# Will cutter work on Linux software?



## Givizub (Apr 29, 2016)

Hello, I want to buy cutter and have stoped my choice on GCC Expert II. Can I use it on Linux with Inkscape and InkCut or will I need to buy Windows, CorelDraw and other special sofware? So, what other cutter can recommend to buy for this price and with Linux drivers?


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## tcrowder (Apr 27, 2006)

Why not ask the people that make them?

Product Inquiry GCC Laser Cutters, Laser Engravers, Vinyl Cutter, Printer/Cutters


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## dcbevins (Jul 31, 2011)

I have never found "good" cutting software for Linux. There are some primitive solutions, but they are primitive, and tend to be only for HGPL via a com port.


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## Wildgoose (Mar 5, 2013)

InkCut maybe? Never used it but I read somewhere that folks were messing with Linux. I used to run a Linux system but I'm not savvy enough with programming to keep it all working and never tried to run a cutter.

You can probably get it to work but I'm thinking it won't likely be smooth sailing. More likely a lot of frustration. I would pick up a cheap older laptop to run your cutter.


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## ginzburg (Apr 27, 2011)

I use Inkcut on Ubuntu with a Vinyl Express QE60 which is similar to the Graphtec. It uses HPGL so I would assume if the plotter accepts HPGL then it would work. I was surprised since it even knows that it is the QE60. I guess I don't have another reference, but Potrace works really well for tracing images. My only issues I have had are the preview does not have a resize function. Maybe that has been added though. Some PDF imports require the combine function in order for them to be the correct size and properly mirrored. That shows up in the preview though.


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## Givizub (Apr 29, 2016)

Thanks for answers. As I see GCC Expert II have HPGL too, and I hope it will works with my PC.


ginzburg said:


> I use Inkcut on Ubuntu with a Vinyl Express QE60. My only issues I have had are the preview does not have a resize function. Maybe that has been added though.


Yes, I have similar issue with Inkcut. What version of Inkscape do you have? How you added cutter as device? As a printer in "system setting" or not?


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## ginzburg (Apr 27, 2011)

It has been a while since I installed it so I might not remember correctly. I am still using Inkscape .48. What I recall is that all I had to do was select my plotter in the "Properties" button in Inkcut like in the Inkcut tutorial. I was surprised it was there and new exactly what it was. It may have recognized it when I plugged it in and was already installed. I also recall that I had to set my plotter to HGPL. This was one of those things that I though "just worked" as some Linux users say. It does appear that there is some activity on the Inkcut forum where individuals have added features, but I have not investigated that much.

In my case I think it was very useful because the Graphtec software didn't work with the Vinyl Express version of the plotter.

One thing that I read about but I have not tried out is that Inkscape .91 has some built in g code plotting functions supposedly. One thing that I just saw on he release notes is that it supports Gimp xcf imports. That is something that I have been missing in .48.


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## Givizub (Apr 29, 2016)

Well, today I got my cutter and trying to connect it. I've installed Inscape 0.48 and Inkcut 1.0 on lUbuntu 14.04. And when try to launch Inkcut I'm seeing this error:

_Traceback (most recent call last):
File "inkcutext.py", line 71, in <module>
effect.affect()
File "/usr/share/inkscape/extensions/inkex.py", line 215, in affect
self.effect()
File "inkcutext.py", line 50, in effect
InkscapePlugin(self.document,nodes.keys(),inkex)
File "/home/user/.config/inkscape/extensions/inkcut/app/main.py", line 473, in InkscapePlugin
app = Application(svg,nodes,inkex)
File "/home/user/.config/inkscape/extensions/inkcut/app/main.py", line 69, in __init__
self.populate_combos(builder)
File "/home/user/.config/inkscape/extensions/inkcut/app/main.py", line 160, in populate_combos
from bin.serial.scanlinux import scan
File "/home/user/.config/inkscape/extensions/inkcut/app/bin/serial/scanlinux.py", line 10, in <module>
import serial
ImportError: No module named serial
_
So, I think it is sometning about python packages?


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## ginzburg (Apr 27, 2011)

You are right. You will need pyserial. It might be called python-serial. If there are any other missing functions, you probably will need the python package of that. I only remember pyserial being required.

This area where you set the printer loads after that. You also will need to have text converted to paths and then everything ungrouped.


