Designed by various volunteer developers at linuxcnc.org, it is typically bundled as an ISO file with a modified version of Debian Linux which provides the required real-time kernel.
[citation needed] It makes extensive use of a real time-modified kernel, and supports both stepper- and servo-type drives.
Government sponsored Public Domain software systems for the control of milling machines were among the first projects developed with the digital computer in the 1950s.
It was to be a "vendor-neutral" reference implementation of the industry standard language for numerical control of machining operations, RS-274D (G-code).
The software included the RS274 interpreter driving the motion trajectory planner, real-time motor/actuator drivers and a user interface.
Around June 2000, NIST relocated the source code to SourceForge under the Public Domain license in order to allow external contributors to make changes.
Installing LinuxCNC and the underlying real-time kernel patches on a base Linux system can be a daunting task.
Today Paul's BDI has evolved into a bootable (live) ISO that can be burned to a CD or USB and run on most any PC style computer to test drive LinuxCNC without having to install the system.
This model tends to lend itself to specific types of external interfaces---PCI, PCIE, Parallel port (in SPP or EPP mode), ISA, and Ethernet have been used for motor control.
LinuxCNC also includes a software programmable logic controller (PLC) which is usually used in extensive configurations (such as complex machining centres).
The software PLC is based on the open source project Classicladder,[9] and runs within the real-time environment.