hi everyone
I have a simple question, is linuxcnc a linux distro?
I mean at the moment I m using knoppix and I can run linuxcnc from cd but if i m going to install on hdd is going to overwrite knoppix?
(I have the feeling is going to happend).
any help would be great
thank you.

It's on distrowatch's "waiting list", it was submitted to distrowatch on 2017-12-29, but it is not on the actual distrowatch list.

You should probably have a look at this instead.

It depends on it's installer program and if there is any free unallocated space on your hard drive. The mainstream Linux distributions installer programs tend to try and create new partitions in unallocated disk space. Knoppix is designed to be a "live" system, I don't know about LinuxCNC though.

are you running any of these on your laptop, or desktop?

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thank you for the answers
no at the moment I m not running any of those on any machines.
I have two laptop, both toshiba very slow brain. in one I use knoppix, in the other I m trying to install linuxcnc, I m in the middle of process, so I don t know the result yet.
the second laptop is one mini laptop atom processor, that's the one i m trying to load linuxcnc on.
the best thing to do is to have one machine to run all in, in the future I m considering to assemble a desktop ryzen threadrypper 2950 with two partitions in one run knoppix and in the other run linux cnc, or even better running windows in a virtual box under knoppix and at that point I can use all my windows programs (like autocad, solid work mach3 and so on) without problems.
for the moment I m trying to use freeCAD to do the modeling part and the idea is to run linuxcnc to controll the 3d printer in the other little laptop.
at the moment all the best hardware resource are allocated in a super fast laptop own by my wife, and I m not allowed to touch it, fast laptop are essential to open and close curriculum students written in word's files.

afaik/r, linuxcnc has been around for a long while and is geared towards specific hardware.
but you want to install it on an oldish consumer laptops to operate a 3d printer?
does not seem correct to me; you'd be better with a general lightweight distro for that.

and of course you should seek out linuxcnc web pages / wiki etc., and read there what you're supposed to do with it.

Hi everyone
I just finish to install linuxcnc, everything runs fine, the old laptop seems rubust enough for that.
So next step is to get a 3D printer and play.
Thanks for the answers

hi everyone

you can load linux cnc on a laptop, but you won t be able to run a cnc with a parallel port control (21 pins)
so basically if you want to use linux cnc you must have a desktop with a parallel port.
i saw some of this convert from usb to parallel port, i mean from laptop usb to parallel and the connect with the cnc.
don t buy them they don t work.
best option is an old desktop with parallel port and linux cnc as a system operator