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## ginzburg (Apr 27, 2011)

https://sourceforge.net/p/inkcut/feature-requests/4/#21d

It appears manual contour cutting has been added, but not to the 'official' download. I might need to try this version of Inkcut.


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## Givizub (Apr 29, 2016)

ginzburg said:


> You are right. You will need pyserial. It might be called python-serial.


Yes, it works! Thanks again! 
Well but last step i need to recognize adress of USB port. I tried use /dev/ttyS0, S1, S2 ect., but having this error:

```
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/user/.config/inkscape/extensions/inkcut/app/main.py", line 283, in on_send_clicked
    dev.plot(os.path.join(appPath,'tmp','plot.hpgl'))
  File "/home/user/.config/inkscape/extensions/inkcut/app/bin/device.py", line 98, in plot
    toSerial(f.read(),self.serial)
  File "/home/user/.config/inkscape/extensions/inkcut/app/bin/device.py", line 75, in toSerial
    ser.open()
  File "/home/user/.config/inkscape/extensions/inkcut/app/bin/serial/serialposix.py", line 280, in open
    self._reconfigurePort()
  File "/home/user/.config/inkscape/extensions/inkcut/app/bin/serial/serialposix.py", line 308, in _reconfigurePort
    raise SerialException("Could not configure port: %s" % msg)
app.bin.serial.serialutil.SerialException: Could not configure port: (5, '\xd0\x9e\xd1\...\xd0\xb0')
```
And there is command _ls -l /dev/ttyS* /dev/ttyUSB*_

```
ls: can't access to /dev/ttyUSB*: No such file or derictory
crwxrwxrwx 1 root dialout 4, 64 Маy 10 17:39 /dev/ttyS0
crwxrwxrwx 1 root dialout 4, 65 Маy 10 17:39 /dev/ttyS1
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 4, 74 Маy 10 17:39 /dev/ttyS10
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 4, 75 Маy 10 17:39 /dev/ttyS11
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 4, 76 Маy 10 17:39 /dev/ttyS12
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 4, 77 Маy 10 17:39 /dev/ttyS13
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 4, 78 Маy 10 17:39 /dev/ttyS14
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 4, 79 Маy 10 17:39 /dev/ttyS15
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 4, 80 Маy 10 17:39 /dev/ttyS16
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 4, 81 Маy 10 17:39 /dev/ttyS17
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 4, 82 Маy 10 17:39 /dev/ttyS18
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 4, 83 Маy 10 17:39 /dev/ttyS19
crwxrwxrwx 1 root dialout 4, 66 Маy 10 17:39 /dev/ttyS2
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 4, 84 Маy 10 17:39 /dev/ttyS20
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 4, 85 Маy 10 17:39 /dev/ttyS21
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 4, 86 Маy 10 17:39 /dev/ttyS22
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 4, 87 Маy 10 17:39 /dev/ttyS23
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 4, 88 Маy 10 17:39 /dev/ttyS24
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 4, 89 Маy 10 17:39 /dev/ttyS25
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 4, 90 Маy 10 17:39 /dev/ttyS26
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 4, 91 Маy 10 17:39 /dev/ttyS27
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 4, 92 Маy 10 17:39 /dev/ttyS28
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 4, 93 Маy 10 17:39 /dev/ttyS29
crwxrwxrwx 1 root dialout 4, 67 Маy 10 17:39 /dev/ttyS3
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 4, 94 Маy 10 17:39 /dev/ttyS30
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 4, 95 Маy 10 17:39 /dev/ttyS31
crwxrwxrwx 1 root dialout 4, 68 Маy 10 17:39 /dev/ttyS4
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 4, 69 Маy 10 17:39 /dev/ttyS5
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 4, 70 Маy 10 17:39 /dev/ttyS6
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 4, 71 Маy 10 17:39 /dev/ttyS7
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 4, 72 Маy 10 17:39 /dev/ttyS8
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 4, 73 Маy 10 17:39 /dev/ttyS9
```
Any ideas how to find adress of USB-port?


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## ginzburg (Apr 27, 2011)

I didn't know that Incut was updated to version 2. It has some major updates and works as stand alone and also with the newest Inkscape.


https://github.com/codelv/inkcut


Pip install inkcut (it does have a few dependencies) 



It seemed dormant for a long time. It really seems great so I thought I would let you know.


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