgrade, make sure you have everything organized how you want it, that's one of the things you'll lose the ability to do in PP, I believe it wa an upgrade pretty close after the dropbox upgrade.

[wtopace]

I'm still using an old version of Pathpilot that has dropbox on it, I really love dropbox, but I'm gonna have to upgrade sooner or later and then I won't have Dropbox on PathPilot anymore. It occurred to me that I can get a Raspberry Pi and install dropbox onto that. Then I could connect the Raspberry Pi to my Pathpilot computer and share the files. Seems like that should work.

Seems like a lot of work to mess with the Pi just for a Dropbox client - why not just install Dropbox on the Ubuntu distro underneath PathPilot? Lots of people did that before it was "officially" supported by Tormach (and later removed because of run away axes). Drop to a shell and install or boot to Gnome and install and you should be good to go. I have posted instructions on both in previous threads in this forum.

Best of luck!

[scott216]

Seems like a lot of work to mess with the Pi just for a Dropbox client - why not just install Dropbox on the Ubuntu distro underneath PathPilot? Lots of people did that before it was "officially" supported by Tormach (and later removed because of run away axes). Drop to a shell and install or boot to Gnome and install and you should be good to go. I have posted instructions on both in previous threads in this forum.

Best of luck!

That's a good idea. So has there been any issues with installing Dropbox manually? I wonder why Tormach's way of doing it has caused some problems. I'll try and find your instructions.

[scott216]

... I have posted instructions on both in previous threads in this forum.

wtopace, can you give me a link to the forum post with your dropbox instructions? cnczone search isn't finding it. I went into advanced search and entered wtopace in the user name field and dropbox as the keyword and got zero matches. I know that's not right.

[wtopace]

That's a good idea. So has there been any issues with installing Dropbox manually? I wonder why Tormach's way of doing it has caused some problems. I'll try and find your instructions.

I think the issues were related to the "this file has changed on disk" dialog popping up while jogging. I believe this caused the controller to ignore the jog shuttle and continue on it's merry way until it destroyed whatever was in the path.

wtopace, can you give me a link to the forum post with your dropbox instructions? cnczone search isn't finding it. I went into advanced search and entered wtopace in the user name field and dropbox as the keyword and got zero matches. I know that's not right.

I didn't post specific instructions for dropbox I don't think, however, I can give you the gist below:
1) Boot Pathpilot all the way up normally
2) Open a shell with ctrl+alt+x (I think, it's been a while, this is for sure in some of my old posts)
3) Once in the shell, install Dropbox

cd ~ && wget -O - "https://www.dropbox.com/download?plat=lnx.x86_64" | tar xzf -

4) Start the dropbox daemon

~/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd

Optionally, you can use the normal GUI installer since X11 is installed and configured
3) Launch Firefox

firefox &

4) Navigate to dropbox.com and download the Ubuntu .deb file
5) You should be able to double-click the .deb file from the Firefox interface, if not, you can use dpkg to install

dpkg -i /path/to/downloaded/dropbox_amd64.deb

Feel free to post back here if you have any issues and I'll give it a go on my machine. I run a Subversion server and prefer it over Dropbox, so I have never actually run Dropbox myself.

Good luck!

[kstrauss]

I think the issues were related to the "this file has changed on disk" dialog popping up while jogging. I believe this caused the controller to ignore the jog shuttle and continue on it's merry way until it destroyed whatever was in the path.

That problem was fixed quite a while ago (maybe 1.9.6?) Note that it was not specifically a Dropbox problem but also occurred when changing the current file via a Samba share. You are now warned about the changed file at the next tool change if a program is running. If jogging when the current file is changed the jog movement is immediately stopped.

[scott216]

That problem was fixed quite a while ago (maybe 1.9.6?) Note that it was not specifically a Dropbox problem but also occurred when changing the current file via a Samba share. You are now warned about the changed file at the next tool change if a program is running. If jogging when the current file is changed the jog movement is immediately stopped.

So, Tormach fixed the problems with PP and Dropbox, but they didn't add the Dropbox functionality back into PP?