Perhaps running updateNIDrivers is not the solution

[chicago_joe]

Hello,

 I am (now) running Mandriva 2008, trying to install Nidaqmx base 3.1 .
I downloaded the appropriate kernel source (2.6.22.9-1mdv),
ran mrproper,
cp'd to .config,
edited the Makefile so that the Extraversion matches what mandriva says (.9-desktop586-1mdv),
installed NIVisa via the install script in the nivisa directory,
installed the parent nidaqmx folder via the install script there,
ran lsdaq and was told to updateNIDrivers.

so, i ran updateNIDrivers, which reports no errors and then tells me to reboot.
however, when i run lsdaq i still get exactly the same error:
[lab@localhost ~]$ lsdaq
--------------------------------
Detecting National Instruments DAQ Devices
Found the following DAQ Devices:
libnipalu.so failed to initialize
Perhaps you need to run updateNIDrivers
/usr/local/bin/lsdaq: line 7:  7526 Aborted                 /etc/natinst/nidaqmxbase/bin/daqmxbase_listdevices
--------------------------------


So ...  i switched away from Ubuntu because i thought that this would all work in an linux distro that you guys supported.
But! now i'm using mandriva and it's still broken! How can i make your drivers work?


thanks!

[Ed W]

Hi chicago_joe-

I just went through the installation process on a machine running Mandriva 2008 with your same kernel version, and the driver worked without a problem.  Like you, I had to install the kernel source for VISA to work properly; when I installed the source, it came from the Mandriva 2008 installation media – could you point me to the link where you downloaded the kernel source?  I’d like to try it out to see if I can reproduce the issues that you’re seeing.

Also, I didn’t have to go through any of the extra steps that you did to get the driver working, such as running mrproper or editing the Makefile.  After the source was installed, I had to navigate to /usr/src/linux-2.6.22.9-desktop-lmdv and run make modules_prepare.  After that, VISA and the remainder of the DAQmx Base driver installed and worked fine. 

-Ed

Message Edited by Ed W on 04-08-2008 07:14 PM

[chicago_joe]

for kernel source, i just did >>urpmi kernel-sources-2.6-<relevant version> ,
so i don't think i got the wrong source or anything..

[Ed W]

chicago_joe-

On a fresh install of Mandriva 2008, I was able to get DAQmx Base installed and working with the following commands (not using Mandriva's installation media):

urpmi kernel-desktop-latest kernel-desktop-devel-latest
cd /usr/src/linux-2.6.22.9-desktop-1mdv
make modules_prepare

After that, I installed VISA and DAQmx Base, and I was able to successfully run lsdaq and use my NI devices.  Could you try these steps to see if they work for you?  There should be no need to edit any configuration files or Makefiles.

(Also, just FYI, you shouldn't need to run the VISA install script before running the DAQmx Base install script - DAQmx Base recognizes VISA as a dependency, and installs it first automatically.)

-Ed

[chicago_joe]

Hey Ed,
 i'll try that with a fresh mandriva install later today, but first -
where are you getting your daqmx base from, and what version is it?

in particular, i believe i'm using version 3.1 (as linked to in this thread: http://forums.ni.com/ni/board/message?board.id=250&thread.id=36713&view=by_date_ascending&page=1 ), but my install experience is inconsistent with what you just said about only needing to run the install script on the top level directory - when i installed at the top level it very definitely quit and said i needed to install nivisa first. 

I'm asking about the daqmx base version because when i looked on the website, i only ever found version 2,  but when i started reading the forums there were links to version 3, so i have no idea whether i'm using the most current daqmx base version.

thanks!

[Ed W]

Hey Joe-

I'm using DAQmx Base version 3.1, and I downloaded it from ni.com.  Here are the steps that I follow to get to the driver download page:

 - http://www.ni.com/
 - Click Support in the menu-bar
 - Click Drivers and Updates
   - You'll be directed to a software download page where you can select the type of driver for your computer and NI products.  In this case, I only had to click on Data Acquisition (Product), and Linux (Operating System).  The first link in the list is for NI-DAQmx Base 3.1. 

I hope this helps.

-Ed

[chicago_joe]

Hey Ed,

 maybe i've missed something, but i did a fresh install of mandriva from their livecd i downloaded yesterday, and urpmi doesn't think those packages exist:

[root@localhost lab]# urpmi kernel-desktop-latest kernel-desktop-devel-latest
No package named kernel-desktop-latest
No package named kernel-desktop-devel-latest

do i need to run some setup to make urpmi work?
... dealing with packages in mandriva has reminded me why we all thought it would be worthwhile to try making things run in ubuntu first  - the debian packages are so much simpler!

[chicago_joe]

ah, ok, i "added media" or something via the gui add/remove software interface and now urpmi believes in packages .

However, there are still two problems:

1. - one of the packages won't install:
[root@localhost lab]# urpmi kernel-desktop-latest kernel-desktop-devel-latest
A requested package cannot be installed:
kernel-desktop-devel-2.6.22.18-1mdv-1-1mdv2008.0.i586 (due to unsatisfied make)
Continue installation anyway? (Y/n) Y

2. the package that does install, as well as the one that doesn't, are both for 2.6.22.18 ,  whereas i think we both agree that what mandriva installs is 2.6.22.9 





Message Edited by chicago_joe on 04-09-2008 03:04 PM

[chicago_joe]

Now i have gotten everything to install,  and this time around running updateNIDrivers just produces negative results.

here's what i've done

first of all, in the mandriva add/remove software media management system, i needed to have a "distribution" source selected, not an "official" source .

 as noted previously, running urpmi and asking for blah-blah-latest  provides slightly the wrong version of things, and even asking for kernel-desktop-devel-2.6.22.9 didn't produce headers that nidaq liked, so i searched in the mandriva add/remove software gui and i found packages for kernel-desktop586-etc , which was what the nidaq installer had been complaining i didn't have. So i installed those packages, and ran "make modules_prepare" in /usr/src/linux-2.6.22.9-desktop586-1mdv
and now, the top-level INSTALL script actually worked!

i was full of hope when i rebooted,  but i still got the same "libnipali doesn't exist, try running updateNIDrivers" message,
and when i updateNIDrivers, nikal doesn't compile!!

i'm attaching the error log for that,  and i have one question --
during install, there were some warnings that nipal requires NFS , but i know i set up an ext3 filesystem.
do i need to install mandriva on an NFS formatted drive? 
what filesystem did you install under, Ed ?




Message Edited by chicago_joe on 04-09-2008 05:00 PM

[chicago_joe]

ok so i noticed in the error log i had posted that something in the system seemed to have gotten confused and was possibly using the slightly-wrong headers i had downloaded, SO

i did a fresh install of mandriva
i used the default distribution source in the package manager
i installed the ...devel-desktop586-...  package for the appropriate version  (the non-devel package was already installed)
i made modules_prepare
i ran the top level INSTALL script from the nidaq base iso
i rebooted
lsdaq detects my cards!


i think i'm calling it a night on that note,
but anyway Ed thanks for your help, and i guess if anyone else reads this,
the trick to getting nidaq to install onto mandriva is to have exactly the headers it's looking for, and no other headers to confuse it.