# LinuxCNC/linuxcnc

LinuxCNC controls CNC machines. It can drive milling machines, lathes, 3d printers, laser cutters, plasma cutters, robot arms, hexapods, and more.

Repository: https://github.com/LinuxCNC/linuxcnc
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/linuxcnc
Homepage: http://linuxcnc.org/
Language: Python
License: GPL-2.0
License Family: copyleft
Last push: 2026-08-26T03:54:47+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 92/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 79, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 5291, "days_push": 7, "days_rel": 62, "gap_med": 66, "n_releases_24m": 4}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 2455, forks 1305 (observed 2026-08-28T04:06:53.194559+00:00)

## What it is
LinuxCNC is an open-source machine control software that drives CNC machines such as milling machines, lathes, 3D printers, laser and plasma cutters, and robot arms. It accepts G-code input, runs under Linux with optional realtime extensions, and offers multiple GUIs and support for many hardware interfaces.

## Use cases
- control a CNC milling machine with G-code
- retrofit an old lathe with modern machine control software
- drive a 3D printer or laser cutter from Linux
- control a robot arm or hexapod with G-code
- run a plasma cutter with rigid tapping and cutter compensation
- build a DIY CNC controller on a realtime Linux system

## When to choose
- you need full-featured, proven open-source CNC control on Linux
- you want support for many machine types and hardware interfaces
- you need advanced features like rigid tapping and cutter compensation
- you want an active community and long-maintained project

## When to avoid
- you need Windows or macOS-native machine control
- you require certified safety compliance - the software explicitly disclaims liability
- you want a plug-and-play commercial controller with vendor support
- you need a lightweight hobby firmware like Marlin or GRBL for a simple 3D printer

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: stable
- function: robotics, simulation, gui, interpreter, developer-tools
- domain: robotics, hardware, embedded-systems
- platform: python, cross-platform
- tags: cnc, g-code, machine-control, realtime, motion-control, 3d-printing, laser-cutter, plasma-cutter, mill, lathe, linux-rtai, hardware-retrofit, automation, manufacturing, linux

## Member repositories
- LinuxCNC/linuxcnc (main) score 92

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:53.194559+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T02:30:04.718778+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/LinuxCNC/linuxcnc (fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:53.194559+00:00, sha bbc5cb9266b2)
  - homepage: http://linuxcnc.org/ (fetched 2026-08-29T10:11:32.130663+00:00, sha e9ff7dbc4118)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.