CVI Build distribution error when including ICP 2.5

[flash7ok]

When building a distribution package for my application, I got the error:

*** Error: Input data from a source data file has errors. (Error code -33)
Error verifying distribution present: NI IVI Compliance Package 2.5

I reran Check Module Dependencies on the Edit Installer/Drivers & Components screen, but it found no missing modules.  Examining installed NI software, I had the following packages installed:

NI IVI Compliance Package 2.5
NI Instrument I/O Assistant
NI LabWindows/CVI 8.0.1 FDS Package
NI LabWindows/CVI 8.0.1 Run-Time Engine
NI Measurement & Automation Explorer 4.0.3
NI PXI Platform Services for Windows 1.5.1
NI Session Manager 3.5
NI-488.2.2.46
NI-VISA 3.6
NI-VISA Runtime 3.6
NI-VISA Server 3.6

I then uninstalled ICP 2.5 and installed ICP 2.3.  The build distribution then worked.  Then I reinstalled ICP 2.5 and the build distribution now worked.  Examining NI installed software, these additional packages were installed:

NI LabVIEW Run-Time Engine 7.1.1
NI-DAQmx 8.1

So, in fact I have fixed the problem, but am not sure what was actually repaired.  The error during the build distribution is not very specific or too helpful.  Any ideas on what the real problem was?

[Mert_A.]

It's hard to say what the problem was.  We could have tried to debug a little further if you hadn't already fixed the problem.  It sounds like there was inconsistent data about whether ICP was installed or not.  If someone had mucked around with some of the related registry keys or files in National Instruments\Shared\MDF\Manifests, that could have caused it.  In any case, if you get into a situation like that again, the first thing to try is doing a Repair on the installation from Add/Remove Programs.  That should replace any files that have been moved or deleted for one reason or another.  Definitely let us know if you run into this kind of problem again; it's always possible that some particular installation order/setup might cause a problem.

As a side note, the Check Module Dependencies button only scans the dependency trees of merge modules (.msm files) that will be a part of your installer.  This does not apply to 90% of NI drivers/components that appear in the list, as they are full, standalone installers rather than merge modules.

Hope this helps.

Mert A.
National Instruments

[flash7ok]

Okay, I've managed to recreate the same error message.  In the Drivers & Components section in Edit Installer, I had the following selected:

    LabWindows/CVI Run-Time Engine (all)
    NI IVI Compliance Package 2.5.0
    NI Measurement & Automation Explorer 4.0
    NI-VISA Configuration Support 3.6
    NI-VISA Runtime 3.6

I removed everything but the LabWindows/CVI Run-Time Engine (to temporarily shorten the build distribution time).  The build still worked as expected.

Later, I re-included the above components.  Error code -33 now occurs when I try to build the distribution.

[Mert_A.]

Hi,

If you could follow the steps I describe in this post and post the resulting debug log file, I will hopefully be able to glean some useful information from it.  I would also ask if there is anything noteworthy that happened between the time it built successfully with everything included and the time it did not.  Did this all happen in one session, or did you close CVI in between?  Where did you originally install the IVI Compliance Package 2.5 from?  Was it an IVI CD?  How consistently can you reproduce the error?

If you can get me that debug log and try to answer my questions, hopefully we can figure out what's going wrong.

Thanks.

Mert A.
National Instruments

Message Edited by Mert A. on 10-25-2006 10:19 AM

[flash7ok]

First, to answer your questions.  I had removed the items in the Drivers & Components more than a week ago, thus, it was not the same CVI session.  I had downloaded ICP 2.5 from the NI web site and installed it in the default directory C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Local Settings\Temp\, which I think is part of the problem.

I think our virus scanner is blocking me from attaching distBuildDbg.log.  I can e-mail it to you if you want.  However, near the end of this file is the line:
MDF::DistributionSourceCollection::ReadTitleFromDistribution: file 'C:\DOCUME~1\<username>\LOCALS~1\Temp\setup.ini' invalid - distribution title not specified under [Distribution] Title

Examining setup.ini, I could see it was not a NI file (yes, I had installed an MS app about a week ago).  I then installed the ICP package (ICP25.exe) in a location other than TEMP, ran Repair on ICP (Add or Remove Programs/Change/Repair) with the new location, rebuilt the distribution, but the same error still occurred as setup.ini was still being looked for in the Temp dir.

Then, I removed ICP (Add or Remove Programs/Change/Remove), re-installed it (setup.exe from the new location), rebuilt the distribution, and now it works.

So, in retrospect, it appears to be dangerous to install ICP in the default location as critical file setup.ini is too generic a name to reside in the Temp directory.  Do you concur?

[Mert_A.]

Looks like you've figured out the issue on your own.  Yes, the problem here is that to include drivers in your distribution, the original source distribution must be available (in a complete, undamaged form).  The fact that the ICP distribution defaults to extracting itself to a temp directory is definitely questionable, at least for the purposes of redistribution.  By nature, a temp directory should contain only transient, disposable files, which is not really the case for the ICP distribution.  It should probably extract the distribution to a subdirectory of C:\National Instruments Downloads.

I will try to get this corrected, but the lesson to carry away is this: never install an NI driver/component from a temporary location.  Make sure the installer has either a permanent, isolated home on disk or is burned to a CD before running it.  If you do burn it to a CD, make sure you run the installer from the CD, and not from the hard drive.  Because the problem originated from missing/corrupted installer files (setup.ini) and not installed files, the repair never had a chance of fixing the problem.

I hope this gives you some background and can help steer you away from running into this again.  I'm sorry for the inconvenience.  Let me know if you have further questions.

Mert A.
National Instruments